Global values of coastal ecosystem services: A spatial economic analysis of shoreline protection values

Nalini S. Rao, Andrea Ghermandi, Rosimeiry Portela and Xuanwen Wang

Ecosystem Services, 2015, vol. 11, issue C, 95-105

Abstract: A global study to estimate the ecosystem service value of specific coastal ecosystems is developed. Specific variables are identified and used to develop a global multivariate regression function that supports the identification of important drivers of the value of ecosystem service of coastal protection around the world, and the Caribbean is examined in detail. Variables hypothesized to affect the ecosystem service value fall into three categories, and were informed by a meta-analysis of existing economic literature. Site characteristics include ecosystem type and size. Study characteristics include valuation method. Context variables include measures of development, anthropogenic pressures, biodiversity, and population density. Results of the meta-analytic regression show that variables significantly affecting the ecosystem service value included size, level of development, storm frequency, valuation method and gross domestic product per capita. A benefit transfer function is then generated to extrapolate values to other sites around the world where coastal wetlands, mangrove and coral reefs exist. This function is used to derive a global map of the value of a set of coastal ecosystem services worldwide. The Caribbean region is discussed as a case study in this global analysis.

Keywords: Benefit transfer; Coast; Ecosystem service; Meta-analysis; Shoreline protection; Spatial analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (12)

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212041614001508
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:ecoser:v:11:y:2015:i:c:p:95-105

DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoser.2014.11.011

Access Statistics for this article

Ecosystem Services is currently edited by Leon C Braat

More articles in Ecosystem Services from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Catherine Liu ().