Social Dynamics of Perceived Intangible Values Under Ecological Restoration Among Rural Inhabitants in Yan'an, China

Abstract

Ecological restoration has been considered and implemented as an effective approach to reverse land degradation, particularly in vulnerable drylands. While there has been a large body of research focusing on the ecological and economic benefits of these projects, few studies have focused specifically on the intangible socio‐cultural values like cultural heritage, identity, and social cohesion in these areas. The difficulty in quantifying these values lies in their subjective perception among individuals and keep changing dynamic social contexts. Therefore, it remains unclear about how local inhabitants perceive the intangible cultural and social benefits provided by dryland ecosystems and how this perception impact community well‐being. This study employs the Cultural Ecosystem Services (CES) framework to evaluate how rural communities perceive the intangible benefits under ecological restoration. We re‐classify the commonly used ten types of CES into four main categories, auto‐responsive/intrinsic, behaviors, meanings and personal. We conducted 466 semi‐structured household interviews across 17 representative villages in Yan'an, China's Loess Plateau region. Through latent class analysis, we identified three distinct perception patterns of CES. Results revealed universal recognition of all CES types, with education and income significantly influencing their perceptions. Certain landscapes like grasslands and villages strongly shaped “sense of place” and social connections, while wetlands and waterfalls had minimal impact. Social engagement, particularly employment, enhanced CES recognition, whereas religious activities showed limited influence. This exploratory study examines the social dynamics of perceived intangible values in dryland ecosystem restoration. Our innovation lies in applying the CES framework to assess these values in dryland areas, using latent class analysis to identify three perception categories linked to demographics, landscapes, and activities. This approach offers targeted suggestions for enhancing CES, supporting ecological restoration policies that value both nature and culture. While our study establishes a foundation, further long‐term research is needed to fully understand the relationship between CES perceptions and ecological restoration outcomes.