Valuing the non-market benefits of estuarine ecosystem services in a river basin context: testing sensitivity to scope and scale

摘要: A large scale contingent valuation survey is conducted among residents in one of the largest river basins Portugal to estimate non-market benefits ecosystem services associated with implementation European Water Framework Directive (WFD). Statistical tests public willingness pay's sensitivity scope and are carried out. Decreasing marginal pay (WTP) found when asking respondents value two water quality improvement scenarios (within sample comparison), from current moderate conditions good subsequently excellent ecological status. However, insensitivity half improvements estuary only other whole basin (between comparison). Although living outside significantly less than inside basin, no spatial heterogeneity can be detected within between upstream downstream residents. This finding has important implications for aggregation procedures across population beneficiaries its total economic based on WTP WFD.