The Characteristics of Visitor Behavior and Driving Factors in Urban Mountain Parks: A Case Study of Fuzhou, China

Previous studies have focused on the linear relationship between recreation behavior and environmental variables. However, to inform the planning and design of recreational spaces, it is essential to understand the factors that contribute to differences in the spatial distribution of recreation behavior. This study investigates the characteristics of visitor behavior in urban mountain parks in Fuzhou City, Fujian Province, China. It describes the distribution of tourist numbers and the diversity of behaviors in these parks and explores the landscape driving factors of visitor behavior, as well as the interaction effects between the factors from the perspective of spatial driving forces. The results indicate that (1) The observed behaviors in the three parks are primarily access behaviors. The number of visitors and the diversity of behaviors show a high level in the morning and evening and a low level in the midday. (2) There was minimal variation in behavioral composition and behavioral diversity among the study plots of different elevation gradients in the three parks. However, the contrasts between different landscape types were more pronounced, with impermeable plazas exhibiting the highest behavioral diversity and park roads demonstrating the most homogeneous behavioral diversity. (3) The impact of environmental factors was more pronounced than that of landscape pattern factors. The environmental factors that most strongly influenced passing, dynamic, and static behaviors were spatial connectivity value, hard space proportion, and number of recreational facilities, respectively. In contrast, the hard space proportion was the strongest driver of behavioral diversity. Moreover, the interaction between the hard space proportion and spatial connectivity value was more pronounced in driving behavioral diversity, as well as the three behaviors.