Visitors’ willingness to pay for snow leopard Panthera uncia conservation in the Annapurna Conservation Area, Nepal
| Autor: | Jonathan H. Hanson, Maurice Schutgens, Som B. Ale, Nabin Baral |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2018 |
| Předmět: |
0106 biological sciences
Contingent valuation Panthera uncia fictional_universe fictional_universe.character_species 010603 evolutionary biology 01 natural sciences Existence value 010601 ecology Geography Willingness to pay Snow leopard Action plan Threatened species Socioeconomics Ecology Evolution Behavior and Systematics Nature and Landscape Conservation Valuation (finance) |
| Zdroj: | Oryx. 53:633-642 |
| ISSN: | 1365-3008 0030-6053 |
| DOI: | 10.1017/s0030605317001636 |
| Popis: | The Vulnerable snow leopard Panthera uncia experiences persecution across its habitat in Central Asia, particularly from herders because of livestock losses. Given the popularity of snow leopards worldwide, transferring some of the value attributed by the international community to these predators may secure funds and support for their conservation. We administered contingent valuation surveys to 406 international visitors to the Annapurna Conservation Area, Nepal, between May and June 2014, to determine their willingness to pay a fee to support the implementation of a Snow Leopard Conservation Action Plan. Of the 49% of visitors who stated they would pay a snow leopard conservation fee in addition to the existing entry fee, the mean amount that they were willing to pay was USD 59 per trip. The logit regression model showed that the bid amount, the level of support for implementing the Action Plan, and the number of days spent in the Conservation Area were significant predictors of visitors’ willingness to pay. The main reasons stated by visitors for their willingness to pay were a desire to protect the environment and an affordable fee. A major reason for visitors’ unwillingness to pay was that the proposed conservation fee was too expensive for them. This study represents the first application of economic valuation to snow leopards, and is relevant to the conservation of threatened species in the Annapurna Conservation Area and elsewhere. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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