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

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.