Diss. Stockholm : Handelshögsk.

Grasslands provide a number of goods and services that benefit humans, but only a few have a market value. Despite the benefits provided, native grasslands continue to be degraded. Lack of a proper valuation, including a monetary value of nonmarket goods and services, has become one of the factors contributing to this trend. The objective of this research was to quantify the cost of increasing provision of ecosystem services from grasslands in the Gulf Coastal Plains and Ozarks Landscape Conservation Cooperative geographic area of the United States and identify effective landowner engagement strategies for their provision. A contingent valuation method (CVM) was used to estimate landowner willingness to accept (WTA) compensation in exchange for implementing management practices preserving grassland ecosystems. The mean WTA compensation level was $290.10 per acre per year during a 10-year contract. Results will be helpful in quantifying future funding levels necessary for implementation of coordinated conservation activities in grasslands and other ecosystems and developing conservation programs in the United States and other countries.

Thesis (doctoral)--Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 2004. / Includes five papers submitted for publication elsewhere, three co-authored with others. Includes bibliographical references. Issued also electronically via World Wide Web in PDF format; online version lacks appended papers.

Universiẗat, Diss., 2002--Freiburg (Breisgau).

No description available.

This thesis explores the fundamental properties of the contingent.

No description available.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Griffith University, 2002. / Title from PDF title page (viewed on May 7, 2005). Includes bibliographical references (p. 343-382).

This thesis is concerned with examining issues of theoretical validity and bias in contingent valuation (CV) and discrete choice experiment (DCE) methods in low income countries. This thesis contributes to the small body of literature on the application of CV and DCEs in low income countries and in populations which have little or no formal education. Theoretical validity is examined by testing whether willingness to pay corresponds to theoretical expectations focusing on gender and willingness to pay, sensitivity to scope, starting point bias, and strategic bias in CV. The theoretical validity of the DCE method in populations with no formal education is also explored. It is found that whilst iterative methods to elicit willingness to pay often mimic local market conditions in low income countries they are prone to starting point bias and strategic bias. An association between gender and willingness to pay was also found. Issues of gender, starting point bias and strategic behaviour can be tested for and controlled for in the estimation of willingness to pay and do not present an insurmountable problem. Willingness to pay was also found to be insensitive to the size of the benefit in CV. Using the DCE method, it was found that with the use of visual aids, DCEs can be used among respondents with no formal education. It is concluded that CV and DCEs are feasible and valid in populations with low levels of education when surveys are conducted using trained enumerators and administered using face-to-face interviews. This suggests that both techniques are capable of being used in wide variety of settings. The exception to this is a lack of evidence on sensitivity to scope. Further research is therefore required into sensitivity to scope. Further research is also required to examine the association between gender and willingness to pay.

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