Coupling Land Use with Multiple Geographical Factors Drives the Evolution of Habitat Quality: Case Study from Resource-Exhausted City—Jiawang District, East China

Habitat quality (HQ) is crucial for assessing biodiversity and serves as a key indicator of ecosystem services and health. However, the spatial and temporal evolution of HQ under varying human activity intensities remains poorly understood. We employed the integrated valuation of ecosystem services and trade-offs model to analyze the spatiotemporal distribution and evolutionary characteristics of HQ in Jiawang District (JWD), an area experiencing resource extraction, depletion, and urban expansion. We utilized Pearson correlation analysis, partial least squares-path modeling, the generalized additive model, and patch-generating land use simulation to explore the impact of human activity on HQ and the mechanisms of multifactorial interactions. Our findings revealed the following: (1) From 2000 to 2030, HQ in JWD generally declined, with high- and low-quality areas in the north and east and the west and south, respectively. (2) The land use intensity index and population density were significantly correlated with HQ, emphasizing the role of human-driven land use changes. (3) Topographic factors were positively correlated with HQ but influenced it indirectly through land use. (4) Land use emerged as a critical intermediary influencing HQ, with climate, topography, population, and economy exerting indirect effects. These results provide insights for biodiversity conservation and sustainable urban development.