Abstract: Clarifying the spatial and temporal variations of habitat quality and its driving factors is important for regional ecological protection and restoration and integrated high-quality sustainable development under rapid urbanization. Based on the satellite-based land-use dataset from 1995 to 2020, we used the InVEST model to detect the spatio-temporal variations of habitat quality in the central region of the Yangtze River Delta, and assessed its driving force. Habitat quality in the central region of the Yangtze River Delta showed a trend of degradation. Heterogeneity across provinces (municipalities) increased mainly because of the increases of habitat area with poor and worst grades and little area change in other grades. The spatial changes of habitat quality mainly happened in the  exchange between poor grade and worst grade, better grade, best grade. There was a good balance between the area of habitat with upgraded quality and degraded quality in Nanjing, Changzhou, and Zhenjiang cities, and more potential for habitat restoration in Xuancheng, Chizhou, Zhoushan, and Anqing cities. The habitat management and improvement in Zhejiang Province were better than other provinces (municipalities) in the recent five years. The differences in habitat quality management and improvement between provinces (municipalities) highlight the importance of integrated management and development of ecological environment in this area in the future. The natural environment and social-economic development are the main reasons for the spatio-temporal variations of habitat quality in this area. Elevation and slope determined habitat quality, while the intensity of human activities drove the changes in habitat quality pattern.

Key words: habitat quality, InVEST model, geographical detector, driving factor, the Yangtze River Delta.