Assessment of the spatiotemporal coupling relationship between ecological environment quality and tourist spatial activities in Qianjiangyuan National Park

Balancing recreational services of national parks with the protection of ecological environment quality is essential for the sustainable use of natural resources. Taking Qianjiangyuan National Park as a case study, this study integrated remote sensing data, trajectories, and geotagged photos, and applied the remote sensing ecological index, a clustering algorithm, and the coupling coordination model to investigate the spatiotemporal coupling relationship between ecological environment quality and tourist spatial activities from 2017 to 2024. The results showed that: (1) The ecological environment quality of the study area remained generally high, with over 79.20% of the area classified as good and above. High-value areas were primarily located in the northwest and southern regions. In contrast, low-value areas were primarily located along the periphery, in residential zones, and adjacent to roads. (2) Tourist activities were primarily concentrated in forest ecosystem regions with high ecological and recreational value. The distribution of trajectories exhibited distinct seasonal patterns and a fluctuating trend from 2017 to 2024, characterized by an initial increase, a subsequent decline, and eventual recovery. The 18 areas of interest demonstrated a spatial distribution characterized by linear continuity and localized aggregation; (3) The ecological environment quality and tourist spatial activities generally exhibited strong coupling and basic coordination. High values were primarily observed in the northwest and southwest of the study area, while low values were concentrated in the northeast, central, and southern regions. These spatial patterns provide actionable insights for targeted management strategies to balance tourism utilization and ecological conservation in national parks.