Livestock farming is one of the most important factors for regional development and welfare, maintaining the social structure, particularly in mountainous and semi-mountainous areas. The purpose of this study was to assess the value that the cattle farmers of Fthiotida put in the grassland area, which they use for extensive grazing. For the economic valuation, the Contingent Valuation Method (CVM) was used. This method has the potential to assess nonmarket values of property, considering the willingness of a sample of citizens to be compensated with some money (Willingness to accept, WTA) to agree to a degradation or loss of property. The CVM was applied by using questionnaires to a sample of cattle farmers engaged in extensive grazing. Then, the questionnaires were processed by methods of descriptive and applied statistics. The results showed a reluctance of the cattle farmers to accept such a loss.
Economic valuation of natural resources: the case of the rangelands of Fthiotida Prefecture, Greece
Abstract
- Authors
- K.G. Papaspyropoulos1, A. Kyriazopoulos2, A. Giotopoulou3
- Affiliation
- 1 Laboratory of Forest Economics (242), Faculty of Forestry and Natural Environment, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, +302310992341, e-mail: kodafype@for.auth.gr 2 Department of Forestry and Management of the Environment and Natural Resources, DUTh, Orestiada 3 Department of Forestry and Management of Natural Environment, TEI Lamias, Karpenissi
- Keywords
- contingent valuation method, livestock husbandry, grassland, rangeland ecosystem services, valuation of intangible assets
- Proceedings
- RANGE SCIENCE AND LIFE QUALITY – Proceedings of the 7th Panhellenic Rangeland Congress in Xanthi, 14-16 October 2010 (Edited by: Anna Sidiropoulou, Konstantinos Mantzanas, Ioannis Ispikoudis)
- Congress
- RANGE SCIENCE AND LIFE QUALITY