Unpacking residents advocacy role in national forest park management from perception, cognition, and satisfaction

This study examined how residents' advocacy emerges and interacts with management of Badaling National Forest Park (BNFP). Drawing on S-O-R and cognitive–behavioral theories, we developed a structural equation model tested with a questionnaire of 503 residents; a collaborative management model was constructed through six rounds of field investigations. Results show that perception, cognition, and satisfaction directly promote advocacy, with cognition and satisfaction acting as sequential mediators between perception and advocacy. The resulting five-layer model—economic development, ecological conservation, public education, external cooperation, and core management—maps pathways by which advocacy supports park development, particularly via economic, ecological, and educational layers. By linking psychological processes with institutional design, the study advances understanding of residents engagement in protected area management and informs strategies for sustainable park development, offering partnerships between residents and the park for the goals of the sustainable management. These insights highlight how community participation can be systematically integrated into forest park governance, providing managers with evidence-based tools to balance ecological integrity, economic benefits, and social well-being. The findings contribute to broader discussions on adaptive co-management and can guide policy design for protected areas facing similar challenges in China and beyond.