Community perception of management goals in Matoushan National Nature Reserve

Abstract

National nature reserve (NNR) is the important ecological baseline of the ecosystem security of the country. However, it is under the pressure of mass tourism, low participation of local community, and improper management. It is a matter of great urgency to determine strategies and tools in support of the balance between conservation and development of NNR. At present, the management system of NNR in China is a system where the country supervises and the local government manages. The perception of the NNR's management aim has direct influence on the management efficiency and protection effect. In this paper, the issue with Matoushan National Nature Reserve in Jiangxi Province has been analyzed as an example. Local residents and administrators' attitudes and perceptions of the management goals of the NNR were measured from three aspects: (1) response to current policies practiced in the reserve; (2) degrees of perception of community co-management; (3) expectation for future development of the reserve. Based on the measurement of community attitude and intention toward four dimensions of ecotourism and assessment of the values and current threats to Matoushan NNR, five sustainable development strategies have been put forward which involve ecological conservation and recovery, local culture revitalization, industry and program planning, educational tourism planning, and periphery development and management. Seeing the resources inside the reserve areas as a natural, cultural, social and economic asset, ecotourism planning is holistic by integrating the goals of natural resources conservation and those of social and economic improvement in revitalizing and managing NNR.