Objective The Yellow River Basin is an important ecological barrier and economic zone in China, and a clear understanding of its land use/cover change (LUCC) characteristics and underlying drivers is required to provide a basis for ecological construction, soil erosion control, and high-quality development.

Methods Based on the data of land use, climate, topography, and anthropogenic activities from 2000 to 2020, this study analyzed the spatiotemporal patterns of land use changes in the Yellow River Basin by using the land use transfer matrix, land use dynamics, and spatial analysis methods. It further analyzed the impacts of natural and anthropogenic factors on land use changes based on the optimal parameters-based geodetector (OPGD).

Results 1) From 2000 to 2020, the dominant land use/cover type in the Yellow River Basin was grassland, accounting for 50.46% to 53.35% of the total area. Among different land use/cover types, the area proportion of forest and impervious surfaces increased by 0.58% and 0.52%, respectively, while the area of cropland and bare land continued to decrease, with proportions dropping by 1.02% and 0.66%, respectively. The changes in snow and ice, water bodies, and wetlands were relatively small. 2) The main land use transition occurred between cropland and grassland, primarily in the central region of the basin. The changes in wetlands, impervious surfaces, and bare land were the largest. The land use change was most significant from 2000 to 2005, with a comprehensive dynamic index of 0.39%, and least significant from 2010 to 2015, with a comprehensive dynamic index of 0.15%. 3) GDP, temperature, and elevation were the primary drivers of the LUCC distribution in the Yellow River Basin, with average q-values of 0.169, 0.151, and 0.137, respectively. The interaction analysis between different factors showed that precipitation and elevation best explained the spatial distribution of LUCC, with the highest q-value of 0.326.

Conclusions The interaction analysis between different factors shows that precipitation and elevation mainly explain the spatial distribution of LUCC, with the highest q-value of 0.326. Over the past 20 years, the Yellow River Basin has experienced substantial LUCC dynamics. The overarching spatial pattern of land cover is primarily governed by natural geographic conditions and their interactions, whereas anthropogenic activities act as the principal drivers behind localized land cover changes. This study provides scientific references for land resource management and high-quality development in the Yellow River Basin.