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The Utilization of National Parks’ Natural Resources and Community Livelihood

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A special issue of Land (ISSN 2073-445X). This special issue belongs to the section "Land Environmental and Policy Impact Assessment".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 October 2024) | Viewed by 11576

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Special Issue Editor

Dr. Hu Yu

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Guest Editor

Institute of Geographical Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
Interests: land; ecology; human development; ecological protection; ecosystems

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

There is no doubt that the utilization of natural resources can promote regional economic and social development. The various stages of social and economic development, namely the development of political, institutional, technological and other factors, are changing the relationship between man and nature. As a local implantation of the ecological protection system, national parks have a significant impact on local regions, and through the establishment of a restraint mechanism for the use of natural resources, a promotion mechanism for the development of natural tourism, and a guiding mechanism for the upgrading and transformation of communities, we may better understand how to deal with this new relationship between human beings and nature in the content of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). By understanding the impact of the national park system on regional development, particularly its impact on the transformation of the sustainable livelihoods of communities, we can better determine ways in which to achieve the process of regional transformation under the SDGs.

The aim of this Special Issue is to collect papers (original research papers and review papers) that will provide an important tool for assessing the coupled systematic regulation and adaptation of natural resource use, natural-based tourism, and community development in national park areas. By understanding the relationship between people and nature in national park areas, decision makers can optimize their policies and work toward a more sustainable future.

This Special Issue welcomes the submission of manuscripts that link the following themes:

natural resource utilization and management in national park areas;
impacts of climate change on natural landscape and adaptation;
natural landscape value of national parks;
nature-based tourism development and management in national parks;
landscape dynamics and community development;
transforming community livelihoods in national parks.

We look forward to receiving your original research articles and reviews.

Dr. Hu Yu
Guest Editor

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Keywords

natural resource management
ecological landscape
community development
sustainable development goals
national park

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Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

21 pages, 11390 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Spatial–Temporal Evolution and Driving Factors of the Coastal Tourism Economy in China

by Shengrui Zhang, Hanyun Xue, Tongyan Zhang and Hongrun Ju

Land 2024, 13(9), 1542; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13091542 - 23 Sep 2024

Viewed by 687

Abstract

Tourism has emerged as a pivotal element of China’s economic development, particularly within its coastal cities. This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of China’s coastal city tourism economic development, focusing on 53 coastal cities. Through a meticulous combination of literature analysis and data crawling, a robust database is constructed, encompassing tourism resources and revenues. This study delineates the spatial–temporal evolution pattern of China’s coastal city tourism development and employs geo-detector methods to quantitatively analyze the impact factors driving this evolution. Key findings reveal distinct trends in the coastal tourism economy of China from 2009 to 2019, characterized by spatial stability, similar trends in adjacent spatial units, and localized spatial structures. Notably, factors such as actual foreign investment, the presence of star-rated guesthouses, tourism industry employment, airport activity, and import–export trade volume exert significant influence on the domestic tourism economy. Similarly, tourism employment, airport activity, availability of star-rated hotels, import–export trade, and utilization of foreign capital emerge as influential factors shaping inbound tourism. Policy recommendations emphasize the need for government intervention to optimize tourism development strategies for coastal cities. This entails balancing resource exploitation with environmental protection and enhancing the quality of tourism services, fostering sustainable growth and long-term prosperity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Utilization of National Parks’ Natural Resources and Community Livelihood)

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20 pages, 13573 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Identifying Potential National Park Locations Based on Landscape Aesthetic Quality in the Hengduan Mountains, China

by Shuaifei Duan, Zhaoping Yang and Fang Han

Land 2024, 13(8), 1278; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13081278 - 13 Aug 2024

Viewed by 644

Abstract

Landscape aesthetic quality (LAQ) evaluation is vital in territorial spatial planning. It helps to achieve the rational development and protection of territorial space and ensures the harmonious coexistence of developments and the ecological environment. Based on mapping and quantification, this paper took LAQ evaluation as the object, established a methodological framework for large-scale natural LAQ evaluation, excavated and identified key areas with outstanding landscape aesthetics service supply capabilities, and supported regional landscape planning and protection management. This paper took the Hengduan Mountains in China as an example to evaluate and identify the spatial distribution of the LAQ in mountainous areas. The results showed that the high-value LAQ areas are located east and south of the Hengduan Mountains, where high-quality natural landscapes are concentrated and have significant potential for establishing national parks. The evaluation results of the LAQ can provide a good reference for the spatial identification of future national parks in the Hengduan Mountains. Moreover, our research can provide a scientific basis for large-scale landscape spatial planning and decision-making for the classified protection and rational utilization of landscape resources and other mountain ecosystems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Utilization of National Parks’ Natural Resources and Community Livelihood)

