Estimating recreational value of forest parks and determining their effective factors (Case study: Martyr Kunhani forest park, Koohdasht)

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Assistant Professor of Forestry, Department Faculty of Agriculture, Lorestan University. IRAN

Abstract

Because of functions and services of natural ecosystem and the need for better planning for using of them, their true valuation becomes very important. Therefore, the economists have been focusing on valuation and economic assessment of natural resource in order to help people understand the true value of benefits they are receiving from their environment, and in doing so a substantial progress have so far been realized. In this study, an attempt was made to estimate recreational value of martyr Kuhnani forest Park in bolooran, Kouhdasht, province of Lorestan using individual Travel Cost method. The required of data was collected through completing the questionnaires and interviewing with 150 visitors of the park in 1393. In individual travel costs method, in order to examine the effects of the explanatory variables on frequency of visit, linear regression model was utilized. For this purpose, traveling functions with various forms including linear, logarithmic, linear-logarithmic, logarithmic-linear were developed. Using econometrics criteria, a linear functional form was selected among the various available forms. Using individual travel cost method, consumer surplus for each person visiting the park was estimated at about 430,000 Rials and the annual recreational value per hectare of the nearly 1094 hectare of the park was calculated at about 66,000,000. The results also showed that the variables cost, revenue, distance and education were significant at 1%, 5%, 5%, 10% statistical level, respectively.

Keywords

Amirnejad, H., Ataei Solut, K., 2011. Economic Valuation of Environmental Resources. Javdaneh jangal Press, Sari, 432 p. (In Persian)
Amoako, T.J., Martínez, E.R., 2012. Leisure and the Net Opportunity Cost of Travel Time in Recreation Demand Analysis: An Application to Grasmere National Park. Journal of Applied Economics15, 25-49.
Asheim, G.B., 2000. Green National Accounting: Why and How? Environment and Development, Economics 5, 25-48.
Bagheri, I., Emadian, F., Amirnezhad, H., Moayeri, H., 2014. Determining the Value of Recreational Natural Park of Naharkhoran Using Contingent Valuation Techniques and Individual Travel Costs. MS.c thesis. Forestry Group. Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. Gorgan, Iran, 120 p. (In Persian)
Chae, D.R., Wattage, P., Pascoe, S., 2012. Recreational Benefits from a Marine Protected Area: A Travel Cost Analysis of Lundy. Tourism Management 33, 971-977.
Clawson, M., 1959. Methods of Measuring Demand for an The Value of Outdoor Recreation. U.S. Resources for the future, Cornell University Press, Cornell, 36 p.
Dehghanian, S., Kochaki, A., Ahari, A., 1995. Environmental Economics. University Press, Mashhad, 437 p. (In Persian)
Fleming, C.M., Cook, A., 2008. The Recreational Value of Lake Mckenzie, Fraser IsIand: An Application of the Travel Cost Method. Tourism Management 29, 1197-1205.
Gurluk, S., 2006. The Estimation of Ecosystem Services Value in the Region of Misi Rural Development Project: Results from a Contingent Valuation Survey. Forest Policy and Economics 9, 209-218.
Hashemnezhad, H., Feizi, M., Sediq, M., 2011. Recreational Value in Mazandaran Noor Forest Park Using Contingent Valuation Method. Journal of Ecology 57, 136-129. (In Persian)
Hayati, B., Salehnia, M., Hosseinzad Firoozi, J., Dashti, GH., 2011. Estimating the Value of Khoy City Amusement Park FADAK- Individual Travel Cost Method. Proceedings of First conference of the urban economy, Tehran, Iran. pp. 95-106. (In Persian)
Hotelling, H., 1947. The Economics of Public Recreation: An Economic Study of The Monetary Evaluation of Recreation in The National Parks. Land and Recreational Planning Division press, Washington, 36 p.
Khaksar Astaneh, H., Daneshvar, M., Kalateh Arabi, V., Akbari, S.M.R., 2011. Estimating the Value of Forest Recreational Parks in Mashhad Using Contingent Valuation Method. Journal of Agricultural Economics Research 3, 78-61. (In Persian)
Lansdell, N., Gangadharan, L., 2003. Comparing Travel Cost Models and the Precision of Their Consumer Surplus Estimates: Albert Park and Maroondah reservoir. Australian Economic Papers 42, 339-417.
Mafi Gholami, D., Yarali, N., Abedi, A., 2009. Economic Valuation Economic-Recreational Park Shiasy Province, Using Travel Cost. Proceedings of First Forestry Association's National Forest Conference, Tehran, Iran. pp. 1-13. (In Persian)
Mafi Gholami, D., Yarali, N., Abedi, A., 2009. Economic Valuation Economic-Recreational Wetlands International Choghakhor, Using Travel Cost. Journal of Ecology 50, 45-54. (In Persian)
Majnoonian, H., 1977. Economic Assessment of Treasury Parks and National Parks. University Press, Tehran, 124 p. (In Persian)
Mendes, I., 2002. Travel and on Site Recreation Time: An Empirical Approach to Value the Recreation Benefits of Peneda- Geres National Park. Proceedings of IATURS Conference, Lisbon, Portugal. pp 16-18.
Mirzaei Goodarzi, H., 1993. The Plan of Kouhnani Forest Park. Executive plan from natural resources of Lorstan provinces. Report number: 12, 146 p.
Mitchell, R.C., Carson, R.T., 1989. Using Surveys to Value Public Goods: The Contingent Valuation Method. John Hopkins Press, New York, 392 p.
Moons, E., 2003. The development and Application of Economic Valuation Techniques and their Use in Environmental Policy- A Survey. Working Paper Series, K. University Leuven Press, 37 p.
Mojabi, M., Manor, S.M., 2005. Economic Valuation Pardisan and Lavizan Park. Journal of Eenvironmental Science 7, 72-63. (In Persian)
Nakhaei, N., 2009. Determine the Value of Recreational and Protective Forest Park-Noor, Mazandaran Province. MS.c thesis. Engineering agricultural economics group. Faculty of Agriculture, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran, 105 p. (In Persian)
Paroon, S., Ismaili, A.K., 2007. Estimating the Value of Recreational Mangrove Forest in Hormozgan Province. Journal of Agricultural Economics 3, 105-118. (In Persian)
Rahil, H., Khodaverdizadeh, M., Najafi Alamdarloo, H., 2010. Estimating the Value of the Recreational Village of Band Urmia to Contingent Valuation Method. Agricultural Economics Research 2, 62-49. (In Persian)
Saleh, I., Bastani, M., Abedi. S., 2015. Evaluation of Economic Value of Natural Promenades Using the Travel Cost Method (case study; Boostan Fatih). Iranian Journal of Agricultural Economics and Development 46, 385-393. (In Persian)
Sohrabi Seraj, B., 2005. Evaluation of the Economic Value of Forest Park in Abbas Abad- Behshahr. MS.c thesis. Forestry group. Department of Natural Resources, Mazandaran University, Sari, Iran, 178 p. (In Persian)
Soudi Shabi, S., Esmaeeli Sari, A., 2006. Determination of Recreational Value of the Anzali Wetland to Travel Cost Method. Science and Technology, Environment 3, 61-70. (In Persian)
Stavins, R.N., 2000. Economics of the Environment. W, W, Norton & Company Press, New York, 752 p.
Yachkaschi, A., 1974. Introduction to Forest and National Parks of Iran. Tehran University Press, 135 p. (In Persian)
Zandersen, M., Richard, T., 2009. A Meta-Analysis of Forest Recreation Values in Europe. Journal of forest Economic 15, 109-130.