ObjectiveTo establish an ecological security evaluation index system tailored to the distinctive landscapes of typical karst mountainous regions in Southwest China, to conduct a comprehensive study on the landscape ecological security evaluation and governance in Wenshan City, in order to provide a scientific foundation for regional ecological protection and sustainable development.MethodsBased on the landscape characteristics of karst mountainous areas, a landscape ecological security evaluation index system consisting of target, comprehensive, project, and indicator layers was established. Utilizing the geometric mean and the InVEST model, two comprehensive layers, i. e. ecological sensitivity and system service importance were evaluated. Subsequently, the ecological security target layer, delineated ecological functional zones, and proposed differentiated governance measures were evaluated.Results1) In Wenshan City, the sensitivity to soil erosion, geological disasters, and rocky desertification primarily fell into mild and moderate categories, comprising 48.83%—59.13% of the total area, with the least area being extremely sensitive, accounting for 5.92%—7.10%. 2) In Wenshan City, the significance of water conservation and biodiversity protection predominantly fell into mild and moderate categories, representing 67.42%—80.31% of the total area. The significance of soil conservation was primarily deemed unimportant, with the unimportant category accounting for 55.30% of the total area, and the extremely important category accounting for merely 2.06%—5.22%. 3) The overall level of landscape ecological security in Wenshan City was low, with merely 4.82% and 16.74% belonging to the first and second levels, respectively, and predominantly concentrated in the Wenshan Laojunshan Nature Reserve. The third-level area occupied the largest proportion, reaching up to 30.43%, and predominantly distributed in Dehou Town, Hongdian Township, Binglie Township, and other regions. The proportions of the fourth and fifth levels were 13.59% and 25.62% respectively, and widely spread across Binglie Township, Dongshan Township, Zhuilijie Town, and Kaihua Town. 4) The ecological function zones of Wenshan City were divided into four categories, i. e. the rocky desertification ecological function restoration zone, the urban ecological coordination construction zone, the biodiversity function protection zone, and the water conservation and soil conservation function improvement zone. Four governance measures and suggestions were proposed to address each regional ecological issue.ConclusionThe study integrates ecological sensitivity and ecosystem service importance to comprehensively evaluate the landscape ecological security of Wenshan City, and conducts zoning governance, the results can provide basic theoretical support for the construction of ecological security patterns, regional ecological protection, and sustainable development in the karst mountainous areas of Southwest China.