Estimation of the Value of Forest Ecosystem Services in Pudacuo National Park, China

Abstract

Forest ecosystems play an important role in maintaining the stability of the biosphere and improving the ecological environment. The valuation of forest ecosystem services provides data to support the implementation of forest ecosystem conservation and the development of ecological-compensation standards. We used multiple sources of data, such as remote-sensing and ground data, and we employed the methods of substitute market, shadow project, and contingent valuation. We valued the forest ecosystem services of Pudacuo National Park in Shangri-La, China, which consisted of six functions: soil conservation, forest nutrient retention, water conservation, carbon fixation and oxygen released, forest health care, and atmospheric environmental purification. The results showed that: the value of forest ecological services in Pudacuo National Park was 4.49 × 109 yuan·a−1, with higher values of carbon fixation and oxygen released, water conservation, and forest health care, in the following order: carbon fixation and oxygen released (3.85 × 109 yuan·a−1), water conservation (3.40 × 108 yuan·a−1), forest health care (1.44 × 108 yuan·a−1), soil conservation (1.15 × 108 yuan·a−1), forest nutrient retention (3.29 × 107 yuan·a−1), and atmosphere environmental purification (1.17 × 107 yuan·a−1). In addition, the value of services per stand and unit area is discussed, and the results of the study will inform the government’s ecological-compensation criteria in high-quality environmental areas.