Society's preferences when ecological values and health risks are at stake: An application to the population control of a flagship ungulate (Iberian ibex) in Sierra de Guadarrama national park, Spain

Abstract

Conflicts derived from the proactive management of ecosystems and wildlife populations abound in national parks, which can prevent the control of some animal populations, consequently causing negative effects to the ecological values and creating health risks for the ecosystems. This work quantifies a conflict related to population control of the Iberian ibex in the Sierra de Guadarrama National Park in Spain where ecological values and health risks are at stake. A discrete choice experiment was conducted of three population samples: 430 on-site visitors, 210 off-site visitors and 210 non-visitors, and two levels of status quo information were considered. The results show that not conducting any ibex management program in the park causes a loss of social well-being and that the design of the management program is shown to be relevant for obtaining greater or lesser acceptance by the surveyed population. In general, better ecological and health levels, as well as avoiding having to kill animals in the park, increase a program's acceptance. Management measures are also shown to take on greater importance to the extent that the results in the health and ecological indicators are worse. Finally, in aggregate terms, additional information about the status quo did not generate major differences in the estimates of a change of well-being. • Visitors and residents of the area state that the ibex must be managed in the park. • No ibex management produces a loss of well-being higher than the park's annual budget. • If the ibex management plan is not successful, how it is done becomes more important. • Live capture and culling are accepted if the results of the program are effective. • The definition of the status quo has no major effects on preferences.