Transportation–Digital Policy Synergies in the Value Realization of Forest Ecological Products in Mountainous China: A Theoretical Framework

The value realization of forest ecological products in mountain areas represents a critical pathway for China to reconcile ecological protection with rural prosperity. This study develops a conceptual framework integrating new economic geography, information economics, transaction cost theory, and Schumpeterian innovation theory to examine the potential complementarities between the Four Good Rural Roads initiative and digital village construction, their underlying mechanisms, and relevant boundary conditions. The analysis proposes that: (1) transportation accessibility and digital connectivity may facilitate forest ecological product value realization through distinct but complementary mechanisms by reducing spatial barriers, information asymmetries, and transaction costs; (2) their interactions may promote resource reallocation and business model innovation through the progressive analytical framework of “physical connectivity–digital value enhancement–ecological efficiency restructuring”, potentially improving value realization efficiency; and (3) potential transportation–digital policy synergies face institutional, spatial, governance, and market constraints, which may limit their effectiveness in improving value realization efficiency. Based on these theoretical insights, the study identifies four interrelated policy directions: improving physical and digital accessibility, supporting value discovery, strengthening institutional coordination, and promoting sustainable market formation and business model innovation. This study advances the theoretical understanding of transportation–digital policy complementarities in forest ecological product value realization and provides a basis for context-dependent policy implications in mountainous regions.