Valuation of Ecosystem Services in the Southern Appalachian Mountains

The concept of ecosystem services has become increasingly influential in conservation policy, uniting natural and social scientists in efforts to develop values for environmental benefits consistent with underlying ecological and social processes. Understanding the consequences for ecosystem services is crucial for crafting well-designed environmental policies and management practices. For example, in the United States, new air pollution policies are driving a reduction in atmospheric emissions of sulfur dioxide and reducing acid precipitation in the Southern Appalachians, which, in turn, is expected to contribute to the ecological recovery of the region. Linking detailed ecosystem modeling to stated preference methods, we illustrate how multidimensional ecosystems can be evaluated to identify policy priorities. We also report estimates of willingness to pay for these policies that can be used in benefit-cost analysis. We estimate these benefits to be $15.67 per year per household in the region to be achieved by 2060.