Ecosystem Services Assessment and Valuation of Atmospheric Magnesium Deposition

Abstract

Ecosystem services (ES) often rely on biogeochemical cycles, but values associated with abiotic services are often ignored or underestimated. Ecosystem services from atmospheric magnesium (Mg2+) deposition are abiotic flows (wet, dry, and total), which can be considered a source of naturally-occurring fertilizer and liming material, have not been included in economic valuations of ecosystem services. Market-based valuation of these atmospheric ecosystem service flows can partially address this negative externality. This study assessed the value of wet, dry, and total atmospheric magnesium deposition flows in the contiguous United States (USA) within boundary-based administrative accounts (e.g., state, region) based on data from the National Atmospheric Deposition Program (NRSP-3), and the market price of human-derived material (agricultural dolomite, CaMg(CO3)2). The total supporting ecosystem value of atmospheric magnesium deposition flows was $46.7M (i.e., 46.7 million U.S. dollars) ($18.5M wet + $28.2M dry) based on an average 2014 price of $12.90 per U.S. ton of agricultural dolomite (CaMg(CO3)2). The atmosphere is a common-pool resource that plays an important role in the pedosphere, providing important abiotic ES, but its monetary value is often not identified in the market due to a lack of information and/or knowledge of the proper valuation method. This study demonstrates one approach to translate atmospheric magnesium deposition flows entering the soil as an abiotic ES and potential monetary values at various scales. Omission of abiotic services in ES analysis can lead to an incomplete economic valuation.

Some atmospheric trace metals deposition in selected trees as a possible biomonitor

“…It has a higher level of toxic effect, especially in soils with high acidity but insufficient drainage (Peres et al 2016). Especially Mg +2 has an important mission for climate regulation and carbon sequestration (Goddard et al 2007;Groshans et al 2019). Although the presence of the elements that are the subject of the study in the soil is low, their level is increasing thanks to atmospheric transports (from ocean, sea, desert dust, etc.)…”

Determining farm-scale site-specific monetary values of “soil carbon hotspots” based on avoided social costs of CO 2 emissions

“…Application of the monetary valuation of social costs and avoided social costs also depends on the user, goal, scale of the assessment, and the available data (e.g., soil survey databases, intensive field soil sampling data, etc.). For example, Mikhailova et al (2019aMikhailova et al ( , 2019b and Groshans et al (2019), reported monetary values of the avoided social cost of CO 2 emissions from SOC, SIC, and TSC stocks in the contiguous United States by soil order, soil depth, land resource region, state, and region based on data from Guo et al (2006). This type of assessment, using information from the State Soil Geographic (STATSGO) database, has a great degree of generalization which is suitable for country-level valuation but it is of limited application at the field or farm scales.…”