Heterogeneity in ecosystem service values: linking public perceptions and environmental policies

Pan, Y. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2729-6377, Che, Y., Marshall, S. and Maltby, L. (2020) Heterogeneity in ecosystem service values: linking public perceptions and environmental policies. Sustainability, 12 (3). 1217. ISSN 2071-1050 doi: 10.3390/su12031217

Abstract/Summary

One way of linking research and environmental policies is to increase public participation and identify ecosystem services valued by society, but the reasons influencing ecosystem values can vary. Our study investigates the reasons influencing ecosystem service values at the third largest freshwater lake in China, Lake Tai (Taihu). We interviewed 257 rural and 257 urban respondents in four cities and their respective rural regions surrounding the lake. Respondents were more willing to pay to protect a provisioning ecosystem service than a cultural ecosystem service, and those emotionally attached to the lake may value it more highly. There is also spatial heterogeneity in respondents’ ecosystem values. Rural communities ranked directly used ecosystem services higher than urban communities. The city that respondents lived in also significantly affected the amount they were willing to pay for ecosystem services. Identifying potential reasons behind ecosystem service values can provide insights into linking public perception and policy making, helping to form environmental policies that reflect societal values.

Item Type	Article
URI	https://reading-clone.eprints-hosting.org/id/eprint/97766
Identification Number/DOI	10.3390/su12031217
Refereed	Yes
Divisions	No Reading authors. Back catalogue items
Publisher	MPDI
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