Objectives Assessing the dynamic changes of the land-use patterns of the Yilong Lake Basin (YLB), and quantifying the ecosystem service value (ESV) variations responding to land-use change.

Methods Based on the land-use data of YLB and an ESV accounting system, we evaluated the dynamic changes in land-use and ESV from 2009 to 2022.

Results The rate of change in different land-use types during the study period ranked as unused land > garden land > grassland > construction land > crop land > water body> forest land. The comprehensive index of land-use degree of YLB was 236～238. During the study period, 38.4% of the basin area experienced land use transitions, with transition areas of 382 ha, 13,703 ha, and 253 ha for the periods 2009–2014, 2014–2019, and 2019–2022, respectively. The main type of land-use transitions included forest land to garden land; cropland to forest land; cropland to garden land; cropland to construction land, forest land to cropland, grassland to forest land, and forest land to construction land. The total ESV of YLB was estimated as 1.9×10⁹ Yuan with a unit value of 5.3×10⁴ Yuan/hm². During the whole study period, the total ESV of YLB showed an increasing trend. Among the specific ecosystem service functions, hydrological regulation, climate regulation, and biodiversity were the top 3 ESV contributors in YLB. The ESV of different land-use types ranked as waterbody > forest land > garden land > cropland > grassland > unused land > construction land.

Conclusion Production activities and ecological environment governance in the YLB have dynamically altered land-use types, exerting varying impacts on the total ESV and the value of different ecosystem service functions. The results provided a valuable reference for the rational planning and development of land resources eco-environmental protection in the basin.