Coping with giant panda nature reserve protection dilemmas in China: Social capital's role in forest conservation

Understanding the role of social capital is crucial to cope with the cooperation dilemma of forest conservation. This study examined the impact of rural households' social capital on forest con-servation behaviors based on 669 rural household data around 17 giant panda Nature Reserves (NRs) in Shaanxi Province and Sichuan Province, China. Probit model and Ordered Probit model were used, the results show that: (1) Social capital plays a crucial role in rural households' forest conservation behaviors; in particular, it makes up for formal institutions in surrounding NRs. (2) Social trust is core to social capital. It positively affects rural households' forest conservation participation outside NRs as well as in experimental and buffer areas with strict regulation. In addition, it has a significant effect on both low-cost and high-cost forest conservation behaviors, such as reforestation. (3) Social capital enhances rural households understanding of NRs' policies and develops environmental protection awareness thus promoting forest conservation partici-pation. The above conclusions help illuminate the influencing mechanism of rural households' forest conservation behaviors and improve the protection effects of NRs.

Automated summary

Understanding the role of social capital is crucial for addressing the cooperation dilemma in forest conservation. This study analyzed the impact of rural households' social capital on forest conservation behaviors in 17 giant panda nature reserves in China. The findings suggest that social capital plays a critical role in promoting forest conservation activities, filling in gaps left by formal institutions. Social trust, in particular, was found to influence rural households' participation in forest conservation, regardless of the cost involved. Moreover, social capital was found to enhance understanding of nature reserve policies and foster environmental awareness, leading to increased participation in forest conservation efforts.