Abstract: Wetlands in the source region of the Yellow River are critical for water regulation and serve as a key water supply for the river, playing a strategic role in ensuring the economic, social, and ecological security of the basin. The MSPA-Conefor-MCR model was applied to construct the wetland ecological network in this region, and its functional characteristics were analyzed by quantifying the groundwater recharge volume and value provided by the wetlands. The structural characteristics were evaluated using the connectivity robustness index. The results show that the wetland ecological network in the Yellow River source region comprises of 74 ecological nodes and 670 ecological corridors. Larger wetland patches, excluding water bodies, exhibit higher groundwater recharge volumes and greater recharge value. Among the patches with the highest recharge values, most are located in cold calcareous soils, meadow soils, and black felt soils. Functionally, wetland patches with higher groundwater recharge values are better connected to surrounding wetlands. These patches also have a wider range of ecological resistance values, and the weight sizes of the wetland patches they connect to show some degree of randomness. Structurally, wetland patches in the northeastern and southeastern regions have a stronger potential for connection, while those in the northwestern region have weaker connectivity.