Valuing Natural Forest Resources: An Application of Contingent Valuation Method on Adaba-Dodola Forest Priority Area,Bale Mountains,Ethiopia

This research employs a contingent valuation method (CVM) to estimate the respondents' willingness to pay (WTP) to gain use and control rights to a natural forest resource at the Adaba-Dodola Forest Priority Area (ADFPA) in the Bale Mountains of Ethiopia. The analysis was based on data collected from 295 households residing in and around the forest resource. Both binary probit and ordered probit models were used to examine socioeconomic factors that determine the respondents' WTP to gain these rights. The estimated mean and median WTP were found to be ETB 24.41 (US$2.54) and ETB 22.14 (US$2.30) annually, respectively. Households with more members, have better exposure to education and training, perceive the need for forest conservation, are member of forest dwellers' association, and who are wealthier in terms of ownership of more cultivated land and livestock are willing to pay more; whereas those households characterized by earning better annual household income, those who got higher starting bid value, and those who live farther away from the prime forest resource are willing to pay less. This can be used to signal that there is a considerable non-market value attached to use and control rights to the natural forest. In particular, membership in official forest user groups has shown a strong and positive relationship with WTP in all the models employed. This implies the approach of participatory management using forest user groups is better both for the sustainability of the forest resource and the livelihoods of the people who depend upon it.     

Nonmarket Benefits of Reducing Environmental Effects of Potential Wildfires in Beetle-Killed Trees: A Contingent Valuation Study

We estimated Colorado households’ nonmarket values for two forest management options for reducing intensity of future wildfires and associated nonmarket environmental effects wildfires. The first policy is the traditional harvesting of pine beetle-killed trees and burning of the slash piles of residual materials on-site. The second involves harvesting but moving the residual material off-site and converting it into biochar, thus reducing some of the risk and environmental effects associated with burning on-site. A contingent valuation method mail survey was used to evaluate these two management options. The survey achieved a 47% response rate. We used a nonparametric Turnbull estimator to calculate the willingness to pay (WTP) for burn on-site and off-site biochar conversion. The calculated WTP for burn on-site and off-site biochar conversion options (beyond the cost of the status quo level of forest treatment) is $411 and $470 per household per year, respectively.     

河南省农田防护林生态系统服务功能价值核算

研究农田防护林生态系统服务功能的价值对于区域经济的发展和生态环境的保护具有重要意义。运用市场价值法、机会成本法、影子价格法等,对河南省2001和2005年农田防护林生态服务功能价值进行了核算。结果表明,2001和2005年农田防护林生态服务功能的总价值分别为1.04×1010元和1.46×1010元,各项生态服务指标的价值顺序为:保育土壤>农田防护林防护>生物多样性保护>固碳释氧>净化空气;生态服务的总价值年均增加1.53×109元,其中保育土壤的价值增加最大为9.94×108元,其余依次是农田防护林防护、生物多样性保护、林产品、固碳释氧、净化空气,增加价值分别为3.01×108,1.25×108,7.00×107,3.77×107,7.79×105元。因此,农田防护林具有的生态服务功能价值是巨大的,应该尽快建立生态服务市场补偿机制和完善生态服务功能价值评估方法,促进农田防护林从生态型向生态经济型转变。     

Measuring the ecological value of the forests around the kushiro marsh: An empirical study of choice experiments

This paper estimates the ecological value of the forests around the Kushiro marsh using data from choice experiments (CE). CE is one of the environmental valuation techniques and asks individuals to pick from a set of resource management alternatives. The total sample surveyed was 845. Conditional logit and conditional probit models analyzed the CE data for five management plans of the wetland. The results are as follows: (1) The average willingness to pay is 137 dollars / year / household and the aggregate willingness to pay is 301 million dollars / year, when all the land around the wetland (151,361 ha) is protected for the ecosystem. (2) Cost benefit analysis shows that the optimal protection area is Q₄ (91,361 ha). This means that it is important in terms of social welfare to protect not only the wetland itself, but also the forest around the wetland.     

Social perceptions of the impacts and benefits of invasive alien species: Implications for management

Research on biological invasions has traditionally focused on the ecological component of invasive alien species, either without considering or by considering in a restricted way, the knowledge of the social component. An understanding of the human dimension of invasions is critical to effectively tackle the problems associated with invasive alien species. We distributed questionnaires to evaluate the social perceptions and attitudes of different stakeholder groups affected by invasive alien species in the Doñana social-ecological system (SW Spain). Our analysis served to characterize respondents based on their knowledge and perceptions of the impacts of invasive alien species, and the attitudes toward their introduction and eradication. Hierarchical cluster and principal component analyses identified five categories of respondents, and potential support of eradication programs was assessed using a contingent valuation approach. The five stakeholder groups differed in their degree of knowledge, perceptions, attitudes, and willingness to pay for eradication. The fact that different stakeholders have remarkably different perceptions about the impacts and benefits caused by invasive alien species, and different attitudes toward their introduction or eradication should be considered in any decision-making process regarding their management, particularly when developing appropriate educational and informative programs. Consultation with different stakeholders should also be encouraged from the onset of any decision-making process. In this way, trade-offs involved in IAS management are directly addressed and successful implementation of management practices is facilitated.     

