This study applies the Contingent Valuation Method (CVM) to estimate the non-use value of Laojun Mountain National Park, a culturally and ecologically significant site within the Three Parallel Rivers World Heritage region of northwestern Yunnan, China. Based on 219 valid survey responses, the analysis identifies education, income, occupation, cultural identity, and recognition of legacy values as significant determinants of willingness to pay (WTP) for conservation. Interaction effect logistic regression shows that the influence of cultural identity on WTP is moderated by income level and ecological awareness. Valuation results indicate that the park’s annual non-use value ranges from 79.697 to 260.841 billion yuan, based on median and mean estimates. Motivational analysis highlights aesthetic appreciation, cultural meaning, and intergenerational ethics as key drivers of conservation support, while refusal to pay is primarily attributed to expectations of governmental responsibility, especially among low-income and less-educated respondents. These findings advance theoretical understanding of bio-cultural valuation, offer practical guidance for the design of Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) schemes, and underscore the importance of integrating socio-cultural dimensions into sustainable conservation finance and policy strategies.

Rapid and effective methods for tracing the geographic origin of wildlife samples are essential for tackling the illegal wildlife trade. Traditional morphological categorization methods are often inadequate as relying on the mitochondrial COXI barcode is insufficient for determining geographic populations. To address these limitations, we developed a bioinformatics-based pipeline for the rapid identification of traceable nuclear genome loci. This pipeline has been applied to the whole-genome sequence (WGS) data of China’s flagship species, the snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus spp.). These species are known for sex-biased dispersal and hybrid speciation, which complicates genealogy tracing. Using phylogenetic principles, we employed the Robinson and Foulds (RF) distance and scanned over 1,850,726 population-specific loci, identifying five pairs that can trace genealogy origins rapidly and cost-effectively using PCR. Additionally, we found that relying only on mitochondrial genetic information is insufficient for rapid and accurate traceability to subspecies-level geographic populations. Our pipeline efficiently identifies loci and traces the geographic origin of snub-nosed monkey individuals, providing a valuable tool for species preservation and combating the wildlife trade. This approach can be extended to other species, aiding in the conservation of endangered wildlife and tracing criminal evidence.