Spatiotemporal changes and driving factors of ecological vulnerability in karst World Heritage sites based on SRP and geodetector: a case study of Shibing and Libo-Huanjiang karst

Ecological vulnerability is crucial in assessing the ecosystems of Karst World Heritage Sites(WHSs), providing vital insights for ecological evaluation, protection, and resilience enhancement. This study develops an indicator system based on the Sensitivity-Recovery-Pressure (SRP) conceptual model, selecting 11 indicators across four dimensions: climate, topography, vegetation, and human disturbance. Using Shibing and Libo-Huanjiang Karst WHSs as study areas, we analyzed data from 2014, 2018, and 2022. By integrating the entropy weight method with the Geodetector, we investigated the spatiotemporal changes in ecological vulnerability and identified the primary driving factors. The findings reveal: (1) Temporally, the comprehensive ecological vulnerability index of Shibing WHS initially decreased and then increased from 2014 to 2022, but overall trending positively. In contrast, the vulnerability index of Libo-Huanjiang WHS showed a slight increase. (2) Spatially, core areas of the WHSs exhibited relatively low ecological vulnerability, while buffer zones and tourist concentration areas showed higher vulnerability. (3) Regarding driving factors, all indicators significantly influenced ecological vulnerability, with multi-factor interactions offering stronger explanatory power than single factors. These results provide essential scientific evidence for assessing the ecological environment of Karst WHSs, promoting sustainable tourism development, and enhancing environmental change resilience.