Influencing factors of community residents' pro-environmental behavior in East Dongting Lake National Nature Reserve under the policy intervention

Abstract

In the study of protected areas, the "Fences & fines" approach is increasingly becoming acknowledged as obsolete and ineffectual, and there is mounting evidence suggesting that the "Community-based conservation" approach is acquiring consideration. It is significant to identify which protection model or factors perform a definitive part in China. Taking the East Dongting Lake National Nature Reserve in China as a survey site, this paper utilizes semi-structured interviews and random questionnaires surveyed 431 households to investigate the relationship between "community-based conservation" approaches such aslegal system, ecological compensation, environmental education, community participation, concessions, livelihoods, job provision, intrinsic motivation and pro-environmental behavior. The regression results declare that intrinsic motivation (β = 0.390) and legal system (β = 0.212) are the most effective factors impacting on pro-environmental behavior; concessions has a negative conflict on preservation;but other "community-based conservation" approaches had insignificant positive impacts on pro-environmental behavior. Further mediating effects analysis indicated that intrinsic motivation (B = 0.3899, t = 11.9694, p < 0.01) mediates between legal system and pro-environmental behavior of community residents, legal system promotes pro-environmental behavior by promoting intrinsic motivation, which is more effective than legal system promoting pro-environmental behavior directly. This demonstrates that “Fence and fine approach" still is an effective management tool which can shape community residents' positive attitude towards conservation and pro-environmental behavior especially protected areas with large communities. And appropriate "community-based conservation" approaches can mitigate conflicts between special groups with the combination of these two approaches, the management of protected areas can be successful. This supplies a valuable real-world case for the current debate on conservation and improved human livelihoods.

The pro-environmental behavioral intention of villagers in rural tourist destinations under China’s environmental remediation policy

“…The final construct, which measures behavioral intention, is adopted from broadly accepted prior research 4 , 14 – 16 . These include giving priority to accepting the guidance of agricultural experts on Landcare activities, sacrificing rest time to promote soil remediation technology, persuading others to protect the ecological environment, spending money to improve tourism service facilities, and learning relevant environmental protective skills and knowledge 6 .…”

“…Cili County in the past due to the mining of nickel ore, molybdenum ore (the county nickel molybdenum mining and processing enterprises all stop production in 2013), many heavy metals in a part of rural cultivated land exceed the standard 5 . Due to the mandatory constraints of China's Landcare Policy since 2016, many local villagers who engage in tourism livelihoods must cooperate with the government's cultivated land remediation work 6 .…”

Assessment and Empirical Research on the Suitability of Eco-Tourism Development in Nature Reserves of China: A Multi-Type Comparative Perspective

“…Ecotourism is an environmentally friendly, non-resource-consuming natural behavior by tourists based on the concepts of ecological, environmental, and natural resources protection and sustainable development [6]. Eco-tourism not only promotes the development of the economy in the tourist areas, but also meets the demand of tourists to get close to nature [7], and is an effective way for nature reserves to enhance their self-supporting ability and realize sustainable development.…”