An ecological environmental damage compensation system is a key mechanism for promoting ecological protection and high-quality development in the Lower Yellow River Basin. This study focuses on 2 371 ecological environmental damage compensation cases across nine prefecture-level cities in the Lower Yellow River Basin in Shandong province, analyzes their characteristics, and uses the LMDI model to determine factors for these cases and thus identify the directions and degrees of the main drivers. The findings provide strategies for preventing and controlling ecological environmental damage in the Lower Yellow River Basin. This study reveals that air pollution cases are the highest (75.6%) in the Lower Yellow River Basin, and the compensation intensity and cost rate of ecological environmental damage are the primary factors inhibiting an increase in the number of cases. Specifically, the most notable inhibitory effect of the compensation intensity is observed in Dezhou city, with a contribution of -993.71%, while the highest inhibitory effect of the cost rate of ecological environmental damage is noticed in Jinan city, with a contribution of -301.96%. The economic development level and population size positively drive the increase in the number of cases, although the contribution of the population size to this increase is relatively small. The highest positive driving effect of the economic development level is observed in Jining city, with a contribution of 23.71%. Based on these findings, measures such as promoting green economic transformation and diversifying compensation models can help control ecological environmental damage. The findings of this study provide valuable insights for implementing the ecological environmental damage compensation system in the Lower Yellow River Basin.

Ecological effect evaluation is a critical component in ecological and environmental damage assessment, providing an essential foundation for ecological damage compensation and restoration efforts. We systematically analyze ecological effect evaluation indictors, assessment methodologies, and damage identification pathways through a comprehensive literature review. Case studies validate the effectiveness of the established model in scientifically assessing the impact of pollutants on ecosystem service value, offering both methodological references and practical insights for similar research in other regions, with significant theoretical and applied implications. To address existing challenges, we propose improvements in optimizing ecological evaluation methodologies, refining technical frameworks, establishing cross-sectoral coordination mechanisms, and developing professional expertise. The principles and strategies proposed in this paper aim to enhance the scientific rigor and accuracy of ecological assessments, advance the standardization of ecological and environmental damage assessment systems, and provide valuable references for future research in related fields.

With the rapid economic and social development, environmental pollution and ecological damage have become increasingly severe. Under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, China has initiated the establishment of an ecological and environmental damage compensation system and made significant progress. Biodiversity is fundamental to human survival and development, and environmental pollution is a major cause of the loss of plant diversity. This study examines the impact of environmental pollution on plant damage assessment and identification, highlighting key challenges in the assessment process, including causality judgment, quantification of physical damage, and valuation of damage. It also discusses the critical aspects of plant damage assessment and proposed recommendations, such as strengthening fundamental research, innovating damage assessment techniques, and improving the assessment system. The study aims to enhance the scientific rigor and accuracy of plant damage assessment, thus contributing to the development of an ecological and environmental damage assessment standard system, safeguarding public environmental rights, and promoting ecological civilization.