alpine meadow, the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, vegetation community characteristics, soil physicochemical features, soil bacterial community, degradation, cultivation, land use change, habitat quality, habitat degradation, Guangdong Province, ecosystem services value (ESV), natural and socio-economic factors, ecological contribution model, geographical detector model (GDM), geographically weighted regression (GWR), Yellow River Basin (YRB), land-use change, pollination service, InVEST model, litchi and longan, karst region, ecosystem service value, spatial autocorrelation, geographical detector, geographical detector model, Tianshan Mountains, ecological security pattern, land use conflicts, ecosystem service function, ecological sensitivity, Shandong Province, official turnover, environmental governance, collusion, environmental effect, land management, cultivated land resources, evaluation index, space–function–environment, cultivated land quality division, lake area changes, climate change, anthropogenic activity, Tibetan Plateau, nature reserve, remote sensing monitoring, production–living–ecological space (PLES), land use function transition (LUFT), ecosystem service value (ESV), Three Gorges Reservoir Area (TGRA), Three Gorges Project (TGP), green finance, ecosystem service demand, coupling coordination relationship, protection effectiveness, human pressure, Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, rural land consolidation projects, spatial differentiation, driving mechanisms, equivalent factor method, geographically weighted regression model, Applied mathematics

There are many eco-sensitive areas, such as mountain regions and transitional zones, around the world that cover a sizeable area of the Earth’s terrestrial surface.However, due to excessive human land use and climate change, these regions are currently facing numerous challenges. In response to these challenges, many policies have been formulated and significant action has been taken, including designating protected land areas and providing ecological compensation, to balance the relationship between ecological protection and socio-economic development. These interventions must be supported by the government at different levels to ensure that these ecosystems are able to sustainably provide their services. Because of this, studies related to ecosystem services should play an essential role in managing and conserving eco-sensitive areas and protected land. This Special Issue aims to address critical knowledge gaps in our basic understanding of land use/cover change, ecosystem services and how they have changed in eco-sensitive areas, and societal trends within and outside eco-sensitive areas for dealing with future challenges. A particular focus is placed on studies regarding protected land and those that investigate the management and preservation of biodiversity and landscapes in these areas.