Abstract: Regarding the construction of protected area system, it is crucial to understand the spatial patterns of different conservation objects and their interrelationships. As the Asia Water Tower, the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is important and unique in biodiversity and ecosystem services, with nearly 35% of its land area covered by current protected areas already. The rationality of its spatial distribution of protected areas plays an important role in biodiversity conservation and ecological security in China. Therefore, with the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau as the focus, this study utilizes model simulation, statistical analysis, spatial analysis, and cluster analysis to systematically evaluate the spatial distribution, interrelationships and clustering patterns of important species, priority ecosystems, four key ecosystem services, natural landscapes and natural relics. The study then offers optimized suggestions for the classification and spatial layout of types of protected areas based on these assessments. The main findings reveal: (1) There is a significant synergistic relationship between species, ecosystems, water retention, soil retention and carbon sequestration. However, sandstorm prevention shows trade-offs with other conservation objects except ecosystems. The correlation between natural landscapes and natural relics and other conservation objects is relatively low. (2) The conservation objects can be clustered into five typical patterns: ecological comprehensive important, ecosystem important, sandstorm prevention important, ecologically second important, and general important categories. These categories exhibit significant differences in composition and importance of conservation objects. (3) Among existing nature reserves, scenic spots, forest parks, wetland parks and geoparks, the clustering patterns are all dominated by the ecologically second important category, accounting for 50.8%, 53.0%, 73.9%, 38.2%, and 60.0% of total protected areas, respectively. The second is ecological comprehensive important category, accounting for 19.9%, 29.0%, 18.0% and 12.0% respectively. It is recommended to clarify the types of existing protected areas by combining the internal cluster patterns of different protected object. The main clustering patterns of protected areas in the ecological comprehensive important category and the ecologically second important category are prioritized for integration into national parks and nature reserves, which can simultaneously enhance the protection efficiency of multiple conservation objects. For protected areas of important ecosystem category, it is suggested that those with large ecosystem areas and high authenticity and integrity be prioritized to be established as national parks, while the remaining protected areas should be set up as nature parks such as forest parks, wetland parks and desert parks according to the types of ecosystems. Sandstorm prevention important category shall be given priority to be classified as types of ecological function protected areas. These results can provide theoretical support for the scientific classification of protected area types.