Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Ecological Quality Degradation Using the Remote Sensing Ecological Index: A Case Study of the Pınarhisar‐Vize Region, Türkiye

ABSTRACT Assessing ecological environmental quality is essential for understanding how landscapes respond to vegetation dynamics, moisture conditions, surface dryness, and thermal stress. This study evaluated changes in ecological quality in the Pınarhisar‐Vize districts between 2005 and 2025 using a PCA‐based Remote Sensing Ecological Index (RSEI) derived from greenness (NDVI), wetness (WET), dryness (NDBSI), and heat (LST). District‐scale, directional, class‐based, and mining/non‐mining comparisons were conducted to identify spatial heterogeneity and key drivers of ecological change. The mean RSEI decreased from 0.56 in 2005 to 0.54 in 2025, indicating a slight but spatially uneven decline. Vize and the eastern area maintained higher ecological quality, whereas Pınarhisar and the western and southern areas showed stronger deterioration. Although NDVI and WET improved, these positive trends were insufficient to offset the substantial increase in LST, whose mean rose by 5.17°C. Correlation analysis showed that RSEI was positively associated with NDVI and WET and negatively associated with NDBSI and LST, with thermal stress emerging as a key limiting factor by 2025. A mining/non‐mining comparison showed that mean RSEI declined more strongly in mapped mining areas than in non‐mining areas (−0.204 vs. −0.051), while poor‐ and fair‐rated areas accounted for 98.34% of mining areas by 2025. Across the whole study area, the poor class expanded from 1.71% to 10.20%, and the excellent class contracted from 28.02% to 20.12%, indicating increasing ecological polarization. The findings demonstrate the value of RSEI for targeted ecological monitoring, reclamation planning, and landscape management.