College of Agronomy, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China; The Research Center of Recycle Agricultural Engineering and Technology of Shaanxi Province, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China.
College of Urban and Environmental Science, Northwest University, Xi'an 710127, China.
Sci Total Environ. 2016 Apr 15;550:382-390. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.01.152. Epub 2016 Jan 29.
Studies on the ecological conservation behavior of farmers usually focus on individual and socio-economic characteristics without consideration of the underlying psychological constructs, such as farmers' intention and perceptions. This study uses the theory of planned behavior (TPB), a typical social psychology construct, to analyze the factors affecting the intention and behavior of farmers for conserving the ecological achievements from payment for ecosystem service (PES) programs in eco-environmentally fragile areas. Questionnaires based on TPB were administered to 1004 farmers from the Grain to Green Program area in the Loess Plateau, China, with the resulting dataset used to identify the underlying factors determining farmers' intention and behavior based on the structural equation model. The results show that the farmers' intention and behavior toward conserving ecological achievements were explained well by TPB. The farmers'behavior was significantly positively affected by their intention toward conserving ecological achievements, and their intention was significantly influenced by their attitude (positive or negative value of performance), the subjective norm (social pressure in engaging behavior), and perceived behavioral control (perceptions of their ability). The farmers' degree of support for PES programs and their recognition of environmental effects were the factors that most influenced the farmers' attitude. Pressure from neighbors was the most potent driver of the subjective norm. Meanwhile, perceptions of their ability to perform the behavior were the most potent factors affecting intention and it was mostly driven by the farmers' feelings toward environmental improvement and perceived ability (time and labor) to participate in ecological conservation. The drivers of attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control can be used by policy makers to direct farmers' intention and behavior toward conserving ecological achievements in fragile eco-environmentally areas through PES programs. Thus, this strategy can improve the sustainability of ecological and environmental restoration programs.
农民生态保护行为的研究通常集中在个体和社会经济特征上，而没有考虑到潜在的心理结构，如农民的意图和感知。本研究使用计划行为理论（TPB），一种典型的社会心理学结构，来分析影响生态环境脆弱地区农民保护生态成果的支付意愿和行为的因素来自生态系统服务付费（PES）计划。基于 TPB 的问卷分发给了来自中国黄土高原退耕还林工程区的 1004 名农民，利用得到的数据集，根据结构方程模型，确定了决定农民保护生态成果的意图和行为的潜在因素。结果表明，TPB 很好地解释了农民保护生态成果的意图和行为。农民保护生态成果的行为显著地受到他们保护生态成果的意图的正向影响，而他们的意图又受到他们的态度（对绩效的积极或消极价值）、主观规范（参与行为的社会压力）和感知行为控制（对他们执行行为的能力的看法）的显著影响。农民对 PES 计划的支持程度和对环境影响的认识是影响他们态度的最重要因素。来自邻居的压力是主观规范的最有力驱动因素。同时，对他们执行行为能力的看法是影响意图的最有力因素，主要受农民对环境改善的感受和对参与生态保护的感知能力（时间和劳动力）的影响。态度、主观规范和感知行为控制的驱动因素可被政策制定者用来引导农民通过 PES 计划保护生态脆弱地区的生态成果，从而提高生态和环境恢复计划的可持续性。
