Revealing the changes in the ecosystem and ESV in the Qilian Mountain and screening their main drivers are important for the scientific management and sustainable development of the Qilian ecosystem resources. This report attempts to reveal the changes in land use/land cover and ESV in the Qilian Mountain over nearly 40 years based on the available research information and data. The results show that more than 55% of ecosystem types of Qilian Mountain have changed from 1980 to 2018；the ESV of forest and grassland ecosystems has a significant potential （accounting for 43.99% and 29.57%，respectively）；human activities （damage/restoration） over the last 10 years have a more significant impact on ESV of sparse woodland，shrubland，and grassland ecosystems at elevations of 2800-3700 meter. Suggeting that different ecological development strategies along the elevations should be taken to further enhance the ESV in the Qilian Mountain，while accelerating the establishment of cross-regional and horizontal ecological compensation mechanisms to promote the sustainable development of ecological resources and livelihoods in the Qilian Mountain.