Abstract: Clarifying the coupling between ecosystem services and rural development levels is important for promoting rural revitalization, advancing ecological civilization construction, and achieving a balanced coexistence between humans and the Earth in ecologically fragile areas. With the InVEST model, we quantified five ecosystem services (food production, water yield, carbon storage, soil conservation, and habitat quality) in Shenmu City, Shaanxi Province. The level of rural development was evaluated from five dimensions, including resource endowment, human capital, industrial foundation, facility security, and location conditions. The coupling between ecosystem services and the level of rural development was analyzed using a coupling coordination model and a relative development model. The spatial heterogeneity of the factors influencing the level of coupling coordination was analyzed using a geographically weighted regression model. The results showed that the level of rural development in the northern townships of Shenmu City was generally higher than that in the southern townships. Apart from grain output, water production, carbon sequestration, soil conservation, and habitat quality in Shenmu City had shown an upward trend. The coordination between ecosystem services and rural development levels was generally dysfunctional or antagonistic, with ecosystem services lagging behind the level of rural development in the northern townships and exceeding it in the southern townships. There was spatial heterogeneity in the influence of natural and socio-economic factors on the degree of coupling between ecosystem services and the level of rural development. In the future development process, it is suggested to promote ecological civilization construction and the rural revitalization strategy based on the differences in natural and socio-economic conditions.

Key words: ecosystem services, rural development level, coupled coordination, geographically weighted regression model, Shenmu City