Ecological restoration is an effective method for mitigating environmental degradation, controlling water loss, and diminishing soil erosion. Ecological protection and restoration were carried out in response to the main problems existing in the Fuxian Lake Basin, Vegetation is one of the most critical elements of terrestrial ecosystems and plays an important role in material cycling and energy flow. To understand the ecological transition from 2014 to 2019 in the Fuxian Lake Basin, this study analyzed the spatiotemporal variability of vegetation using the leaf area index as an indicator to monitor the growth of vegetation and evaluate the effectiveness of ecological protection and restoration through the trend analysis of leaf area index. The results showed that LAI in 2.87%, 8.17% and 9.10% of the entire study area increased significantly, with $\mathrm{P} < 0.05$. By contrast, LAI decreased significantly in 5.52%, 1.98% and 5.62% of the entire study area, with $\mathrm{P} < 0.05$.