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The Yellow River Basin plays a crucial role as an ecological barrier in China. The rapid urban population growth in these agglomerations results in a continuous increase in urbanization levels, leading to a sharp rise in the demand for land for residential and public construction. As a consequence of the population surge driven by rapid urbanization, there is an increased need for food in the region. Within the arable land protection system, constraints such as "arable land occupation and compensation balance" lead to the conversion of part of eco-land into production and eco-land to compensate for losses caused by urban expansion. The current land use classification system primarily focuses on production and habitation purposes but fails to adequately consider ecological functions. This study analyzes the ecological land use changes across the seven main urban clusters within the Yellow River Basin over the past two decades, utilizing data on land use from 2000 to 2020. The analysis includes examining the spatial distribution characteristics of different land categories, quantifying level fluctuations, assessing inter-class spatial arrangement alterations, and studying shifts in land categories through quantitative, exchange, shift-level, and intensity analysis methods. By examining the trajectory of ecological land use transformation and developmental trends in these seven urban clusters, several conclusions are drawn from this study. Between 2000 and 2020, there was a discernible shift in active land utilization towards residential and industrial purposes within these clusters. In contrast, other land categories displayed a trend opposing the transition to ecological land use or the promotion of ecological resource production. Particularly noteworthy is the observed transition in the Central Plains urban clusters - initially showing a net decrease in ecological land use area from 2000 to 2020, which notably reversed into a net increase specifically between 2010 and 2020. This transition highlights the positive impact resulting from efforts focused on ecological preservation.
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