The Recreational value of Atlantic salmon angling under different fishing regulations

Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., stocks worldwide have dwindled, and stricter recreational fishing regulations have been implemented. This study estimates the recreational value of salmon fishing under different regulatory schemes and identifies factors explaining changes in net economic value of sport fishing. A Contingent Valuation mail survey in the Verdal River, Norway, asked anglers their willingness-to-pay for increased fishing expenditures or willingness-to-accept compensation in reduced fishing expenditures, to estimate recreational value. The average annual recreational value per angler decreased under stricter regulations from about €420 (in 2007–2009) to €280 (2010–2012) to €180 for the future scenario (2013–2015). Although an overall net decline in recreational value was found with stricter regulations, anglers have heterogeneous preferences. Anglers with non-catch motives or high place attachment have higher recreational value with stricter regulations than others. If stricter regulations remain over time, younger, less consumptive-oriented anglers would probably dominate the fishery.     

重庆市农村耕地资源贫困测度及空间格局研究

探索耕地资源贫困状态,揭示耕地资源贫困在空间上的集聚与异化,对整治耕地资源与提高利用效益具有重要意义.该文在引入“耕地资源贫困”概念的基础上,通过构建农村耕地资源贫困测度评价指标体系与耕地资源贫困指数模型,运用动态层次分析法和空间自相关分析,对重庆市37个区县的耕地资源贫困程度以及在空间上的集聚与异化进行研究.结果表明,时间序列上,重庆市耕地资源贫困程度不断降低,各区县贫困程度差距巨大但逐年不断缩小;空间分布上,耕地资源贫困程度呈现出渝东北＞渝东南＞城市新区＞主城区的特征,并且贫困程度高值区域由渝东南向渝东北转移,贫困程度低值区域由主城区向城市发展新区扩散;空间关联上,重庆市耕地资源贫困呈现出显著的空间集聚效益,高值中心集聚于渝东南和渝东北,低值中心集聚于主城及城市发展新区.     

政策性生猪保险支付意愿及其影响因素分析——以四川省仁寿县、资中县为例

【目的】探究农户对政策性生猪保险支付意愿及其影响因素以期为政府优化该保险制度设计提供有益借鉴。【方法】利用条件价值评估法(CVM)获取农户支付水平及Probit模型分析支付意愿影响因素。【结果】影响农户支付意愿的主要因素有受教育程度、养猪规模、养猪专业化程度、对生猪保险的认知、对政府的信任程度以及是否参加专业合作经济组织。【结论】加大政策性生猪保险宣传力度;着眼于小规模养殖户、提供多样化的险种选择、扶持专业合作社;完善政府职能。     

土地估价收费模型探讨

在大量实例调查的基础上,总结出当前土地估价业务的新特点和现行收费标准的局限性,统计分析得到适宜的行业各岗位的平均工资及各种业务的平均工时,结合国际通用收费办法以及国内行业发展趋势、行业管理的要求,探讨以"人工时"计费的新收费模型,并在此基础上提出该收费模型实施的保障措施。     

干旱区绿洲农田土壤污染生态补偿标准测算——以白银、金昌市郊农业区为例

文中基于环境价值评估法(CVM)为干旱区绿洲农田土壤重金属污染防治生态补偿政策进行了计量经济学的模型分析,测算了农户对当地实施生态补偿的受偿意愿。在382个调查样本中,91.79%的受访村民认为所在地目前土壤污染问题十分严重并已造成了食用人群健康风险,制定合理的生态补偿标准是保障生态修复工程的核心因素。受偿意愿调查结果显示,干旱区绿洲农田受重金属污染的农户的年平均受偿意愿(MWPA)在746.45-862.73元/hm2之间,影响该数额的主要因素为农户家庭人口、户均耕地面积以及农户受教育程度。该结果说明受访农户提出的受偿意愿是以当地种植基本粮食作物的年收入840元/亩为基础的,但未包括当地农业生产的生态效益损失和对人群健康影响的损失,且受经济欠发达地区农户年均收入较低和信息获取渠道缺乏的影响,当地农户受偿意愿低于其他地区生态补偿受偿意愿。