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20 pages, 6308 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Spatial Synergy between Tourism Resources and Tourism Service Facilities in Mountainous Counties: A Case Study of Qimen, Huangshan, China

by Ying Han, Yingjie Wang, Hu Yu, Wenting Luo, Kai Wang and Chunhua Sui

Land 2024, 13(7), 999; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13070999 - 6 Jul 2024

Viewed by 1068

Abstract

Under the influence of mountainous terrain, the spatial synergy between tourism resources and tourism service facilities has emerged as a pivotal factor affecting the overall efficiency enhancement of regional tourism destinations. In order to explore the synergistic effect of the two, taking Qimen County as the study site, this study utilizes Point of Interest (POI) data of tourism resources and tourism service facilities. It constructs a fine-scale multidimensional spatial synergy methodology based on grid vectorization to conduct scenario-based comparative analyses of altitude and population density. The objective is to elucidate the effects of fine-scale tourism development synergy and propose enhancement strategies. The findings are as follows: (1) The vertical zonation of mountains has led to a widespread, decentralized distribution of natural tourism resources in mid-to-high-altitude areas, while humanistic tourism resources in low-altitude urbanized areas exhibit a granular, clustered distribution. These contrasting scenarios manifest a polarization, making it difficult to achieve supply–demand matching of the layout pattern of tourism service facilities along transportation routes. (2) The spatial gradient effect of the synergy between the two in mountainous counties is significant, with a higher synergy level in core towns and obvious misalignment in peripheral areas. (3) Altitude and population density are critical factors influencing the supply of tourism service facilities. Through scale aggregation guidance and cost–benefit mechanisms, the spatial distribution can be classified, stratified, and optimized to better serve resource development. This study provides valuable insights into understanding laws governing development and utilization within mountainous county areas for academic research purposes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Utilization of National Parks’ Natural Resources and Community Livelihood)

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25 pages, 6991 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Study on Spatiotemporal Evolution and Influencing Factors of Chinese National Park Network Attention

by Mingxin Chen, Dong Dong, Fengquan Ji, Yu Tai, Nan Li, Runyu Huang and Tieqiao Xiao

Land 2024, 13(6), 826; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13060826 - 8 Jun 2024

Viewed by 1310

Abstract

Due to advancements in information technology and growing eco-tourism demand, National Park Network Attention (NPNA) has emerged as a novel indicator of tourism appeal and ecological value recognition. Utilizing Baidu search index (accessed in 2023) data from 2013 to 2022, this study employs time series analysis, index analysis, and spatial statistics to measure and differentiate the spatial and temporal aspects of NPNA across 31 provinces, regions, and municipalities in mainland China, while systematically assessing the impact of various factors from both source and destination perspectives. Over the period of 2013 to 2022, NPNA has increased annually, peaking around holidays and during spring and autumn, demonstrating pronounced seasonality and precursor effects, while exhibiting volatility due to external events. Influenced by factors from both source and destination perspectives, the spatial distribution of NPNA displays a trend of being “high in the east and low in the west” and “high in the south and low in the north”, though regional disparities are diminishing. The population size in the source areas remains the dominant factor influencing NPNA, while the concept of national parks is not yet widely recognized. The destination’s tourism resource endowment, media publicity, accessibility, and level of informatization are significant influences. An effective integration of resources and marketing is essential for boosting NPNA. The findings provide valuable insights for optimizing the spatial layout of national parks, enhancing the tourism service system, innovating communication and promotional strategies, and improving national park governance effectiveness. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Utilization of National Parks’ Natural Resources and Community Livelihood)

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25 pages, 13478 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Recreational Ecosystem Services in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau National Park Group: Mapping, Monetization, and Evaluation

by Mengqi Yuan, Fang Han, Xuankai Ma, Tian Wang and Qixiang Liang

Land 2024, 13(5), 682; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13050682 - 14 May 2024

