Objectives Mitigating community conflicts is one of the key tasks in the development of protected areas. Current researches have predominantly concentrated on exploring conflict resolution methods from a single dimension, thereby resulting in an absence of systematic analysis of the transformation pathways of community conflicts. This study aimed to provide insights into the conflict governance of protected areas by analyzing the conflict transformation paths and practical logic of protected areas in the southwest of China.

Methods 31 protected areas in the southwest of China were analyzed through grounded theory and GIS spatial analysis. The identification of conflict transformation pathways was achieved by comparing conflict types, characteristics and conflict management strategies.

Results The results showed that: (1) The distribution of community conflicts in protected areas in Southwest China were located in Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan, with resource utilization conflicts and human-animal conflicts being the most prevalent types of conflict; (2) The pathways of conflict transformation can be divided into matters, structures, institutions, and behavioral subject transformation; (3) The core of the logic of conflict transformation lay in seeking the balance of interests and welfare enhancement of all stakeholders through diversified and optimized measures in order to realize the transformation of conflicts.

Conclusions The common patterns and regularities of conflict governance in the southwestern protected areas were revealed in this study, and it provided governance suggestions for different types of community conflicts. This offered a more comprehensive perspective for research on conflict governance in China's protected areas.