Objective This paper studies the spatiotemporal variation characteristics of ecosystem service functions in national nature reserves in the Yellow River Basin so as to provide scientific basis for formulating effective ecological protection strategies.

Method This study took the national nature reserves in the Yellow River Basin as the research object and evaluated its four ecosystem service functions of water supply, soil conservation, carbon storage, and habitat quality through InVEST model analysis, and proposed targeted conservation recommendations on this basis.

Result (1) From 2000 to 2020, the water supply and average habitat quality index of national nature reserves in the Yellow River Basin showed a change of first decreasing and then increasing, while the change of soil conservation showed a period-by-period decrease, and the carbon density showed a change of first increasing and then decreasing over time. Precipitation and land cover change were the main factors affecting the change of ecosystem service function. (2) Influenced by the rapid development of urbanization in the Yellow River Basin, the comprehensive ecosystem service function of national nature reserves showed a gradual decrease over time, and the spatial distribution characteristics showed a gradual increase from the upstream to the downstream of the Yellow River Basin.

Conclusion Based on the complex ecological and environmental risk problems in the Yellow River Basin, it is recommended to strengthen the basin-wide coordination mechanism of water resources, pay attention to the rational development and utilization of land resources, improve the efficiency of land use, focus on vegetation protection and natural restoration, improve the basin-wide ecological compensation mechanism, and adopt locally appropriate protection measures. These measures aim to promote the coordinated and sustainable development of regional ecological environment and economy and society.