Urban forests valuation and environmental disposition: The case of Puerto Rico

Contingent valuation is used to examine the influence of environmental engagement and beliefs on willingness to pay (WTP) for urban forest preservation. We survey surrounding residents of two urban forest sites in Puerto Rico with distinct environmental experiences and beliefs about ecosystem services. We find that WTP for preserving the urban forest where the surrounding residents are involved in forest management is $118/year. On the other hand, WTP for preserving a larger urban forest where surrounding residents are not engaged in management is $81/year. In addition to the respondents' characteristics and environmental engagement, WTP also depends on the beliefs about urban forest ecosystem services.

Automated summary

The study shows that environmental engagement and beliefs have an influence on willingness to pay for urban forest preservation, with the WTP for a forest managed by surrounding residents higher than that for a forest not managed by them. In addition to respondent characteristics, WTP also depends on beliefs about urban forest ecosystem services.