Yilei Hou

Climate change adaptation in ecologically sensitive agriculture remains underexplored, especially regarding whether farmers’ climate perceptions translate into ecological production behaviors (EPBs). Using survey data from 730 tea farmers in China’s Wuyi Mountains National Park, this study examines how general and extreme climate change perceptions relate to EPB adoption. Employing Ordered Probit models and Karlson-Holm-Breen (KHB) mediation analysis, we estimate perception–behavior associations and test indirect effects through information-seeking and policy participation, alongside moderation by ecosystem service cognition and ecological production benefit cognition. The results indicate that both general and extreme climate perceptions are positively associated with EPB adoption (β = 0.406 and 0.626, p < 0.01), with extreme perceptions showing significantly stronger effects. Climate perceptions influence EPB adoption across all dimensions (green production, ecological management, and market-based practices). Information-seeking and policy participation function as complementary mediating pathways (combined indirect effects = 0.101 and 0.117), linking climate perceptions to ecological actions. Moreover, higher ecosystem service cognition and ecological production benefit cognition strengthen the perception–behavior relationships across multiple EPB dimensions. Overall, the findings suggest that climate change perceptions are an important driver of farmers’ ecological production choices in high-ecological-value contexts. Interpreted alongside existing adaptation strategies, EPB may enhance resilience by leveraging ecosystem functions while aligning with market incentives for ecological products. These results underscore the value of policies that improve access to ecological training and market information and support demonstration programs that facilitate experiential learning.

Urban parks are pivotal in the sustainable development of urban ecosystems, significantly enhancing the ecological environment and residents’ quality of life. To scientifically improve urban park management and ensure long-term sustainability, this study aims to establish a framework for understanding and predicting residents’ spatial perceptions in urban parks. Overcoming the constraints of traditional empirical research, this study conducted a questionnaire survey involving 701 residents from Beijing Chaoyang Park, Shanghai Century Park, and Guangzhou Yuexiu Park from May to July 2024. By combining the semantic differential (SD) method, importance–performance analysis (IPA), and cognitive map methods, the study holistically assessed residents’ spatial perceptions and their variations in urban parks. The SD analysis highlighted perceptional differences in the three urban parks, revealing the needs for tailored planning considering personal characteristics and geographical location, which is essential for enhancing park services and overall satisfaction. Comparative analysis showed significant variations in the preferences in different resident groups, with Chaoyang Park facing a sense of deprivation due to weaker natural features, suggesting the critical role of natural elements in park design, while Century and Yuexiu Parks were highly valued for aligning park design with local needs and preferences. Cognitive maps reveal residents’ spatial perception of urban parks, particularly their significant differences in familiarity with the natural and social functions, artificial landscapes, and internal attractions of parks, which informs the integration of design elements that cater to varying preferences and foster a stronger sense of place. This study confirms the effectiveness of combining traditional methods with spatial perception analysis for quantitatively evaluating residents’ spatial perception, and provides useful references for the sustainable planning and management of urban parks.

Urban parks enhance residents’ quality of life and health by fostering a harmonious relationship between people and nature, so effective park design needs to prioritize ecological protection, sustainable landscapes, and practical spatial structures to achieve these benefits. This study takes the typical case of urban park renovation and reconstruction—Kowloon Walled City Park—as an example to conduct research and divides the interior of the park into four types of areas: contemporary built-up area; historical relic area; natural–folk custom area; and ecological conservation area. Based on 405 valid questionnaire data for respondents, this study conducts empirical research using a combination of the Semantic Differential (SD) method, Importance Performance Analysis (IPA) model, and unordered multivariate logit choice model, comprehensively describes and analyzes individual spatial perception and preferences, and further discusses the potential factors affecting individual perception preferences. The results show that there are differences in many characteristics between different areas in Kowloon Walled City Park. At the same time, people generally prefer park areas that integrate modern and traditional elements, natural and cultural environments, and pay attention to the balance between naturalness and sociality in park design. These results provide useful information for planners, developers, and others, as well as data for designing urban park construction with higher practical value and natural benefits.

The green production behaviors of farmers in protected areas (PAs) can reduce environmental disturbances and contribute to the effectiveness of PAs. Based on a survey of 708 farmers in Wuyishan National Park (WNP) and Crested Ibis Nature Reserve (CINR), we studied the influence of perceived benefit and policy incentive on farmers’ organic fertilizer application. Results: (1) Perceived benefit, subsidies policy, and propaganda policy significantly promoted farmers’ organic fertilizer application, with perceived benefit having the strongest effect, followed by subsidies policy. The influence of restriction policy was not significant. (2) Perceived benefit, subsidies policy, and propaganda policy indirectly influenced organic fertilizer application through ecological awareness. (3) In WNP, perceived benefit had the strongest effect on organic fertilizer application, and subsidies policy significantly enhanced farmers’ ecological awareness and influenced their behaviors. In contrast, subsidies policy had the strongest effect on organic fertilizer application, but did not significantly enhance farmers’ ecological awareness in CINR. These results offer valuable insights for promoting green production behaviors of farmers in PAs. This study implies that there must be a pathway for the realization of ecological value in ecological protection. Ecological value realization is the endogenous motivation for farmers’ sustainable green production behaviors. However, government subsidies and guidance are also essential in the early stage.

