Economic Evaluation of Posidonia oceanica Ecosystem Services along the Italian Coast

Sergio Scanu, Daniele Piazzolla, Simone Bonamano, Marina Penna, Viviana Piermattei, Alice Madonia, Francesco Manfredi Frattarelli, Simone Mellini, Tania Dolce, Riccardo Valentini, Giovanni Coppini, Giorgio Fersini and Marco Marcelli
Additional contact information
Sergio Scanu: Centro Euro-Mediterraneo sui Cambiamenti Climatici, Ocean Predictions and Applications Division, 73100 Lecce, Italy
Daniele Piazzolla: Centro Euro-Mediterraneo sui Cambiamenti Climatici, Ocean Predictions and Applications Division, 73100 Lecce, Italy
Simone Bonamano: Centro Euro-Mediterraneo sui Cambiamenti Climatici, Ocean Predictions and Applications Division, 73100 Lecce, Italy
Marina Penna: Italian National Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA), 00144 Rome, Italy
Viviana Piermattei: Centro Euro-Mediterraneo sui Cambiamenti Climatici, Ocean Predictions and Applications Division, 73100 Lecce, Italy
Alice Madonia: Centro Euro-Mediterraneo sui Cambiamenti Climatici, Ocean Predictions and Applications Division, 73100 Lecce, Italy
Francesco Manfredi Frattarelli: Laboratory of Experimental Oceanology end Marine Ecology, Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences (DEB), Università degli Studi della Tuscia, 00053 Civitavecchia, Italy
Simone Mellini: Laboratory of Experimental Oceanology end Marine Ecology, Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences (DEB), Università degli Studi della Tuscia, 00053 Civitavecchia, Italy
Tania Dolce: Laboratory of Experimental Oceanology end Marine Ecology, Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences (DEB), Università degli Studi della Tuscia, 00053 Civitavecchia, Italy
Riccardo Valentini: Department of Forest Environment and Resources, University of Tuscia, 01100 Viterbo, Italy
Giovanni Coppini: Centro Euro-Mediterraneo sui Cambiamenti Climatici, Ocean Predictions and Applications Division, 73100 Lecce, Italy
Giorgio Fersini: Port Authority System of the Central Northern Tyrrhenian Sea, 00053 Civitavecchia, Italy
Marco Marcelli: Centro Euro-Mediterraneo sui Cambiamenti Climatici, Ocean Predictions and Applications Division, 73100 Lecce, Italy

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 1, 1-16

Abstract: This study reports the quantification and analysis of the ecosystem services (ESs) value of Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile (1813) meadows in Italy (Liguria, Tuscany, Latium, Campania, Calabria, Apulia, Sardinia, and Sicily regions). The ES evaluation method of P. oceanica meadows applied in this study was obtained from a previous study in which the site-specific approach for the definition of the benefits and services was applied. The distribution of P. oceanica and the ESs economic value have been managed through an open-source geographic information system (QGIS), focusing on five essential ESs: carbon sequestration, bioremediation, oxygen production, erosion protection, and food production. The average value of the ESs obtained on the Italian national scale is €21,660.5 ha −1 yr −1 , which is comparable with the values reported in the international literature concerning P. oceanica ESs. The results of this study confirm that the economic evaluation of ESs is an essential tool for the management of the coastal marine environment, especially considering the modularity of the applied approach. The value of the total benefits, considering the entire extension of the national P. oceanica meadows, represents significant value with respect to the Italian gross domestic product, and the individual budgets of the considered Italian regions.

Keywords: ecosystem services; natural capital; Posidonia oceanica; coastal areas (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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