Valuing ecological functions of biodiversity in changbaishan mountain biosphere reserve in northeast china

Xue, Dayuan and Tisdell, Clem (2001) Valuing ecological functions of biodiversity in changbaishan mountain biosphere reserve in northeast china. Biodiversity And Conservation, 10 3: 467-481.


Author Xue, Dayuan
Tisdell, Clem
Title Valuing ecological functions of biodiversity in changbaishan mountain biosphere reserve in northeast china
Journal name Biodiversity And Conservation
Publication date 2001-03
Sub-type Article
DOI 10.1023/A:1016630825913
Volume number 10
Issue number 3
ISSN 0960 3115
Start page 467
End page 481
Total pages 15
Editor A. T. Bull
G. T. Prance
D. Simberloff
Place of publication Netherlands
Publisher Kluwer Academic Publications Group
Collection year 2001
Language eng
Subject C1
340202 Environment and Resource Economics
729999 Economic issues not elsewhere classified
Abstract Conservation of biodiversity can generate considerable indirect economic value and this is being increasingly recognized in China. For a forest ecosystem type of a nature reserve, the most important of its values are its ecological functions which provide human beings and other living things with beneficial environmental services. These services include water conservancy, soil protection, CO2 fixation and O-2 release, nutrient cycling, pollutant decomposition, and disease and pest control. Based on a case study in Changbaishan Mountain Biosphere Reserve in Northeast China, this paper provides a monetary valuation of these services by using opportunity cost and alternative cost methods. Using such an approach, this reserve is valued at 510.11 million yuan (USD 61.68 mill.) per year, 10 times higher than the opportunity cost (51.78 mill. yuan/ha.a) for regular timber production. While China has heeded United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP)'s call for economic evaluation of ecological functions, the assessment techniques used need to be improved in China and in the West for reasons mentioned.
Keyword Biodiversity Conservation
Ecology
Environmental Sciences
Biodiversity
Biosphere Reserve
Changbaishan
China
Ecological Function
Economic Valuation
Q-Index Code C1

Document type: Journal Article
Sub-type: Article
Collections: School of Economics Publications
Ecology Centre Publications
 
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