Abstract: Currently, traditional monitoring methods struggle to obtain high-resolution data on the dynamic changes of ecological quality at the basin scale. The remote sensing ecological index (RSEI) is generally considered an effective representation of local ecological quality at a small scale. However, its applicability to the basin-scale ecological quality remains unclear. This study proposed a high-resolution monitoring framework for basin-scale ecological quality changes. Based on the Landsat8 and Landsat9 surface reflectance data from 2013 to 2024, the annual ecological quality maps with resolution of 30 m were generated for the Yellow River Basin over 12 years. These maps, combined with data on temperature, rainfall, potential evapotranspiration, population density, elevation, and gross primary productivity, were employed to analyze the dominant factors influencing ecological quality changes in the basin. The results indicate that the RSEI of the Yellow River Basin exhibited a rising trend overall, with values increasing gradually from northwest to southeast. Its ecological quality showed an overall improvement during the study period, with significantly and insignificantly improved areas accounting for 30.61% (30.97×10⁴ km²) and 29.53% (29.87×10⁴ km²), respectively. The changes in ecological quality were driven by multiple factors. Notably, elevation served as a dominant factor influencing the spatiotemporal changes of ecological quality in the basin, while the effects of rainfall, temperature, and potential evapotranspiration were gradually enhanced. Overall, this study is expected to provide an effective analytical framework and scientific basis for monitoring basin-scale ecological quality.