Socioeconomic and ecological indicators in willingness to accept compensation for the conservation of medicinal plants in a tropical dry forest

Marcelânio Laurentino, Elcida Araújo, Marcelo Alves Ramos, Maria Clara Bezerra Tenório Cavalcanti, Paulo Henrique Santos Gonçalves and Ulysses Paulino Albuquerque ()
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Marcelânio Laurentino: Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco
Elcida Araújo: Departamento de Botânica
Marcelo Alves Ramos: Universidade de Pernambuco
Maria Clara Bezerra Tenório Cavalcanti: Universidade Federal de Pernambuco
Paulo Henrique Santos Gonçalves: Universidade Federal de Pernambuco
Ulysses Paulino Albuquerque: Universidade Federal de Pernambuco

Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, 2022, vol. 24, issue 3, No 64, 4489 pages

Abstract: Abstract The contingent valuation method employs a hypothetical scenario to record a person’s declared preference with regard to their willingness to pay for an environmental asset or willingness to accept (WTA) compensation for not using it. Many studies have evaluated the inclination to conserve watersheds, forest areas, or certain species. In this study, we reported the economical values of medicinal species based on the perceptions of locals living within a protected area in a seasonal dry tropical forest in Northeastern Brazil. Moreover, we assessed the effects of socioeconomic variables (gender, family income, and family size) on the WTA compensation for not using the species. We interviewed 96 household heads from seven communities to obtain their socioeconomic data and WTA values. Additionally, we used data from a plant inventory to gather information on species abundance. We found that the selected socioeconomic variables are a poor predictor of the WTA values. Our findings also demonstrate that women accept lower WTA values to not use some species. Additionally, individuals from bigger families accept lower WTA values to not use just one of the plant species. Species abundance did not influence informants’ WTA values. Generally, informants overestimated bids, which may hinder biodiversity conservation. Socioeconomic and ecological factors may not have an influence on WTA values in communities that inhabit protected areas.

Keywords: Ethnobotany; Human ecology; Dry forest; Economic valuation; Household income (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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DOI: 10.1007/s10668-021-01608-5

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