Effects of the epidemic and obstacle factors on the evolution of livelihood resilience of scenic farm households: a case study of the Wulingyuan scenic area, China

A study on the Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Interest Area reveals that COVID-19 significantly impacted the livelihood resilience of scenic farm households, with resilience peaking during normal tourism (2019) at 0.449, dipping during epidemic disruption (2021) to 0.395, and slightly recovering in 2023 to 0.415. The research analyzed data from 364 farm households across five villages using an index system evaluating buffering, learning, and self-organizing capacities, alongside the obstacle degree model. Key factors influencing resilience included per capita forest land area, skill training opportunities, borrowing chances, and migrant work or entrepreneurship. Findings highlight imbalanced resilience among different livelihood strategies and underscore the need for diversified approaches to sustain rural development amid external disruptions.

Wu, J., Liu, S., Xue, K., Zuo, J., Li, L., & Guo, D. (2025). Effects of the epidemic and obstacle factors on the evolution of livelihood resilience of scenic farm households: a case study of the Wulingyuan scenic area, China. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 9. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2025.1527529