Constructivist nature authenticity in restored natural heritage: scale development and configurational paths to place attachment

The evaluation of post-disaster restoration in World Natural Heritage sites often triggers debates over how authenticity should be understood and assessed after substantial intervention. This dilemma stems from the epistemological divergence between restoration ecology and heritage studies. While the former focuses on material attributes such as natural and historical authenticity, the latter emphasizes social construction. Consequently, existing theories struggle to explain how visitors judge authenticity in substantially restored natural heritage settings. To bridge this gap, this study draws on the social construction of nature theory to propose the Constructivist Nature Authenticity (CNA) framework. Adopting a mixed-methods approach with post-earthquake Jiuzhaigou as a case study, this study developed and validated a six-dimensional scale of CNA. This framework integrates material foundations (natural, historical, and setting authenticity) with social constructions (material construction, discourse construction, and experience construction authenticity). Furthermore, Fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) was employed to identify four configurational paths associated with high place attachment. Beyond confirming the traditional naturalism-dominated path, the study also uncovers configurations in which constructive dimensions can partially compensate for relatively weaker material conditions under specific circumstances. Crucially, a unique post-pristine narrative path is identified, suggesting that high place attachment may still correspond to configurations in which natural authenticity is relatively weaker, provided that historical continuity, setting authenticity, and constructive dimensions remain strong. This study offers a more differentiated framework for understanding visitor-perceived authenticity in restored natural heritage. It demonstrates that different restoration orientations may be associated with high place attachment when materially grounded and constructive dimensions are appropriately configured, thereby contributing to discussions of value pluralism in heritage management.