Under the background of new-type urbanization and ecological civilization construction, it is of great significance to strengthen the research on habitat quality of important ecological functional areas in China. Taking the Shucheng County of Dabie Mountain area in west Anhui province as an example, based on InVEST model and terrain gradient method, this study analyzes the spatial-temporal evolution of habitat quality and the interaction between landscape pattern and gradient effect. The results showed that: (1)In the past two decades, the habitat quality index of the study area was 0.6392 in 1995 and 0.6356 in 2015, respectively. The value of habitat quality showed decline trend from 1995 to 2015, but the degree of habitat degradation continued to rise from 0.0133 to 0.0142. Hot spot analysis showed that the cold spot areas with poor habitat quality were mainly located in the northeastern and its peripheral zone of the study area, which is mainly dominated by cities and towns, and the hot spot areas with high habitat quality were mainly located in the southwestern vegetation distribution region. (2)Habitat quality and habitat degradation distribution have significant topographic potential gradient effect. The distribution index of high habitat quality was consistent with that of forest land and became dominant along with the topographic gradient, while the distribution of low habitat quality was consistent with that of construction land and farmland and became dominant along the topographic gradient. (3)There was a significant correlation between habitat quality and landscape pattern indexes at overall region level and sub-region level, but the characteristics of correlation varied greatly among four levels. The evolution of habitat quality is greatly influenced by topography and landscape pattern. The results could have certain theoretical and practical value for habitat protection and functional regulation of ecosystem in west Anhui Dabie Mountain area, which is an important ecological function area in China.