Estimation of the Value of Aquatic Ecosystem Services in the Coastal Area of Jiangsu Province, China.

Aquatic ecosystems contribute to human welfare in complex nonmarketed ways. The value of aquatic ecological services was estimated in the coastal area of Jiangsu Province, China. We used the contingent valuation method (CVM) values, including the willingness-to-pay (WTP) of households for water quality improvement and the willingness-to-accept (WTA) compensation of households for freshwater deterioration. Valid questionnaires (n = 10 814) were collected in all towns of the area (n = 367). The WTA/WTP ratios ranged from 1 to 200, the average of which was 17.7 and the median was 7.5. A multivariate linear logarithmic model was introduced to characterize the influence of demographic variables on WTP and WTA values. Residents' age, years of residency, education levels, and environmental awareness positively affected the WTA/WTP ratios. The summing of the values of aquatic ecological services in each town was ¥9.4 billion. This estimation may represent the minimum value for aquatic ecosystem services in the study area; nevertheless, this study illustrates how experience, personal wealth, and environmental awareness may influence perceptions of the value of environmental benefits and may influence policy decisions.