Ecological vulnerability assessment and control factor analysis based on vegetation productivity in Yinshanbeilu of Inner Mongolia

Ecosystem vulnerability is a central issue in research into a globally changing climate and the sustainability of development, and vulnerability measurement and evaluation is essential for understanding the structure and function of ecosystems. Due to the saturation of EVI and GPP in areas with high vegetation cover. To address this issue, this study proposes a more comprehensive perspective than single indicators or weighted multi-indicator approaches. By coupling the 2000–2020 long-term NDVI and NPP indicators to calculate the Ecological Vulnerability Index, and combining it with the Geographic Detector to systematically assess the spatial pattern of ecological vulnerability and its driving mechanisms. Overall EV was high, with the area of moderate and above-grade vulnerable areas accounting for about 66%, and the vulnerability decreasing from north to south. The overall vulnerability of woodlands is low, with No, Slight and Light being the most vulnerable areas, accounting for over 95% of the area. The overall vulnerability of grassland is high, dominated by Slight, Light and Medium vulnerability, with an area share of more than 85%. Vegetation cover and precipitation are the main controlling factors affecting EV, with an explanatory power of 0.59 (0.62) and 0.48 (0.51) respectively, other factors have less influence on EV overall (<0.21).