| dc.description.abstract | Given the possible use of environmental valuation techniques to support the
conservation of natural areas, we aimed to calculate the monetary value of the benefits
provided by the Parque Nacional da Serra do Cipó (PNSC), in Minas Gerais state,
Brazil. The PNSC is located in a region composed mostly by rupestrian grassland
ecosystems (“campos rupestres”) in addition to other Cerrado physiognomies and is
under intense anthropogenic pressure. Through the contingent valuation method
(CVM), we calculated the visitors willingness to pay (WTP) for the conservation of
ecosystems of the PNSC. Through econometric estimative using the database consisting
of 514 questionnaires, we found that the WTP of the visitors corresponds to ~ R$
716,000.00 (ca. US$ 366,000.00) per year. Using the logit model, we detected some
variables, such as per capita income, number of dependents, level of interest in issues
related to environment and hometown, significantly influenced the decision between
willing or not willing to pay for the conservation of the PNSC. While, through the tobit
model, we showed that the explanatory variables with significant effect on the declared
value of WTP included age, income, number of dependents, whether or not already
visited the PNSC, and hometown. We also built a brief systematization of the existing
debate about the implementation of CVM between schools of neoclassical
environmental economics and ecological economics thoughts. We suggest that the use
of ecological-economic modeling during the questionnaires application may be able to
contribute to produce more reliable and realistic WTP estimative. This study is part of a
broader effort to capture the economic values of ecosystem services in Serra do Cipó.
With this approach we expect attracting attention from decision makers as well as
society to the importance of conserving the ecosystems of the region. Despite the
rupestrian grassland ecosystems and other Cerrado areas encompass many natural
resources, which are often explored without any sustainable plan, the services provided
by these ecosystems are their true richness. These services, unlike many of the goods
traded by the market, if maintained properly, represent illimitable sources of direct and
indirect benefits to society. | |
