Analysis of the Mechanism Through Which Capabilities Influence the Livelihood Resilience of Forest Farmers in Ecologically Vulnerable Regions

Considering the escalating challenges in ecological environmental protection and the difficulties faced by forest farmers in enhancing livelihood capital in ecologically vulnerable regions, a thorough examination of the impact of capabilities and risk perception on the livelihood resilience of forest farmers can serve as a reference for mitigating pressures on ecological conservation and addressing the enhancement of livelihood capital in similar typical ecologically vulnerable regions. This study utilized micro-level survey data and the Entropy Method to assess the livelihood resilience of forest farmers in an ecologically fragile region. An ordered logit model and a mediating effect model were employed to experimentally examine the influence of capabilities and risk perception on resilience. The results demonstrate that (1) the livelihood resilience of forest farmers exhibits a multi-dimensional, hierarchical condition; (2) capabilities exert a substantial positive influence on livelihood resilience, while risk perception has a considerable negative effect; and (3) capabilities affect the livelihood resilience of forest farmers by mitigating their risk perception. This paper concludes that, for the region under study, internal efforts should be undertaken to enhance forest farmers’ capabilities by increasing their income levels, strengthening their information acquisition skills, and promoting their participation in practical forestry training. The forest product market system must be enhanced externally, and technical thresholds reduced to alleviate perceptions of market volatility and natural disaster risks, ultimately improving livelihood resilience.