Human–Land Coupling Relationship in Lushan National Park and Its Surrounding Areas: From an Integrated Ecological and Social Perspective

Abstract

The interaction of human activity in national parks and their surrounding areas with natural landscapes is an important factor in the formulation of strategies for the protection and management of protected areas. From an integrated ecological and social perspective, this study aims to develop a human–land coupling model to reveal the ecological threats of human activities to national park and their surrounding areas under rapid urbanization. We first established a four-quadrant model based on the coupling relationship between human activity intensity (HAI) and the landscape pattern index (LPI). On this basis, we analyzed the spatial coupling characteristics of these indices from 2000 to 2020, preliminarily assessed the human–land relationship in Lushan National Park and its surrounding areas (LNPSA), and then explored the driving factors of the coupling relationship. The results show the following. (1) The proportion of regions with high and extremely high human activity intensity increased from 6.02% to 16.41% over the past two decades. These regions are mainly distributed in the surroundings of Lushan National Park, showing a gradually spreading trend to the core protected area. (2) The surroundings had higher landscape fragmentation, landscape diversity, and total variation in the landscape pattern compared with the core protected area. (3) Vegetation coverage and distance to Lushan have the most significant effect on the human–land coupling relationship in LNPSA, and human activity and natural evolution together shape the characteristics of this relationship in the study area. (4) Utilizing administrative divisions as the fundamental framework, the study area is delineated into four distinct zones based on the results of the human–land coupling analysis—harmonious development zones, stable transformation zones, environmental regulation zones, and risk prevention zones—with tailored optimization strategies proposed for each zone’s characteristics. These findings can facilitate the optimized formulation of schemes for different regions and provide a comprehensive methodology to guide the planning and management of natural protected areas.