Abstract: The contradiction between agricultural and animal husbandry system restricts the coordinated development of agricultural and animal husbandry industry in the farming-pastoral ecotone in Inner Mongolia. Taking the Horqin Zuoyi Rear Banner of Inner Mongolia as the research sample, based on the system coupling theory, the evaluation index system of agricultural and animal husbandry system coupling was constructed concentrating on the agricultural and animal husbandry economic development indicators; quantitative methods such as entropy weight method and coupling coordination degree model were used to comprehensively evaluate and analyze the coupling coordination degree of the agricultural and animal husbandry system in Horqin Zuoyi Rear Banner. The results showed that from year 2008 to 2017, the comprehensive development index of planting and animal husbandry in Horqin Zuoyi Rear Banner was increased year by year, and the developmental rate of animal husbandry was faster than that of planting; the coupling degree between planting and animal husbandry was at a relatively lower level, and the coupling degree was below 0.1 before year 2012; beginning from year 2012, the coupling degree of agricultural and animal husbandry system was elevated year by year, and peaked in year 2016; from the perspective of coupling and coordinating developmental types, Horqin Zuoyi Rear Banner was in the extremely uncoupled and uncoordinated developmental stage of the agricultural and animal husbandry system before year 2012; it gradually became coordinated from year 2012 and reached a well-coupled and coordinated developmental stage in year 2016. Some corresponding suggestions on improving the coupling of agricultural and animal husbandry system in this region are proposed as follows accelerating the adjustment of agricultural and animal husbandry structure, strengthening cooperative economic organizations, vigorously develop high-quality forage planting, promoting the upgrading of industrial structure, accelerating infrastructure construction, and enhancing the construction of agricultural talents and think tanks.

Key words: farming-pastoral ecotone, system coupling, Inner Mongolia