Topic > Valuing environmental services

IndexLiterature reviewMethodsData and resultsDiscussion and conclusionsReferencesNumerous services provided by the environment have no value in the traditional sense, such as water filtration, carbon capture, conservation of endangered species/ threatened, etc. market value of these unknown goods/services, the contingent valuation method (CVM) is often used through surveys using WTP (willingness to pay for a good or service) or WTA (willingness to accept giving up a good or service) . Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The goal of the following article is to answer the question, “How valuable are marbled salamanders in their environment, particularly around Mount Tom located in Holyoke, MA?” As such, due to their secretive nature and scarcity, the paper will also answer the question: “What is the economic cost associated with carbon sequestration in the Mount Tom Reserve area?” These 2 are important questions to ask as marbled salamanders are a critically endangered species in Massachusetts and are found primarily in deciduous forests and vernal pools around western Massachusetts. BUT, since that is the location of our study site. Using a normative approach in combination with CMV and MassGIS we were able to estimate the cost of marbled salamanders to be between 0 and well over ,000. the carbon sequestration value of the area has been estimated between ,000 and millions of dollars per year is reflected and subsequently discussed towards the end of the article we have been taught the dark value of one's life and that mentality can also be said for many environmental services, natural resources and the conservation of endangered/threatened species. Therefore, we rely on the contingent valuation method (CVM) to generate willingness to pay or willingness to accept in order to place a value on something that traditionally has no monetary value. CVM has been used extensively in the conservation field to raise funds and public awareness for conservation projects, as seen with the giant panda, the symbol of conservation since the 20th century. Udziela and Bennett (2007) had created and conducted a pilot study to determine the CVM and ultimately willingness to pay (WTP) for Least Tern conservation in the state of Connecticut. Just like the typical study, the authors created a voluntary survey and went door-to-door to collect data from participants. On this occasion the inspectors were asked to describe the habitat and threats of the lesser swallow and to point out to the participants that, if the tax was approved, they would be required to pay the indicated amount. Next, protest and “hot” offers were identified through follow-up questions regarding why the response was given, as well as general demographic/economic data, and filtered by the final figure. Ultimately these two reported that the mean WTP was 61.41 with a range of values ​​indicated by {rdaddphp file=php/clean_code.php}-0 and an extremely high standard deviation of 0.22 due to the small size of the sample. A similar study was conducted by Loomis, Gonzalez-Caban, and Gregory in association with the USGS for Oregon old-growth forests in 1996. The same approach described above was used, but it was found that the WTP (upper limit) Forcentury-old forests is equal to one year per family unit. The lower bound for WTP was per year/family to illustrate non-responsive surveys, at a value of {rdaddphp file=php/clean_code.php}. The numbers were then multiplied by the number of households in Oregon to determine the estimated value of the services provided by the ecosystem. The CVM has also seen its actions in the economics of resource management, to determine the value of ecosystem services of ecosystems such as tropical and temperate forests. (Damnya, Tyynela 2011; Costanza et al 1997; Costanza et al 2011; Woodward et al 2001). In these studies, CVM, WTP, and replacement costs were used to demonstrate that the value of ecosystem services fell from $4.3 to $20.2 trillion per year between 1997 and 2011 due to continued fragmentation and destruction of biomes. (Costanza et al 2011; Damnya et al 2011). For example, Woodward and Wui (2001), were able to determine the price per hectare of temporary wetland at 7 through benefit transfer using the results of the evaluation of methods such as hedonic prices, travel/substitution costs and CVM. Among the numerous CVM studies available, many studies focus on the ecosystem itself or on the charismatic animals that populate the area. In the case of charismatic animals, the organism's emotional perception plays a significant role in determining its WTP, as illustrated in Notaro and Grilli's July 2019 study. The study was conducted in northern France, where participants were provided images of animals (wolf, lynx, alpine salamander) in different emotional states (neutral, happy, angry) to determine how WTP changes. The results produced were as expected as the generally happy/neutral expressions of the wolf and lynx generated a higher WTP value than when participants were exposed to an unhappy image of the two. However, there was no significant difference in WTP with different expressions. from the alpine salamander