Research highlights: Ecological policies must balance ecosystem protection by promoting the sustainable livelihoods of farmers living in or near protected areas; however, the intrinsic motivations of farmers to adopt green production behaviors (GPBs) are poorly understood. Background and objectives: We explored how ecological policies affect the GPBs of farmers in agroforestry. Materials and methods: We conducted questionnaires of farmers in 11 counties of Sichuan Province, China, with abundant protected areas and large-scale agroforestry, after which a structural equation model of farmers’ ecological awareness, policy perception, and GPBs was constructed. Results: (1) Ecological policies can stimulate farmers’ GPBs by improving their ecological awareness, creating positive subjective norms, and inducing the “herd effect”. Increases in protection intensity and scope amplify the pressures on farmers to maintain more than long-term policy consistency. (2) Green production is more time-consuming, laborious, expensive, and difficult to learn compared with traditional production methods, which have somewhat limited GPBs adoption. (3) In the rural “acquaintance society”, information and communication from others have a substantial impact on farmers’ perceptions, attitudes, and behaviors; thus, positive subjective norms from formal and informal channels could promote GPB adoption. Conclusions: Future policies should prioritize environmental education over environmental publicity by helping farmers understand the long-term relationship between ecological protection and economic development, teaching individual environmental responsibility, enhancing positive feedback to farmers who adopt GPBs, actively exploring mechanisms for realizing the value of ecological products, and improving farmers’ management skills and learning ability.

Enhancing the sustainability of the non-timber forest products industry has dual significance for both the management of local forest resources and socio-economic development. This paper adopts a systems theory perspective to construct an analytical model for the sustainable development of non-timber forest products, based on a “social-economic-natural” framework. By analyzing case studies of non-timber forest products industry sustainability from four underdeveloped counties in China, the paper derives the following main conclusions and insights: The sustainability of non-timber forest products development models is influenced by factors such as resource endowments and institutional environments and includes both single and composite models. Underdeveloped regions can achieve considerable sustainability in the development of non-timber forest products, but this requires a rational allocation of six key elements—policy, model, stakeholders, natural resources, funding, and technology—to stimulate industry growth. To promote the sustainable development of this industry, optimization should be pursued across five aspects: “policy leadership and top-level design to guide industry development”, “selection of appropriate development models based on local natural endowments and socio-economic foundations”, “large enterprise-driven mechanisms to form multi-stakeholder interest connections”, “focus on product technology research and development, and establishment of technical training mechanisms”, and “market-driven funding to develop product sales markets”.

Ecological products refer to the natural elements crucial for sustaining life support systems, ecological regulation functions, and environmental comfort. These products encompass clean air, water, pollution-free soil, lush forests, and maintaining favorable climates. In this study, we assessed the spatial distribution of ecosystem service functions in the Jizhou District of Tianjin using the suitability evaluation method, InVEST model calculations, and ArcGIS spatial visualization analysis. This study operates within the framework of “ecological industry selection”, involving suitability evaluations for ecological product development, and formulates industrial development planning and control strategies. To construct the evaluation index system for exploiting and utilizing ecological products in the Jizhou District, three key aspects were considered: ecosystem services, land use, and limiting factors. Leveraging the district’s resource endowments, this study conducted a quantitative analysis of the spatial distribution pattern of ecological product exploitation potential. The findings revealed a regional aggregation characteristic in the development potential of ecological products. The appropriate direction for developing eco-agriculture, eco-industry, eco-health, and eco-compensation products in the Jizhou district is influenced by the spatial distribution of ecosystem service functions. Building upon the analysis, specific types of ecological products suitable for development in the Jizhou District were further identified. By evaluating the suitability of ecological product development and utilization and verifying the results through industrial model division, the mechanism for comprehending the value of ecological products was realized. This study contributes to the realization of the “two mountains” ideology, wherein the transformation of green water and green mountains into assets of economic value is emphasized, thus fostering sustainable development practices.