The conflict between biodiversity conservation and economic development is intense in developing countries. With the decline in biodiversity, the Chinese government imposed a 10-year fishing ban in the priority waters of the Yangtze River Basin, which resulted in many fishermen losing their livelihood. However, a compensation policy was subsequently introduced. To investigate the impact of the ban, we conducted a two-year study using balanced panel data and the PSM-DID model for 365 households in the Poyang Lake area and introduced fixed effects to discuss the impact of the Yangtze River fishing ban compensation policy on the income of returning fishermen and their choices for alternative income. We also explored the interactive effects of fishing ban compensation and other biodiversity conservation policies on their income. The results showed that the fishing ban negatively impacted the agricultural income of households but not the total household income, and the compensation somewhat subsidized the fishermen’s loss of income. Moreover, this was an opportunity for farmers to adjust their livelihood strategies. These findings improve our understanding of the impact of this fishing ban and compensation policy on the household incomes of returning fishermen and their adaptive strategies for alternative income.

Under the dual pressures of climate change and human activities, the restrictions imposed by conservation policies, along with the increasing overlap between wildlife protected areas (PAs) and community living areas, have intensified the contradictions and conflicts between PAs and surrounding communities. Effective governance of such conflicts is particularly crucial to reconciling the contradictions between conservation and development. This study takes the Mikumi–Selous areas in Tanzania, Africa, as a case study. Through questionnaires and semi-structured interviews, it explores the current state of conflicts between PAs and communities in the study area and summarizes conflict governance measures. Moreover, this research focuses on identifying various factors that influence the conservation willingness and action of community residents, further validating the relationships between residents’ household characteristics, conservation costs and benefits, conservation cognition, willingness, and behaviors through empirical analysis methods. The results indicate that residents’ conservation cognition significantly positively impacts their conservation willingness and behaviors, while conservation willingness also positively affects their conservation behaviors. Additionally, it was found that conservation costs inhibit residents’ conservation willingness and behaviors. This study primarily explores, from a community governance perspective, the participation willingness and behaviors of core stakeholders in conflict governance, emphasizing the critical role of community involvement in achieving biodiversity conservation and coordinated community development and providing a new perspective for alleviating conservation and development issues.

Promoting the development of eco-industries plays a significant role in achieving the harmonious symbiosis between economic growth and environmental protection as well as enhancing the comprehensive effectiveness of ecological and economic benefits. Due to their unique nature, cooperatives may play a crucial role in facilitating the integration between farmers and the development of eco-industries. To investigate whether cooperatives possess the capacity to enhance the income-generating effects for farmers involved in eco-industries, this study selected the Crested Ibis National Nature Reserve (CINNR), a representative area for eco-industry development, as the research site. Data were gathered through face-to-face interviews, and this research empirically analyzed the impact of cooperatives on the income-generating effect of farmers using endogenous switching regression (ESR). The findings are threefold. First, cooperatives indeed enhance the income-generating effects for farmers engaged in eco-industries. Second, variables such as the distribution of agroforestry materials, premium capacity, soil quality, and status of village cadres have a positive impact on farmers joining cooperatives, whereas punishment initiatives discourage their participation. Third, for farmers who have joined cooperatives, factors such as the distribution of agroforestry materials, premium capacity, low-cost conservation initiatives, land area, status of village cadres, the proportion of labor force, technical training, soil quality, and land area positively affect their income from eco-industries. Conversely, punishment initiatives, age, and land location negatively impact their income. The results of this study provide new ideas for farmers to participate in the development of eco-industries, new evidence showing co-operatives can improve farmers’ income, and new directions for coordinating conflicts between conservation and development in protected areas.

Under the double pressure of climate change and human activities, the restrictions of conservation policies and the increasing area of overlap between wildlife conservation areas and community living areas have led to increase conflicts and contradictions between nature reserves and neighboring communities. Effective management of such conflicts is particularly important in order to achieve reconciliation of conservation and development. In this study, we take the Mikumi-Selous region in Tanzania, Africa as an example, and through questionnaire surveys and semi-structured interviews, we sort out the current situation of conflicts between nature reserves and communities in the region, as well as summarize the means of conflict governance. In addition, we focus on identifying the various factors affecting community residents' protection willingness and protection action, and further verify the relationships among residents' family characteristics, protection costs and revenue, protection cognition, willingness and action through empirical analysis methods. The results show that residents' protection cognition has a significant positive effect on their willingness to protect and their actions, meanwhile willingness to protect also positively affects residents' protection action. In addition, it was found that the protection cost inhibits residents' willingness and action. Our study focuses on the willingness to participate and action of core stakeholders towards conflict governance from the perspective of community governance, emphasizing the key role of community participation in achieving coordinated development of biodiversity conservation and community. It provides a new perspective for mitigating conservation and development issues.