which was expected due to its uncharismatic personality. Like all of the other studies listed above, the work done by Degregorio, Willson, and Dorcas (2014) used CVM to determine the “commercial value of amphibians produced from an isolated wetland.” In their study the authors were able to assign a commercial value to amphibians within a vernal pool located in Ellenton Bay, Florida during the period of intense breeding, using market value (how much each organism costs in the pet trade domestic) with survey methods to determine abundance and population size. In doing so, they estimated that the 10-hectare spring pond was capable of producing well over $3 million of juvenile amphibians each year, or about 0.341 per hectare. Vernal pools are temporary wetlands filled with water ¼ to ½ of the year and were once converted to agricultural land. In such cases, the cost of the lost opportunity has been estimated at approximately ,000/ha per year before operating expenses and taxes. Methods The study site for my eDNA study is the Whiting Reservoir Trail Head located within the Mount Tom Reservoir in Holyoke, MA. The site includes approximately 1,967 acres of forested areas according to Mass.gov. Using ArcGIS, I was able to determine that vernal pools only occur in just 123.02 acres of the more than 1,900 acres that are critical to amphibian breeding environments. Those 123.02 acres equals about 16 to 17 pools of different sizes, as illustrated in the blue dots on the map to your right. Data and Results Having calculated the position and mass of the Earth, we can now move on to the experimental part of the report. In previous investigations of the area, salamandersmarbled eggs were encountered in approximately 1 in 5 vernal pools (3 pools in this case), with the average female laying between 50 and 200 eggs per season. As an r-selected species, a significant portion of juveniles will not be able to reach maturity/breeding age. Just for hypothetical purposes we use a 75% mortality of juveniles and it is not known how many will congregate in the pool, so that number will theoretically be 1-4 salamanders per positive stock. The graph below illustrates the minimum and maximum population produced under the conditions listed above, as well as the range of commercial/economic value (market value) produced when sold for the pet trade. In the circumstances described above, the total market value of marbled salamanders within the Mount Tom reserve can be between 0 and 540 depending on the market value used (different suppliers have different prices). In terms of the carbon sequestration value, we can use the figures provided above on the land cover of the area, as well as the value per ton per acre provided by Gorte, 2009. The cost of carbon sequestration in the reserve was estimated using the following formula and vernal pool sequestration was estimated using a weighted average since this is a seasonal habitat/formation. The table above shows the rate of carbon dioxide sequestered per year per acre, as well as the total amount of carbon dioxide sequestered in the indicated biomes of the Mount Tom Preserve. The cost of storage was subsequently calculated using the social cost of carbon estimated by Nordhaus in 2019 in dollars/tonne per year. The high estimate of 5.50 is the current carbon dioxide tax set by the Swedish government (the most environmentally friendly country). In this case, the total cost of carbon sequestration within the reserve is between .685 and a maximum of .736,525 per year. The values ​​reported in the tables provided do not provide the overall cost provided by ecosystem services, but the cost of wetlands can be estimated using the value found by Woodward (2001) multiplied by 123.02 acres (first converted to hectares). Discussion and ConclusionAs stated previously, there is a wide range in overall cost to market value (CMV) for marbled salamanders residing in the Mount Tom Reserve, ranging from 0 to .540 depending on the seller. Many assumptions were used to arrive at the estimate provided, including the cost of the salamander, its observed frequency, and the overall survival rate to metamorphosis. Referring to Constanza (1997, 2011) and Degregorio, Willson, and Dorcas (2014), a constant reevaluation of environmental values ​​is periodically necessary to keep up with science and consumer values ​​towards the environment. Unlike Degregorio, Willson, and Dorcas, the frequency used above was based on a survey that occurred after the Connecticut River flood that could have caused severe displacements of marbled salamanders and their larvae, affecting the overall data produced. Another hypothesis proposed was the 75% survival interval as no research was found describing the survival of r-selected amphibians in the wild which may have introduced bias into the data. Therefore, further research is needed in these areas to provide a more accurate estimate of the value of marbled salamanders. For carbon capture/sequestration, prices were strongly influenced by MassGIS's accuracy in calculating land area, price for CO2 emissions, and sequestration rates. of different biomes as reported by Gorte in 2009. Keep in mind: this is just an example. Get one now/