Economic Valuation of Forest Ecosystem Services: Methodology and Monetary Estimates

By using ad hoc value transfer protocols, this paper offers a methodological contribution and provides accurate per hectare estimates of the economic value of some selected ecosystem services for all forest biomes in the world, identified following the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment taxonomy MEA. The research also estimates potential total economic losses from policy inaction in year 2050. Final results show that total losses are significant. The total figure is €78 billion, the greatest losses coming from North America and Mexico, followed by Africa, Russia and some Asiatic countries. Most of this loss is attributable to provisioning services and carbon sequestration, while only a minor part is due to loss of cultural services. In terms of biomes the greatest losses are from boreal and warm mixed forests, followed by tropical forests. These results may be surprising to some who argue that it is the loss of tropical forests, particularly the Amazon, that is the most significant. A detailed analysis, shows, however, that this is not the case. The best estimates point to greater losses in areas where use and non-use values are highest, which includes North America.Forest, Ecosystem Services, Biodiversity, Valuation, Value Transfer

The values of natural and constructed wetlands: A meta-analysis

The values of goods and services provided by natural and constructed wetlands are examined through a meta-analysis of 418 observations of the economic value of 186 wetlands. Water quality improvement, non-consumptive recreation, and provision of natural habitat and biodiversity turn out to be highly valued services. Substitution effects are observed through the negative correlation between values and proximity to other wetlands. Values are found to increase with anthropogenic pressure. Constructed wetlands are highly valued for biodiversity enhancement, water quality improvement, and flood control. This study provides a substantially new contribution in relation to previous meta-analyses of the wetland valuation literature

Analyzing the social factors that influence willingness to pay for the management of invasive alien species under two different strategies: eradication and prevention

This an accepted author's manuscript (AAM) version of an article published in Environmental Management, 48 (2011): 418-43

Using factor analysis to identify consumer preferences for the protection of a natural area: evidence for a valuation survey in Portugal

This paper focuses on the application of factor analysis so as to identify consumer preferences for the protection of a Natural Area. We combine the use of factor analysis with the valuation data obtained by contingent valuation survey. The survey, conducted via in-person questionnaires in 1997, is targeted at the economic valuation of the protection benefits of the Parque Natural Alentejano e Costa Vicentina, a natural protected area along the southwest coastline of Portugal. Factor analysis results show that the consumer is characterized by a three-factor motivational structure: use, warm glow and non-use motivation factor, respectively. We introduce these motivation factors, together with the respondent's socio-economic characteristics, in the economic valuation function of such natural protected area. Estimation results show that consumer motivation factors have an econometrically robust role. Therefore, consumer motivations are interpreted as crucial information for accurate social cost-benefit analysis of alternative protection scenarios, and thus serve as an important cornerstone in designing an effective and broadly accepted management policy for the Parque Natural Alentejano e Costa Vicentina. © 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved