Heterogeneity in Ecosystem Service Values: Linking Public Perceptions and Environmental Policies

Yuan Pan,Lorraine Maltby,Yue Che,Stuart Marshall

doi:10.3390/su12031217

Yuan Pan, Lorraine Maltby + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/su12031217

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Abstract

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.

Highlights

Freshwater ecosystems provide many vital benefits to human well-being that are known as ecosystem services [1,2]
Our aim is to understand: (1) which freshwater ecosystem services are prioritized by local communities as of high importance to themselves; (2) what are the key factors influencing their willingness to pay for ecosystem services; and (3) whether there is heterogeneity in societal ecosystem values, such as between different city regions or between rural and urban communities
We investigated the following variables for their potential influence on the willingness to pay amount: city region respondent live in, place of inhabitance, prioritized ecosystem service, did the respondent visit the lake, whether the respondent fished in the lake, would the respondent miss the lake if it disappears, environmental knowledge, age, education level, gender, and annual income

Summary

Introduction

Freshwater ecosystems provide many vital benefits to human well-being that are known as ecosystem services [1,2]. These include freshwater provision for drinking and irrigation; food provision through fisheries; and recreational activities such as angling and swimming. Freshwater lakes in developing countries are under severe threats due to land-use changes, pollution, overfishing and invasive species [4]. Lake Tai (Taihu) is the third largest Chinese freshwater lake and is an important source of drinking water for several mega-cities, including Shanghai. The issues faced by Lake Tai are common and comparable to other severely threatened lakes around the world, which is a serious global threat to the livelihoods of human society

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