The ecological security pattern is an effective tool for delineating ecological land use and improving and implementing regional control policies such as ecological function zones and main functional zones in China. It can guide and restrict the disorderly expansion of cities and human activities by implementing relevant laws and regulations, thus achieving permanent protection of ecological security at various scales, such as national territory, regions, and cities. The coal resource development in Shenmu City has resulted in a series of ecological problems. Despite the government"s implementation of certain measures and their positive outcomes, there remain unresolved issues, including the neglect of crucial ecological source areas, insufficient comprehension of the consequences of coal mine subsidence caused by energy transition pressures, and a lack of awareness regarding ecological restoration. It is urgently needed to optimize the ecological restoration strategy of Shenmu City more scientifically and reasonably. This study is based on the basic research framework of “construction of ecological security pattern - ecological risk assessment - restoration zoning - optimization of management strategies”. It combines ecosystem service function evaluation with circuit theory methods to construct an ecological security pattern with the optimal ecological corridor width for Shenmu City. This study encompasses ecological risk assessments related to mine subsidence, landslide, water pollution, surface damage, and land desertification. It employs conflict analysis techniques to ascertain the nature and intensity of conflicts among crucial ecological components, thereby identifying priority zones for ecological restoration. The results show that the ecological security pattern of Shenmu City encompasses 37 ecological sources, covering a patch area of 1,139.2 km2. Additionally, there are 70 ecological corridors spanning a total length of 380.0 km, with an optimal corridor width determined by a cumulative resistance threshold of 80 k. Furthermore, the analysis reveals the presence of 28 ecological pinch points, occupying a combined area of 140.4 km2.Dianta Town, Xisha Street, Jinjie Town, and Sunjiacha Town in Shenmu City are the areas most impacted by mining activities, as indicated by their higher or above-average level of ecological risk conflict in the comprehensive evaluation. Based on the distribution of ecological elements and the level of ecological risks, four restoration zones were identified in Shenmu City, namely mining restoration zone, desertification prevention zone, comprehensive service zone, and water and soil conservation zone. This study improves the traditional ecological restoration zoning model, explores a county-level ecological restoration technical system that integrates “understanding ecological base - identifying restoration space - optimizing protection measures”, and implements research in specific township-level administrative areas, thereby making theoretical research more targeted in guiding county-level ecological restoration and management. At the same time, it can provide reference for the construction of ecological security patterns and the implementation of ecological restoration strategies for similar resource development-oriented cities in the middle reaches of the Yellow River region.