<p>Invasive species significantly impact biodiversity and ecosystem services, causing economic and ecological damage. Particularly, non-native plant invasions in grasslands impose costs on society, including biodiversity loss, habitat destruction, and altered recreational opportunities. This study attempts to measure preferences for reducing the loss of aggregate ecosystem services caused by invasive plant species in British Columbia’s (B.C.) grasslands. While the study does not explicitly value reduction in individual ecosystem service benefits, it captures public preferences for policy action, which may implicitly reflect broader ecological concerns. The results of a choice experiment survey reveal a strong willingness to pay (88.6% of survey respondents) for comprehensive control policies, with a preference for widespread control in B.C.’s interior. The results indicate that respondents are willing to pay more for either biological control methods or targeted grazing compared to chemical control approaches, with a preference for major to moderate eradication of invasive species. A heterogeneity analysis reveals that environmental concern, income, education, and geographic background significantly shape preferences for policy action. We estimate that in aggregate, B.C. households are willing to pay 208 million CAD [95% CI 156 million, 251 million] annually for chemical control of invasive species on B.C.’s grasslands. For biological control methods this estimate more than doubles to 454 million CAD per year [95% CI 349 million, 559 million]. For targeted grazing control methods, the estimate is 493 million CAD per year [95% CI 396 million, 592 million]. These results indicate large potential benefits of invasive species control on B.C. grasslands. This study estimates public preferences for invasive species control policies in British Columbia’s grasslands, focusing on willingness to pay for different control measures and locations.</p>

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Invasive species on British Columbia’s grasslands: estimating the benefits of control policies

  • Adetola Ajayi,
  • Panagiotis Tsigaris,
  • Joel Wood,
  • Lauchlan Fraser

摘要

Invasive species significantly impact biodiversity and ecosystem services, causing economic and ecological damage. Particularly, non-native plant invasions in grasslands impose costs on society, including biodiversity loss, habitat destruction, and altered recreational opportunities. This study attempts to measure preferences for reducing the loss of aggregate ecosystem services caused by invasive plant species in British Columbia’s (B.C.) grasslands. While the study does not explicitly value reduction in individual ecosystem service benefits, it captures public preferences for policy action, which may implicitly reflect broader ecological concerns. The results of a choice experiment survey reveal a strong willingness to pay (88.6% of survey respondents) for comprehensive control policies, with a preference for widespread control in B.C.’s interior. The results indicate that respondents are willing to pay more for either biological control methods or targeted grazing compared to chemical control approaches, with a preference for major to moderate eradication of invasive species. A heterogeneity analysis reveals that environmental concern, income, education, and geographic background significantly shape preferences for policy action. We estimate that in aggregate, B.C. households are willing to pay 208 million CAD [95% CI 156 million, 251 million] annually for chemical control of invasive species on B.C.’s grasslands. For biological control methods this estimate more than doubles to 454 million CAD per year [95% CI 349 million, 559 million]. For targeted grazing control methods, the estimate is 493 million CAD per year [95% CI 396 million, 592 million]. These results indicate large potential benefits of invasive species control on B.C. grasslands. This study estimates public preferences for invasive species control policies in British Columbia’s grasslands, focusing on willingness to pay for different control measures and locations.