By creating a Spatial Stress Index, the study determines the Critical Ecological Space (CES) and assesses the stress that coal mining areas place on it. With those to the west of the Yellow River often being lower than those to the east, the total ecosystem service functions are at a medium to high level. A crucial component of the ecosystem’s service function is the retention of water. The sensitivity of the ecosystem as a whole is low. The eastern section of the Yellow River in Shandong has ecosystems that are noticeably more sensitive to changes in the environment than the western section. 50.95% of the overall land in the Yellow River Basin is made up of the CES area of the Shandong Section. The regional distribution of ‘highly sensitive’ and ‘extremely sensitive’ areas is closely associated with the spatial distribution of bottom-line ecological space, which is more concentrated. The Shandong Section of the Yellow River Basin has relatively low levels of ecosystem service function importance, ecological sensitivity, and CES due to coal mining. The bottom-line CES has the lowest stress index, but it is also the most sensitive and plays a crucial role in the ecological environment.
