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Ecological restoration is an important implement to avoid land degradation and improve the sustainability of ecosystems. As a spatial definition of ecological restoration, ecological restoration space (ERS) is recognized to have a positive impact on the environment. However, its spatiotemporal pattern and magnitude of contribution to ecosystem services (ESs) remain uncertain. In this study, an ecological restoration trajectories model was developed to investigate the spatiotemporal pattern and evolution of ERS. The InVEST model and geographically weighted regression were used to evaluate the dynamic relationship between ERS and crucial ESs. Results demonstrated that from 1990 to 2015, the cumulative area of ERS in the Yellow River Basin (YRB) was 184,197.05 km2, with Inner Mongolia, Qinghai, and Shaanxi having the largest distribution. The change in geographical center of three subcategories, forest restoration space (FRS), grassland restoration space (GRS), and shrub restoration space (SRS), showed a pronounced geographical migration. Meanwhile, the distribution of ERS significantly improved the conditions of habitat quality (HQ), carbon storage (CS), and soil conservation (SC) on 75.48%, 71.86%, and 56.75% of the grids, respectively. This study provides a scientific foundation for the ecosystem conservation and land management of the YRB.
