Zonal travel cost approaches to assess recreational wild mushroom picking value: Trade-offs between online and onsite data collection strategies

Valentino Marini Govigli,Elena Górriz-Mifsud,Elsa Varela

doi:10.1016/j.forpol.2019.02.003

Abstract

Mushroom picking is a growing recreational activity in Europe. Since the institutional environment moves towards regulating mycological resources, estimating the value of this ecosystem service becomes a key tool for policy-makers and rural entrepreneurs.This paper applies the Travel Cost (TC) method to estimate the value of mushroom picking in three forest areas in the region of Catalonia, Spain. In particular, the main objective is to contrast different sampling strategies (online vs. onsite data collection) when used to build zonal Travel Cost models. This intends to guide practitioners towards choosing the best sampling strategy according to existing time, monetary and accuracy constraints.Eight TC models were derived using as regressors the zonal travel cost and selected picking and socio-economic variables. The resulting demand curves produce an estimate of the average site value per trip that ranges from 9 to 22€/visit considering the onsite data, and from 21 to 47 €/visit for zonal TC implemented on the online data. These results reveal estimate differences across the approaches, and especially evident for one picking ground (Els Ports).Our results point out that onsite surveys would be better suited when exploring the sample for an initial set up of permit fees, to set the permit boundaries and initial applications. On the other hand, the online data collection presents the problem of self-selection and self-reporting bias. We recommend practitioners to always perform a proper assessment of the effects of the context, chosen sampling strategy, and validity of assumptions when adopting valuation estimates for establishing a recreational price of ecosystem services.

Highlights

Travel Cost (TC) is a method for economic valuation used to estimate the net benefit people obtain from the consumption of non-marketed goods which require a transportation mean and have direct use
Thereby, the objective of this study is to compare two different protocols of data collection to verify the effect of data collection on ZTC estimates: onsite and online.This analysis is implemented in the frame of a study undertaken to estimate the non-market value of recreational mushroom picking in three forests in Catalonia, a northeastern region of Spain
It is worth noting that only one observation from the online survey came from outside Catalonia compared to 12 pickers in the onsite questionnaire ( 2 from Andorra, from Aragon and 8 from the Valencian Community)

Summary

Introduction

Travel Cost (TC) is a method for economic valuation used to estimate the net benefit people obtain from the consumption of non-marketed goods which require a transportation mean and have direct use (i.e. beneficiaries can be identified). NO/YES (town): Mushrooms belong to the landowner. In this zone forests belong to the Government of Catalonia and to the municipalities, mushroom regulation is expected to be regulated. For the 2015 mushroom season the Catalan Government plans to charge the picking pass. Good picking practices will be promoted among pickers. This questionnaire aims to improve the permits program for mushroom picking in zones regulated by the Catalan Government, started in autumn 2014. We kindly appreciate your reply, both if you consider yourself a sporadic or an expert mushroom picker. This because we are interested in compiling the largest possible range of profiles.

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