Viewed by 1066

Abstract

Recreational ecosystem services (RESs) are the subset of ecosystem services (ESs) that contribute to human society through recreation, recreation opportunities, and experiences. Existing RESs mostly focus on a single recreational landscape; alternatively, when mapping RESs, multiple types of landscapes are often drawn together, ignoring the differences in recreational landscape (RL) types and affecting the accuracy of the mapping. At the same time, quantifying the monetary value of RESs has been a challenge due to the lack of market substitutes that can approximate the prices associated with these non-excludable goods. This study used the MaxENT model, then classified and used recreational resource POI data, combined with environmental data on the existence or generation of different types of RL, mapped RES from the perspective of RL supply, and conducted monetization and evaluations of RL. The results show that the models’ AUC values are all greater than 0.7, and the distribution of RL supply can be drawn relatively accurately. The Qinghai–Tibet Plateau National Park Group (QTPNPG) has the largest high-quality geomorphic recreational landscape (69,081.02 km²), followed by a high-quality biological recreational landscape (59,348.65 km²) and a high-quality hydrological recreational landscape (33,251.20 km²). The national parks in the eastern part of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau have a larger proportion of high-value areas of the RES. The total monetary value of the RES is CNY 8.323 billion, and the average monetary value of RES per unit area is CNY 20,200/km². Our study optimizes the method of mapping RESs and provides a new way of quantifying the monetary value of RESs. The results can provide a reference for the recreational development of THE QTPNPG and its contribution to regional sustainable development. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Utilization of National Parks’ Natural Resources and Community Livelihood)

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17 pages, 7777 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Theme Exploration and Sentiment Analysis of Online Reviews of Wuyishan National Park

by Wei Fu and Bin Zhou

Land 2024, 13(5), 629; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13050629 - 7 May 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1093

Abstract

The study aimed to explore the relationship and interaction between humans and nature in specific areas. Latent Dirichlet allocation topic recognition and SnowNLP sentiment analysis were used to extract the topics and analyze the sentiments from visitors’ online reviews of Wuyishan National Park. The conclusions were as follows: (1) The tourists mainly expressed positive emotions toward Wuyishan National Park, and the tourists acknowledged its ecological environment and natural and cultural heritage value. (2) The tourists’ comments focused on four themes: tourism activities and facilities, natural and cultural heritage value, characteristic tourism products, and tourism management and services. Natural experience was the main tourism activity in Wuyishan National Park, while cultural activities were related to the tea culture. (3) The tourist facilities, ticket and reservation mechanism, and management and services of Wuyishan National Park were the main concerns of the tourists. The study suggested that Wuyishan National Park could be transformed from a tourist destination into a comprehensive national park that provides recreational experiences and environmental education. This should be conducted by (1) developing detailed natural and cultural education and experience products and (2) improving public service functions and enhancing the public welfare of the national park. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Utilization of National Parks’ Natural Resources and Community Livelihood)

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21 pages, 4851 KiB

Open AccessArticle

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

by Shengrui Zhang, Zhenqi Zhang, Hu Yu and Tongyan Zhang

Land 2024, 13(4), 438; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13040438 - 29 Mar 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1509

