Willingness to pay for ecosystem conservation in Alaska’s Tongass National Forest: a choice modeling study

摘要: Forest ecosystems contribute to human welfare in important ways, but because of the nonmarket nature many goods and services produced, both markets governments fail optimize their production commensurate with economic ecological significance. Despite recent proliferation environmental valuation literature, incorporation values into public forest decision making has been limited by institutional methodological barriers. To address this disconnect, we conducted a case study quantify conservation for Tongass National manner conducive planning. A choice experiment featuring proposed management alternatives changes critical attributes relative levels status quo was used generate requisite data. Econometric analysis suggests that Alaskans have strong preference management, including preservation restoration, over or exploitation management. However, there is significant heterogeneity among terms bias toward depending on socioeconomic characteristics, e.g., gender, age, place residence, household income, whether not they dependent children. The findings can be helpful managers preparation resource plans consistent maximization total value ecosystem services.