Grassland ecological governance in ethnic pastoral regions constitutes a critical issue for national ecological security and sustainable development in ethnic areas. As the core conservation zone of the "Yellow River Water Tower," the pastoral regions of Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in the upper Yellow River basin are vital to both river basin security and herders 'livelihoods. Grounded in the theory of local social resources, this study constructs a two-dimensional analytical framework of "organizational-cultural" dynamics. Through semi-structured interviews, questionnaires, and literature review, it examines the practical manifestations, governance functions, and participation challenges of local social resources in Gannan's pastoral areas. The research reveals that indigenous social resources such as tribal mutual aid networks and traditional ecological concepts possess unique governance value, yet face challenges including inadequate organizational integration, cultural erosion, and lack of cultivation mechanisms. Accordingly, the study proposes a "cooperative coupling of formal institutions and local social resources" approach, providing theoretical support and practical paradigms to enhance ecological governance efficacy in ethnic pastoral regions.
Deshan et al. (Wed,) studied this question.