Abstract

The assessment of suitability is the cornerstone for the development of ecotourism in nature reserves. This paper adopts the Delphi method to invite 30 experts to score and screen a series of indicators and then calculates the weight of each indicator through the hierarchical analysis method (AHP) to establish a comprehensive evaluation index system for the suitability of ecotourism development. The AHP method includes four constraints layers (tourism resources, socio-economic environment, ecological conditions, and tourism market), in addition to eleven element layers and thirty-eight indicators. It establishes overarching criteria for evaluating ecotourism suitability. Our research focuses on Dinghushan, Xilin Gol Grassland, Hongze Lake Wetland, and Jiuzhai valley, and the results are as follows: (1) Ecotourism suitability evaluation level is divided into five levels, level I (0 ≤ S < 30) ecotourism development suitability is the lowest, meaning an area is extremely unsuitable for ecotourism development. Level V (90 ≤ S < 100) has a very high ecotourism value, meaning an area is highly suitable for ecotourism development. (2) Jiuzhai valley scored the highest ecotourism suitability evaluation score of 87.63, and Xilingol Grassland scored the lowest score of 81.27. However, the composite scores of all the nature reserves were above 80, placing them at Suitability Level IV, and thereby indicating a high suitability for ecotourism development. (3) Divergences in ecotourism suitability emerge among various nature reserve types, with grassland and meadow reserves exhibiting lower suitability levels. Addressing this, a robust management and monitoring system is imperative, alongside intensified efforts in ecological restoration, vegetation protection, community engagement, education, awareness, and increased policy support and tourism capital investment. (4) The results of the expert questionnaire showed that the maximum weight of the indicators affecting the evaluation of the suitability of ecotourism was the satisfaction of tourists (0.120), and the minimum weight was the accommodation facilities (0.002), which illustrated the important role of tourists in the ecotourism development carried out in the nature reserve. (5) Through empirical analysis of numerous cases, the study validates the practicality and effectiveness of the index system and provides scientific guidelines for the suitability of existing nature reserves for further ecotourism development. This contributes to the research theory on the suitability evaluation of ecotourism development and serves as a valuable reference for the future ecotourism development of diverse nature reserves. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Utilization of National Parks’ Natural Resources and Community Livelihood)

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24 pages, 3594 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Policy Development in China’s Protected Scenic and Historic Areas

by Qiaoqiao Zhan, Katsunori Furuya, Xiaolan Tang and Zhehui Li

Land 2024, 13(2), 220; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13020220 - 9 Feb 2024

Viewed by 1782

Abstract

In China, scenic and historic areas are protected areas which are highly integrated with natural and cultural resources. The study analyzed policies based on the theory of policy instruments using content analyses. The results demonstrated that China’s scenic and historic areas have experienced four phases of development: primary development (1980–1994), exploration and growth (1995-–2006), deepening and maturity (2007–2018), and integration and optimization (2019–2023). Policy intensity is trending upwards, and contemporary policy authority and restraints are insufficient. The policy instruments showed an imbalance, and are mainly environmentally-type, with only a few supply- and demand-type. Policy topics mainly include management and planning protection. The Chinese government has played a leading role, taking many restraining measures to quickly protect scenic resources. Stronger and more effective policies with more specific content will favor the protection of scenic and historic areas. In the future, financial input, international exchanges, and outsourcing services should be increased to promote the vital development of scenic and historic areas. Legislation, establishment, social participation, operation, and ticket systems must be comprehensive. Overall, the study provides theoretical support for further reforms of China’s scenic and historic areas and lessons for improving the conservation quality of the world’s protected areas. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Utilization of National Parks’ Natural Resources and Community Livelihood)

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17 pages, 770 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Impact of Different Value Types on Environmentally Responsible Behavior: An Empirical Study from Residents of National Park Communities in China

by Yechen Zhang, Yafei Zhao, Hongmei Zhang, Shanting Zheng and Jingjing Yao

Land 2024, 13(1), 81; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13010081 - 10 Jan 2024

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1267

Abstract

The construction of China’s national park system is an important part of the ecological civilization development strategy, and the behavior of the subjects in the national park has a great impact on its sustainable development. Environmentally responsible behavior (ERB) is considered an important aspect of national park management, and the impact of an individual’s held value on environmental behavior has received much attention. However, the assigned value (AV) of community residents in national park-specific situations has not been concerned, which is often closely related to resident behavior within national park. Therefore, we took the residents of four gateway communities (Qixi town, Hetian town, Changhong town, and Suzhuang town) in Qianjiangyuan national park (QNP), Zhejiang province as research subjects. Based on the value-belief-norm (VBN) model representing individual values, this study integrates the perceived social value of ecosystem services in the national park among community residents and analyzes their impact on ERB. The collected data were statistically analyzed using SPSS 23.0, and the structural model was validated using SmartPLS based on Partial Least Squares Regression. The research findings revealed that (1) the assigned value has a significant positive influence on the environmentally responsible behavior of community residents; (2) pro-environment personal norms are the strongest predictive variable of environmentally responsible behavior; and (3) biosphere value, altruistic value and personal norms have significant positive influence on the formation of the assigned value of community residents. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Utilization of National Parks’ Natural Resources and Community Livelihood)

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