Study on the impact of industrial structure upgrading on soil conservation in the Yellow River basin counties

•We reveal the internal mechanisms of how industrial transformation affects soil conservation.•Our research uncovers the spatial interaction effects of soil conservation.•It provides scientific support for sustainable development in the Yellow River Basin.•We investigate the evolution trend of soil conservation in the Yellow River Basin. The problem of soil and water loss in the Yellow River Basin has been impacting the local high-quality development. The upgrading of industrial structure is a method to alleviate the issue of soil and water loss. In order to address the soil and water loss problem in the Yellow River Basin, this study investigates the internal mechanisms of how the upgrading of industrial structure impacts soil conservation, promoting coordinated development in the region. This research utilizes the entropy weight method, the InVEST model, and the fixed spatial Durbin model to explore how the greening, upgrading, and rationalization of industries affect the average soil conservation. The main conclusions of this study are: (1) For every 0.1 increase in the greening index, it effectively increases the local average soil conservation by 17.25 (t/hm2) and 49.61 (t/hm2). It is necessary to reduce the emission of pollutants in the upstream region in order to effectively improve the average soil conservation; (2) For every 0.1 decrease in the industry upgrading index, it will lead to a decrease in the average soil conservation in surrounding areas by 2.82 (t/hm2). Only by continuously increasing the financial investment in the upgrading of industries in the downstream region can the average soil conservation be increased. (3) An increase in the rationalization of industries in the upstream and midstream regions will lead to a decrease in the average soil conservation in surrounding areas, while in the downstream region, it will increase the local average soil conservation.