Conservation Effectiveness and Heterogeneity of the National Park in Promoting Ecosystem Health: Causal Evidence from Huangshan, China

Tian Wang, Jinhe Zhang (), Zhangrui Qian, Yingjia Dong and Xiaobin Ma
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Tian Wang: School of Geography and Ocean Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
Jinhe Zhang: School of Geography and Ocean Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
Zhangrui Qian: School of Geography and Ocean Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
Yingjia Dong: School of Geography and Ocean Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
Xiaobin Ma: College of Economics and Management, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China

Land, 2025, vol. 14, issue 10, 1-23

Abstract: National parks are key tools for safeguarding ecosystem health, yet their conservation performance remains unclear. Comprehensive evaluations are crucial for guiding targeted and effective conservation strategies. This study employed the Vigor–Service–Resilience (VSR) framework together with causal inference models to assess the role of Huangshan National Park (HNP) in promoting ecosystem health and to examine the heterogeneity of its ecological outcomes from 2010 to 2020. The results indicate that (1) ecosystem health improved significantly across the region, with 69.5% of pixels showing positive change, particularly in ecosystem services and vigor; (2) compared with matched unprotected sites, HNP enhanced EH by 5.7% in 2010, 3.4% in 2015, and 6.5% in 2020, and also generating positive spillover effects within 30 km of its boundaries; (3) conservation impacts differed notably across socio-ecological conditions, with greater benefits observed in areas of lower elevation, gentle slopes, and reduced precipitation. These findings provide robust causal evidence of the protective value of HNP and underscore the importance of targeted and cost-efficient management strategies to optimize conservation outcomes and support sustainable regional development.

Keywords: conservation effectiveness; causal inference; ecosystem health; national parks (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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