The Loess Plateau has long been recognized as one of the regions most severely impacted by soil erosion globally. While prolonged efforts in soil and water conservation have led to notable advancements, including a significant reduction in the sediment load of the Yellow River and the effective mitigation of ecological degradation, emerging challenges and concerns have arisen in the regional ecosystem management at the present juncture. These include the lack of a systematic planning and layout for soil and water conservation measures, weak coordination between ecological and production functions, and the need for coordinated improvement of multiple ecosystem services under the influence of environmental, socioeconomic, and climatic factors. To develop systematic solutions for the comprehensive ecosystem governance and coordinated enhancement of ecosystem services in the Loess Plateau, the Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, in collaboration with eight other institutions, submitted a joint proposal in response to the "14th Five-Year Plan" National Key R&D Program under the "Protection and Restoration of Typical Vulnerable Ecosystems" guidelines. The proposal, titled "Technology Implementation and Demonstrations for Comprehensive Governance of Mountains-waters-forests-farmlands-lakes-grasslands-sandlands Ecosystem in Small Watersheds of the Loess Plateau and Enhancing Ecosystem Services," passed the review process and was successfully approved. This project seeks to develop a systematic framework for the integrated governance of the interconnected ecosystems within small watersheds of the Loess Plateau. Focusing on the hilly and gully regions of the Loess Plateau, this project emphasizes the coordinated enhancement of ecosystem services as its overarching goal. Leveraging typical small watersheds as pilot areas, the research aims to conduct full-chain systematic studies, including the analysis of mechanisms and processes, technology development and demonstration, and comprehensive integration. Additionally, the project seeks to develop innovative technologies and strategies for integrated ecosystem management while showcasing their application through practical demonstrations. The execution of the project will offer vital technical assistance and a robust scientific basis for the holistic management of the interconnected ecosystems within the small watersheds of the Loess Plateau.