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Sustainability
Volume 17
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10.3390/su17052166
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Article

The Influence of Environmental Knowledge and Religiosity on Public Preferences for Ecosystem Services in Urban Green Spaces—An Example from China

by
Jin Li
1,†,
Hai-Li Zhang
1,†,
Fanxin Meng
1,
Wei Wang
1,
Chen Wang
2,
Runzi Wang
3,
Yinghui Cao
4,
Mir Muhammad Nizamani
5,
Zongshan Zhao
1,* and
Hui Xue
1,*
1
School of Environment and Geography, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China
2
Department of Management, Haworth College of Business, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, MI 49008, USA
3
School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
4
School of Tourism and Geography Science, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China
5
Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Marine Disaster Prediction and Prevention, Institute of Marine Sciences, Shantou University, Shantou 515063, China
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†
These authors contributed equally to this work.
Sustainability 2025, 17(5), 2166; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17052166
Submission received: 2 February 2025 / Revised: 18 February 2025 / Accepted: 24 February 2025 / Published: 3 March 2025
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Abstract

Ecosystem services (ES) are key benefits that humans derive from natural ecosystems, including provisioning, regulating, and cultural services. As urbanization accelerates globally, urban green spaces (UGS), increasingly recognized for their role in improving environmental quality and enhancing human well-being, provide essential ES that help mitigate the effects of urbanization. However, the factors influencing public preferences for these services, particularly environmental knowledge and religiosity, remain underexplored. This study seeks to bridge this gap by examining how environmental knowledge and religiosity shape public preferences for ecosystem services, with a particular focus on regulating services (e.g., air quality improvement, carbon sequestration) and cultural services (e.g., outdoor recreation, aesthetic enjoyment). A survey of 1236 respondents conducted in China reveals that both environmental knowledge and religiosity significantly enhance preferences for regulating services, especially in relation to air quality improvement (M = 4.33) and carbon sequestration (M = 4.26). Furthermore, higher education levels correlate with stronger preferences for ecosystem services, and coastal residents exhibit greater preferences for these services compared with inland residents. This study emphasizes that disseminating environmental knowledge through education and religious practices can significantly enhance public awareness of ecosystem services and foster greater support for green infrastructure investments. Policy recommendations include the adoption of targeted communication strategies in urban green space planning to enhance public engagement and support.
Keywords: ecosystem services; environmental knowledge; religiosity; urban green spaces; social preferences ecosystem services; environmental knowledge; religiosity; urban green spaces; social preferences

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Li, J.; Zhang, H.-L.; Meng, F.; Wang, W.; Wang, C.; Wang, R.; Cao, Y.; Nizamani, M.M.; Zhao, Z.; Xue, H. The Influence of Environmental Knowledge and Religiosity on Public Preferences for Ecosystem Services in Urban Green Spaces—An Example from China. Sustainability 2025, 17, 2166. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17052166

AMA Style

Li J, Zhang H-L, Meng F, Wang W, Wang C, Wang R, Cao Y, Nizamani MM, Zhao Z, Xue H. The Influence of Environmental Knowledge and Religiosity on Public Preferences for Ecosystem Services in Urban Green Spaces—An Example from China. Sustainability. 2025; 17(5):2166. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17052166

Chicago/Turabian Style

Li, Jin, Hai-Li Zhang, Fanxin Meng, Wei Wang, Chen Wang, Runzi Wang, Yinghui Cao, Mir Muhammad Nizamani, Zongshan Zhao, and Hui Xue. 2025. "The Influence of Environmental Knowledge and Religiosity on Public Preferences for Ecosystem Services in Urban Green Spaces—An Example from China" Sustainability 17, no. 5: 2166. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17052166

APA Style

Li, J., Zhang, H.-L., Meng, F., Wang, W., Wang, C., Wang, R., Cao, Y., Nizamani, M. M., Zhao, Z., & Xue, H. (2025). The Influence of Environmental Knowledge and Religiosity on Public Preferences for Ecosystem Services in Urban Green Spaces—An Example from China. Sustainability, 17(5), 2166. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17052166

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