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Scientia Silvae Sinicae ›› 2024, Vol. 60 ›› Issue (5): 1-21.doi: 10.11707/j.1001-7488.LYKX20230570

• Frontier & focus: Theory and practice of digital empowerment for high-quality development of forestry • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Digital Economy Development, Value Realization of Forest Ecological Products, and Urban-Rural Income Gap

Fanbin Kong1,2(),Yu Lu1,Caiyao Xu1,*   

  1. 1. Colege of Economic Management Rural Revitalization Academy of Zheiang Province/Green Rural Revival Program Academy, Zhejiang A & F University Hangzhou 311300
    2. Digital Forestry and Green Development Instihute/College of Economics and Management, Nanjing Forestry University Nanjing 210037
  • Received:2023-11-26 Online:2024-05-25 Published:2024-06-14
  • Contact: Caiyao Xu E-mail:kongfanbin@aliyun.com

Abstract:

Objective: This study investigates the relationship and mechanisms among the digital economy development, the value realization of forest ecological products, and the urban-rural income gap. The aim is to provide a scientific foundation for promoting equitable urban-rural income through the integrated development of the digital ecological. Method: Based on panel data from 11 prefecture-level cities in Zhejiang Province between 2011 and 2020, this study employs mediation effect models and interaction effect models to investigate the impact and mechanisms of the effects of the digital economic development, value realization of forest ecological products, and their interaction terms on the urban-rural income gap. Result: 1) Both the digital economic development and the value realization of forest ecological products can significantly reduce the urban-rural income gap. 2) Results from the analysis of mediation and interaction effects indicate that the level of digital economic development can diminish the urban-rural income gap by enhancing the value realization efficiency of forest ecological products. The mediating effect of reducing the urban-rural income gap reached 11.76% of the total effect. Moreover, under their interaction, the combined digital ecological demonstrates an intensified effect in narrowing the urban-rural income gap. 3) Analysis of the working mechanism reveals that the value realization efficiency of forest ecological products contributes to narrowing the urban-rural income gap by increasing non-agricultural employment. 4) Heterogeneity analysis indicates that the three dimensions of digital economic development ( digital talent, digital industry, and digital application) effectively reduce the urban-rural income gap. However, only the digital industry dimension can reduce the urban-rural income gap by enhancing the value realization efficiency of forest ecological products. The impact of the level of digital economic development, the value realization efficiency of forest ecological products, and their interaction is greater in areas with larger urban-rural income gaps, particularly in the southwestern Zhejiang. Conclusion: During the comprehensive advancement of rural digitization, there should be continuous efforts to strengthen the deep integration between the digital economy and forestry production processes. This aims to achieve synchronous and coordinated development between the value realization efficiency of forest ecological products and the narrowing of the urban-rural income gap. The strategy involves nurturing and attracting digital talent, promoting research and application of digital technologies, and enhancing the efficiency of digital technology in supporting rural residents’ forestry production. This approach maximizes the role of digital economic development in facilitating the value realization of forest ecological products and reducing the urban-rural income gap. Implementing dynamic and diversified strategies for digital economic development, particularly in mountainous and rural areas with significant urban-rural income gap, involves strengthening their digital infrastructure. This strategy enables them to leverage the “digital dividend” to drive efficient realization of forest ecological products value and sustainable, coordinated growth in rural residents’ forestry income, acting as a subsequent force for development.

Key words: digital economy, forest ecological products, value relazation efficiency, urban-rural income gap, mediation effect, interaction effect

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