Abstract:

To ensure ecological protection in the Qilian Mountains while meeting the production and living needs of local farmers and herders， and adhering to the principle of "ecology first， people's livelihoods as the foundation"， this study evaluates the ecological efficiency of grassland animal husbandry across 19 counties from 2004 to 2023 using the super-efficiency SBM model. Methods including kernel density estimation， spatial autocorrelation， and convergence models are applied to analyze its spatiotemporal evolution. The results indicate that： （1）Ecological efficiency shows a fluctuating upward trend， with a notable increase in central and western counties after 2017. （2）Significant spatial agglomeration is observed， with HH clusters shifting from southeast to central-west， and LL clusters concentrated in areas with poor natural conditions. （3）σ-convergence is evident in the whole region and in western/central areas， while β-convergence occurs across all regions， with conditional convergence being faster than absolute convergence， following the pattern of western >whole>central > eastern. The findings highlight clear agglomeration and convergence trends， suggesting that differentiated zoning and regional coordination are needed to enhance both ecological conservation and livestock production.

Key words: ecological conservation, animal husbandry ecological efficiency, space-time evolution, convergence, spatial agglomeration