Prioritizing protection measures through ecosystem services valuation for the Napahai Wetland, Shangri-La County, Yunnan Province, China

Abstract

The Napahai Wetland is a typical plateau wetland in the Hengduan Mountain Area, China, with characteristic geography and abundant biodiversity. Serious ecosystem degradation in the Napahai Wetland has occurred from natural factors and human disturbances, and urgent protection measures must be taken to protect this important wetland. We assessed the value of ecosystem services in the Napahai Wetland using the market pricing method, the replacement cost method, the shadow engineering method, the cost expenditure method, and the contingent valuation method. Our study encompassed the valuation and analysis of services of product supply, climate regulation, water supply, flood control, environmental purification, nutrient conservation, habitat, tourism, and scientific research. Our estimates indicated a total monetary value, for all ecosystem services in the Napahai Wetland, of 237.96 million Yuan (2008: comparable price), which translates into a unit area estimate of 76 thousand Yuan/ha. We estimated that the value associated with tourism accounted for 43.7% of the total, and the values associated with habitat, nutrient conservation, scientific research, and flood control accounted for 13.5%, 9.7%, 8.1%, and 7.2%, respectively. Product supply only accounted for 9.7%. These findings suggested that the Napahai Wetland provides abundant sociocultural resources to humans and significantly contributes to life support systems. In comparison, product supply was not shown to be a major component of ecosystem services. On the basis of this analysis of ecosystem services, we have proposed some actions that can be taken to protect the Napahai Wetland.