Expanding internet connectivity to rural areas requires a comprehensive understanding of the influence path among internet usage, subjective well-being (SWB), and environmentally friendly agricultural practices (EAPs) of farmers. This study aimed to analyze the direct and indirect effects of internet use by employing structural equation modeling. Farmers with improved internet access adopted more EAPs, resulting in output loss (EAPOs) and increased time investment (EAPTs). However, increased internet function utilization negatively affected EAPs involving additional expenses (EAPEs). Although SWB increased EAP engagement, income satisfaction could decrease EAPEs and EAPTs. The impact of internet use on SWB initially increased but later declined with increased internet usage, indirectly affecting EAPs. This may strengthen the positive total effect or alleviate the negative total effect. Young individuals, higher-income households, educated individuals, and members of the Communist Party of China (CPC) were more inclined to adopt EAPs, as they helped mitigate the adverse influence of negative online information and enhance overall well-being. Consequently, it is imperative to provide internet usage education and training, utilize more internet features, including e-commerce or microcredit, to incentivize EAP adoption, address and alleviate negative emotions from the internet promptly, prioritize providing education to young rural residents, and empower CPC members in advocating for sustainable practices.

Escalating human–land conflicts have exacerbated ecosystem degradation, threatening regional sustainable development. As the largest sandy land in China, the Horqin Sandy Land (HSL) in eastern Inner Mongolia exhibits high ecological fragility. Delineating ecological restoration zones (ERZ) is critical to transition from localized restoration to system-wide stability, thereby enhancing regional ecological security, which reflects ecosystem health and integrity. Ecological security patterns (ESP), as spatial configurations that support and maintain ecological security, serve as the foundational framework for ERZ planning. Unlike conventional applications of InVEST and MSPA, this study integrates an ecosystem service assessment with morphological spatial pattern analysis (MSPA) under a “Source–Resistance–Corridor–Note” paradigm to develop a novel “ecological network–zoning” approach. This framework transforms ecological connectivity analysis into actionable restoration zoning, bridging theoretical ESP construction with practical management needs. Key findings include the following: (1) In total, 76 vital ecological source regions were mapped, representing about 10,204.38 km² of ecologically significant land, with primary distribution in the northwestern mountainous regions; (2) A total of 169 ecological corridors were extracted, spanning 4071.94 km in length. Ecological pinch points with 239.91 km² and barrier points with 568.85 km² were systematically identified; (3) A “Five Zones, Three Belts, One Core” spatial strategy was proposed, aligning with regional ecological conditions and development goals. This study provides a transferable methodology for ecosystem restoration in global arid and semi-arid regions, bridging theoretical frameworks with actionable zoning practices.

Grazing exclusion (GE) and rest grazing (RG) are important management systems for the restoration of degraded grassland ecosystems. In order to evaluate the effects and mechanisms of different grazing management systems on the scale dependency of species diversity, plant community indices and soil variables were determined in 32 plots in the Qilian Mountains in Gansu Province. The results show that diversity effects and their regulating mechanisms had space-scale dependence under different grazing management systems. The species richness and species diversity indices of RG grassland were significantly higher than those of GE at the regional scale. Species richness for RG and GE plots was 128 and 98, respectively, and the Shannon–Wiener and Simpson indices for RG and GE plots were 2.26 and 2.16, and 0.85 and 0.83, respectively. Additionally, three grazing management systems had a significant effect on species richness in mountain meadows, but different management systems had significantly different effects on species diversity indices in mountain meadows and temperate steppes. Meanwhile, soil variables only influenced species diversity at the regional scale. Most of the plant and soil variables at each scale had positive effects on species diversity. However, a negative correlation was seen between biodiversity and species coverage, mean plant height, soil porosity (SP) and bulk density (BD) under the two contrasting grazing management systems. In conclusion, choosing RG at the regional scale and selecting grazing management systems according to different grassland types at the local scale can help to restore degraded grassland vegetation.