Abstract: Large-scale coal mining has become a significant hazard to the sustainable development and environmental safety of mining areas. The landscape ecological risk assessment of the Jingyuan Mining Area based on terrain gradients holds strategic importance for ensuring regional ecological security and the continuous development of the socio-economic environment. Using LUCC data and DEM data in 1980, 1990, 2000, 2010, and 2020 with a resolution of 30 m*30 m, constructing a landscape ecological risk assessment model. Spatial autocorrelation analysis and terrain distribution index methods are employed to evaluate the dynamic changes and influencing factors of landscape ecological risk across various terrain gradients in Jingyuan Mining Area. The results show that over the 60 years, LUCC of Jingyuan Mining Area has been significant, with construction land expanding mainly at the expense of grassland and farmland. The landscape ecological risk in the study area shows a spatial pattern of high risk in the central and western regions, with overall risk first increasing and then decreasing. The area of high-risk regions has continued to grow, primarily located in areas characterized by “low terrain position with human activity interference” and “high terrain position with natural environmental changes”, exhibiting a high degree of spatial clustering. Ecological risk distribution along terrain gradients is primarily constrained by climate and topographical factors. Human activity interference and natural environmental changes are the main drivers of increased ecological risk in low-terrain area and high-terrain area, respectively. Therefore, area-specific policies are recommended: low-terrain area should focus on the rational development and utilization of natural resources while minimizing human interference, whereas high-terrain area should adopt reforestation and other environmental protection measures to mitigate the adverse effects of natural environmental changes. This study provides a theoretical basis for establishing an ecological security early warning system in mining areas and promoting the sustainable development of regional ecosystems.