Can rural tourism policy and development influence local bird diversity? A quasi-field experiment

Abstract

Rural tourism is increasingly promoted as a strategic tool for economic revitalization and rural sustainability, yet its compatibility with biodiversity conservation remains a subject of debate. This study investigates the causal impact of China’s National Key Rural Tourism Villages policy on local bird diversity by employing a quasi-experimental design. Using a nationwide county-year panel constructed from citizen-science bird observation records, we find that the policy designation leads to a statistically significant decline in bird species richness. Event-study estimates show an immediate and front-loaded decline, a pattern consistent with early infrastructure construction and intensified human disturbance. The policy is associated with the expansion of accommodation capacity, and high-end hotel intensity is in turn negatively associated with predicted bird richness. Heterogeneity analyses further indicate that negative impacts are concentrated in ecologically sensitive areas, specifically forests, wetlands, and wild plant habitats, and in resource-constrained low-GDP counties. The study suggests that to achieve a synergy between development and conservation, tourism accreditation systems should integrate mandatory ecological planning, spatial zoning, and long-term biodiversity monitoring.

Bo Hu 胡博

PhD Student

My research interests include environmental psychology and behavior intervention.