The Three Gorges Reservoir Area（TGRA） serves as a crucial ecological barrier in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River and represents a typically ecology-sensitive region. Studying the dynamic characteristics of urban ecological elements in the reservoir area is of significant importance for maintaining ecological security and implementing ecological restoration in the region. The morphological spatial pattern analysis（MSPA）， circuit theory， and the InVEST model were used to identify the ecological networks and quality of habitat in Zhongxian County， Chongqing Municipality in three periods from 2000 to 2020 to protect and restore the ecological security of cities in TGRA. The characteristics of spatiotemporal evolution of ecological elements in the reservoir area were studied and strategies for the targeted optimization of ecological protection redline（EPR） were proposed. The results showed that the overall ecological environment in Zhongxian County had a positive trend over time， with the number of ecological sources increasing from 12 to 48， the area growing from 131.13 km 2 to 351.03 km 2， and the source area was densely distributed in the central region. The number of ecological corridors increased from 23 to 112， with the length of corridor increasing from 191.55 km to 314.94 km before fluctuating to 292.99 km， with a spatial distribution pattern of dense in the north and sparse in the south， and dense in the east and sparse in west. The index for the quality of habitat in the three periods was 0.331 1， 0.384 1， and 0.381 6， with an initial increase followed by a slight decrease， indicating an overall improvement in the quality of habitat. The quality of habitat in the central regions rich in forest resources was relatively high， while that on along both banks of the Yangtze River and in the central urban area was poorer. There was a synergistic coupling relationship between the spatial distribution and changes of elements in ecological networks and the quality of habitat， most significantly affected by changes in the structure of land use. A strategy for zoned management of ecological sources was implemented， alongside the optimization of EPR boundaries. After adjustment， the designated EPR area covers 124.72 km2， with a compensation zone of 125.57 km2 and a reserve zone of 189.81 km2. It will provide a scientific reference for promoting the green development with high-quality in integrated urban-rural zones within the TGRA under the Yangtze River Conservation Initiative.