Multiple criteria evaluation of ecosystem services for the Ruoergai Plateau Marshes in southwest China

Understanding total ecosystem value is useful for decision making and sustainable management. This paper demonstrates how to integrate social factors into the ecosystem service appraisal with a social welfare weight using the Ruoergai Plateau Marshes as a case study. The AHP method is used to determine the social welfare weight. With analyses of the Ruoergai Plateau Marshes' functions, stakeholders and ecosystem services, a three-level hierarchical structure model is established. After each ecosystem service was calculated, the total value of the Ruoergai Plateau Marshes is determined by introducing the social welfare weight. After including the social welfare weight, the value of the Ruoergai Plateau Marshes ecosystem services increases from US$2.31 billion to US$9.97 billion. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.