Understanding the spatial-temporal characteristics of ecological conditions and their influencing factors is crucial for the optimization of territorial space and enhancement of ecological functions. At the moment, most research focuses on singular changes to ecosystem function or structure, sometimes ignoring thorough evaluations of human perturbations. As a result, endeavors at ecological restoration were usually habitat- or element-specific and do not sufficiently address the conflict between humans and nature. Within the Dongting Lake Basin as the study area, this research utilized landscape pattern indices and the InVEST model to analyze the landscape distribution characteristics and ecosystem services in 2000 and 2018. A fuzzy reasoning algorithm was then used to explore the characteristics of the ecological status in the Dongting Lake Basin from 2000 to 2018, thereby shedding light on the influence of natural and human factors on ecological status. The results indicate that: (1) The overall landscape of the Dongting Lake Basin has become more fragmented, with more complex the shape of the landscape, a tendency toward decline in the degree of aggregation, and the landscape types were more discrete. (2) During the study period, food provision services showed a stable increase, while habitat quality and carbon storage services exhibited a general declining trend. (3) The ecological conditions in the Dongting Lake Basin have demonstrated a general improvement, as regions exhibiting an increase in ecological indices (74%) notably surpass those experiencing a decline (26%). Ecosystem degradation was predominantly observed in densely populated and heavily urbanized towns, whereas ecological restoration areas were more commonly situated in mountainous and hilly terrains, distant from urban centers. (4) In the Dongting Lake area, the most significant impacts of each influencing factor on ecosystem degradation were primarily concentrated in regions with high levels of ecosystem degradation and areas characterized by intense human activities. Additionally, the focal point of areas with significant impacts gradually shifts from west to east. Notably, population density, GDP, road network density, and nighttime lighting index exhibited primarily negative correlations with ecosystem degradation in the Dongting Lake area. In contrast, the beneficial impacts of slope, precipitation, and sunshine hours on ecosystem degradation demonstrate a gradual rise. The ecological index of the Dongting Lake Basin was calculated using the fuzzy inference approach in this study. In order to provide a scientific basis for regional ecological protection and restoration planning, the goal was to identify regions of ecological deterioration and clarify the underlying contributing elements.