Abstract: The original intentions, value orientations, and management practices of protected area establishment across nations are profoundly shaped by their cultural contexts and stages of social development, exhibiting significant variations. These differences are intrinsically linked to the conceptual complexity of “nature” and diverse approaches to value perception. Through a case study of Shennongjia Forestry District, this paper reveals that the conceptualization of nature in China’s protected areas has undergone multistage transformations, influenced by national priorities, local dynamics, and global forces. The dominant paradigm remains rooted in pragmatic materialist interpretations, characterized by contextual and agentic understandings of nature across temporal dimensions. These conceptual shifts primarily stem from evolving state and local government perceptions regarding the positive and negative externalities of resource utilization, which have begun to manifest in environmental governance systems through ecological civilization reforms. To align with global conservation commitments, China must institutionalize Ecological Civilization principles into its nature conceptualization framework. Only by establishing corresponding governance mechanisms to transform this conceptualization into tangible benefit structures can China achieve the tripartite equilibrium of prioritizing “ecological conservation” while harmonizing “environmental protection, green development, and livelihood improvement” at scale.

Key words: protected areas, conceptions of nature, resource governance regime, environmental externalities of resource use, convention on biological diversity