TY - JOUR
T1 - Landowner Willingness to Accept Monetary Compensation for Managing Forests for Ecosystem Services in the Southern United States
AU - Adhikari, Ram K.
AU - Grala, Robert K.
AU - Petrolia, Daniel R.
AU - Grado, Stephen C.
AU - Grebner, Donald L.
AU - Shrestha, Anusha
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of American Foresters. All rights reserved.
PY - 2022/4/1
Y1 - 2022/4/1
N2 - The accuracy of welfare estimates in the contingent valuation model is affected by the distributional specifications of the willingness-to-accept function, especially when unsure responses are included. An improved method was implemented to estimate four discrete choice models by exponentiating the bid variable. It was found that landowners required an average compensation of $93 per acre per year to partake in a 10-year conservation program. The likelihood of participation increased with the payment amount, concern for wildlife habitat loss, frequent contact with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, and higher education level. This data will assist in determining regional-level budgets for different conservation scenarios to enhance the production of ecosystem services. The study suggests that conservation agencies can reduce landowner uncertainty and encourage enrollment in conservation programs by offering adequate financial incentives. While similar compensations can be provided for certain conservation efforts, higher compensations might be needed for protecting forests from wildfires, hurricanes, and tornadoes. Funding should prioritize conserving critical habitats and freshwater sources vulnerable to land disturbances.
AB - The accuracy of welfare estimates in the contingent valuation model is affected by the distributional specifications of the willingness-to-accept function, especially when unsure responses are included. An improved method was implemented to estimate four discrete choice models by exponentiating the bid variable. It was found that landowners required an average compensation of $93 per acre per year to partake in a 10-year conservation program. The likelihood of participation increased with the payment amount, concern for wildlife habitat loss, frequent contact with the Natural Resources Conservation Service, and higher education level. This data will assist in determining regional-level budgets for different conservation scenarios to enhance the production of ecosystem services. The study suggests that conservation agencies can reduce landowner uncertainty and encourage enrollment in conservation programs by offering adequate financial incentives. While similar compensations can be provided for certain conservation efforts, higher compensations might be needed for protecting forests from wildfires, hurricanes, and tornadoes. Funding should prioritize conserving critical habitats and freshwater sources vulnerable to land disturbances.
KW - bottomland hardwood forest
KW - contingent valuation method
KW - habitat type
KW - landowner uncertainty
KW - southern pine
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U2 - 10.1093/forsci/fxab063
DO - 10.1093/forsci/fxab063
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85130045657
SN - 0015-749X
VL - 68
SP - 128
EP - 144
JO - Forest Science
JF - Forest Science
IS - 2
ER -