La forêt vue par les Genevois: perceptions et valeurs économiques de la forêt

Abstract

The forest seen from the inhabitants of Geneva: perception and economic values of the forest This article analyses the perception, behavior and relation of the population in the Canton of Geneva (Switzerland) with respect to forests. The results are based on a survey conducted in winter 2014. We observe that the Geneva population uses the forest less intensively and values its economic importance to a lesser extent than inhabitants of other Swiss cantons. The majority of the respondents prefer the conservation of forest land and biodiversity, rather than increasing wood harvest activities or forest land conversion for housebuilding purposes. Applying the travel cost method, the average annual value of the Geneva forest's recreational services has been estimated at 656 CHF per person (median value of 175 CHF) and 313 CHF (median value of 60 CHF) when excluding the opportunity cost of the time spent in the forest. The willingness to pay for increasing the share of protected forest up to 10% of the overall forest area, as it is planned in the federal program Forest Policy 2020, has been estimated using the contingent valuation method and results in 283 CHF per person and year.

A travel cost assessment of the demand for recreation in Swiss forests

“…These estimates are thus slightly smaller than what is found in the recent studies on Swiss forests (Von Grünigen and Montanari 2014; Baranzini et al 2015). We note however that existing studies consider Swiss forests as a whole, without controls for their heterogeneity.…”

“…In the pretest of this study, Baranzini et al (2015) applied TCM to a sample of Geneva population and assessed the average and median recreation travel costs. They find that costs incurred for recreation in forests vary between CHF247 to 583 per year and per person, when excluding and including the opportunity cost of time spent on site respectively.…”

Scope Effects in Contingent Valuation: Does the Assumed Statistical Distribution of WTP Matter?

“…2 A travel cost analysis and other information about the survey results are available in Baranzini et al (2015). The questionnaire is available upon request.…”

Are There Enough Forest Reserves in Switzerland? A Contingent Valuation

“…Enin, avant les questions sur les caractéristiques sociodémographiques, la troisième partie du questionnaire propose le scénario hypothétique permettant d'appliquer la méthode d'évaluation contingente. Le questionnaire a été précédé par des pré-tests et des focus groupes (voir Baranzini et al, 2015), comme préconisé par la littérature. Nous avons de plus soumis notre questionnaire à des tests de validité en le comparant au sondage WaMos2 (OFEV et WSL, 2013) et en effectuant un test d'effet d'échelle (Carson et Mitchell, 1993).…”