Mechanisms of Spatiotemporal Interactions Between Urbanization and Ecosystem Health in Plateau-Mountain Urban Areas: Insights from Central Yunnan Urban Agglomeration, China

Urban agglomerations are key drivers of regional socioeconomic development, yet they must also maintain ecosystem health (EH). Coordinating urbanization (UR) with EH is vital for sustainable development. However, the local and telecoupling (LTC) dynamics and their driving mechanisms remain understudied, particularly in plateau-mountain areas. Taking the Central Yunnan Urban Agglomeration (CYUA) in China, a typical plateau-mountain urban agglomeration, as a case study, we employed the Local and Telecoupling Coordination Degree (LTCCD) model and geographically and temporally weighted regression (GTWR) to analyze UR and EH coordination and identify driving mechanisms from 2000 to 2020. Our results reveal significant spatial dependence between UR and EH, with UR exerting a negative ‘spillover effect’ on EH. The bivariate Moran’s I strengthened from −0.176 to −0.212, highlighting the need for an LTC framework. The LTCCD improved overall but exhibited spatiotemporally uneven patterns; UR lagging behind EH remained the dominant type, while core urban areas showed EH lagging behind UR, accompanied by localized LTCCD declines. Economic factors initially drove coordination, but their influence declined as ecological factors became more significant. Policy played a crucial role in guiding LTC development paths. The land system served as the key spillover medium, facilitating telecoupling coordinated development. This study provides insights into UR-EH interactions and their driving mechanisms, offering a reference for human-environment harmonization and sustainable development in plateau-mountain regions.