Abstract

Forest ecosystem services have played a vital role in human well-being. Particularly, recreational ecosystem services are creating physical and mental well-being for human beings. Therefore, the main objective of the paper is to estimate the economic value of recreational ecosystem services provides by recreational sites such as Nandi Hills and Nagarhole National Park based on the individual travel cost method in Karnataka, India. This study has used a random sampling method for 300 tourist visitors to recreational sites. The present study has also estimated the consumer surplus of the visitors. The results of the study have found that (i) economic value of two creational sites has been estimated at US $323.05 million, (ii) the consumer surplus has been estimated for Nandi Hills at US $7.45 and Nagarhole National Park at US $3.16. The main implication of the study is to design the entry fees for the recreational site and sustainable utilization of recreational ecosystem services for the present and future generations.

Highlights

  • Forests are provides a number of ecosystem services to human being (Costanza et al 1997; MEA, 2005; TEEB 2010; Ninan and Kontoleon 2016)

  • Karnataka has been a number of economic valuation studies conducted with respect to protected areas, but there is no economic value of recreational services study Nandi Hills

  • The purpose of this study is to estimate the recreational benefit of Nandi hills and Nagarhole National Park, using Travel Cost Method (TCM)

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Summary

Introduction

Forests are provides a number of ecosystem services to human being (Costanza et al 1997; MEA, 2005; TEEB 2010; Ninan and Kontoleon 2016). Forest ecosystem services have provided a vital benefit for instance, poverty reduction (FAO, 2020; Cheng et al 2017; Wunder et al 2014) and environmental benefits (Jenkins 2018; Girolami 2018; Pearce 2001 and Mori 2017). Cultural ecosystem services have been vital role in the human being (see table 1). Recreational ecosystem services have the strong association between human-nature interaction (Moon and Blackman, 2014). Ninan and Kontoleon (2016) have estimated the value of ecosystem services has provided by US$ 13-148 million based on various economic valuation methods for the Nagarhole National Park in Karnataka.

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