Abstract
Biodiversity maintenance function (BMF) denotes the capacity of ecosystems to sustain genetic, species, ecosystem, and landscape diversity. Assessing the spatial distribution and underlying drivers of BMF at the regional scale is essential for biodiversity management. However, research on the socio-ecological drivers of BMF from a geographical perspective remains scarce. Therefore, this study developed an integrated assessment framework encompassing climatic factors, species richness, vegetation status, ecosystem protection, and anthropogenic disturbance. We analyzed the BMF spatial patterns across Liaoning Province, China, and identified the dominant drivers and their spatial heterogeneity using multi-scale geographically weighted regression and geographical detector. The results show that (1) the eastern/western mountainous regions and Liaohe River estuary are critical BMF zones for prioritized conservation; (2) BMF spatial variation is mainly shaped by precipitation, temperature, slope, and forestland/farmland proportion, with factor interactions amplifying their impacts; (3) drivers show distinct spatial heterogeneity. Specifically, precipitation, slope, and NDVI exert homogeneous effects, whereas elevation, temperature, farmland/wetland proportion, and GDP exhibit pronounced heterogeneity. Natural factors generally exert positive effects, while the farmland/urban proportion tends to exert negative impacts—for example, farmland’s negative influence is stronger in the west, whereas the forestland and temperature exert more positive effects in the east. The results enhance the methodological framework for elucidating the spatial relationships between BMF and drivers, providing a scientific basis for biodiversity conservation and ecosystem management in Liaoning Province and similar regions.