Value and provision of ecosystem services from prairie wetlands: A choice experiment approach

Wetlands are critical to the provision of valued ecosystem services. The intensification of agriculture has increased the conversion and degradation of wetlands on privately owned lands. The purpose of this paper is to inform the development of effective wetland conservation initiatives in western Canada. A choice experiment is used to estimate the value of changes in wetland ecosystem services to residents of the province of Saskatchewan. With a focus on water quality, wildlife habitat and riparian zone width, among a myriad of wetland ecosystem services, we estimate partial values for wetland conservation. Random parameter logit models, with and without interaction terms, are used to estimate willingness to pay values for wetland ecosystem services. Compensating surplus welfare measures are also estimated for management scenarios representing changes in the quality and quantity of wetland ecosystem services. The results suggest that society ascribes positive value to the wetland ecosystem services with water quality attributed the greatest value. Finally, we find that while Saskatchewan residents feel that landowners and society have a responsibility to preserve wetlands on privately owned land, society should be responsible for 50% or more of the costs of preservation initiatives, thereby supporting publicly funded wetland policy.