基于选择实验的三江平原湿地生态系统服务功能价值评价及偏好异质性研究

维持与保护生态系统服务功能是实现可持续发展的基础,定量评价湿地生态系统服务功能的经济价值已成为当前生态学领域研究的前沿课题。以三江平原湿地为研究对象,应用选择实验法,选取湿地面积、生物多样性、水源涵养和自然景观等4项湿地属性,运用随机参数Logit模型(RPL)对其进行货币化评价,并结合潜在分类模型(LCM)证实并解释公众对湿地生态系统服务功能的偏好异质性。研究结果显示:湿地生态系统服务功能的价值依次为水源涵养湿地面积生物多样性自然景观。对于维持当前各项湿地生态系统服务功能的总价值为14.61亿元/a,改善价值为98.58亿元/a。此外,研究发现受访者可分为资源偏好型、景观偏好型和价格敏感型等3个潜在类别,不同类型的群体对湿地生态系统服务功能存在不同偏好;女性和更高学历的受访者更偏好于资源保护,高收入和到景区旅游次数多的受访者更偏好于景观保护,而教育和收入水平越低的受访者更倾向于选择价格较低的湿地管理方案。研究有助于湿地可持续管理政策的优化设计,为相关环境政策的制定提供理论依据。

Evaluation of preference heterogeneity of ecosystem services in the Sanjiang Plain Wetlands based on choice experiments

Maintenance and protection of ecosystem services are the basis for achieving sustainable development. Quantitative assessment of the economic value of wetland ecosystem services has become one of leading topics in the field of ecology. Choice experiments (CE) comprise an important non-market resource value evaluation technique, which are carried out by eliciting responses from individuals in hypothetical markets. CEs also enable researchers to measure a respondent''s Willingness to Accept (WTA) compensation or Willingness to Pay (WTP) a premium for different characteristics of one product, and to analyze the relative value of a combination of different attributes from various alternatives by using econometric models. As CEs are most likely to reveal respondents'' preferences for goods or services, such experiments have become a widespread means of ecological valuation. The purpose of this paper is to assist policy makers in formulating efficient and sustainable wetland management policies by providing the results of a valuation study on the Sanjiang Plain Wetlands. A CE was employed to estimate the values that changes to ecosystem service functions of the Sanjiang Plain Wetlands could provide to the public. We estimated partial values for wetland conservation, with a focus on wetland size, biodiversity, water conservation, and natural landscapes, among a myriad of wetland ecosystem services. A random parameter logit (RPL) model was employed to evaluate the ecosystem services in monetary units, and a latent class model (LCM) was employed to confirm and account for heterogeneity in the preferences of the public for various wetland ecosystem service functions. Compensating surplus welfare measures were also estimated for management scenarios representing changes in the quality and quantity of wetland ecosystem services. The results reveal that:(1) the relative wetland ecosystem valuation results of each wetland attribute are as follows:water conservation > wetland area > biodiversity > natural landscape. The relative contribution degree of each wetland attribute to the environment follows the same pattern.(2) The total WTP is RMB 1.461 billion per year in order to maintain the current wetland ecosystem service functions of the Sanjiang Plain Wetlands, and RMB 9.858 billion per year to improve them. (3) There is considerable preference heterogeneity across the public, which derives significant positive values from sustainable wetland management. We were able to divide respondents into three categories:those who preferred protecting resources, those who preferred protecting the landscape, and those who were price-sensitive. Female respondents and highly educated respondents preferred resource conservation, while respondents with higher incomes and those who had travelled more number of times to the Sanjiang Plain Wetlands preferred landscape protection. However, respondents with lower education and income levels were more sensitive to costs, and preferred to choose alternatives with lower cost. These results can aid in the design of socially optimal policies for sustainable management of wetlands and provide a theoretical basis for the development of environment-related policies.