Valuation of Ecosystem Services from Wetlands Mitigation in the United States

Abstract

Section 404 of the U.S. Clean Water Act includes most wetlands in its jurisdiction and requires wetland mitigation to compensate for permitted wetland losses. These mitigation wetlands can provide ecosystem services similar to original wetlands if properly constructed. Improvement of wetland monitoring requirements coupled with economic assessment is critical for effective implementation of the mitigation policy. The economic assessment when left out of evaluation of mitigation policy could result in mitigation wetlands being given too little weight in policy decisions. Under the assumption that mitigation requirements reported in the Army Corps permit files represent actual wetland creation, ecosystem services value is estimated using a wetland benefit-function transfer approach. Wetland mitigation requirements during 2010-2012 recorded in the Army Corps permit files is used for the analysis. The results indicate that cumulative ecosystem services value per acre per year is in the range of $5000 to $70,000, which translates to a nationwide annual aggregate benefit of $2.7 billion. Given the history of the ecosystem services not fully captured nor adequately quantified, the current analysis is an initial step in understanding the value of wetland mitigation.

Evaluation of the Effects of Land Cover Change on Ecosystem Service Values in the Upper Reaches of the Heihe River Basin, Northwestern China

“…Finally, the unit values of wetland were significantly higher than those of other studies. This was due to the fact that in recent years scholars had attached importance to ESV of wetland in recent years, resulting in high equivalents of wetland [32,58,59]. Last, the unit values of unused land were higher, mainly because we incorporated low cover meadow into unused land, enhancing the ability of unused land to provide ecosystem services.…”

“…Our results can also be verified by comparing them with areas in the world where ecological protection and restoration programs have been implemented. Adusumilli [59] found that the Wetlands Mitigation Program in the United States was very beneficial for improvements in regional ESV. Chazdon's [60] findings suggested that the woodland can enhance biodiversity conservation and improve ecosystem services.…”

Valuing the Potential Benefits of Water Quality Improvements in Watersheds Affected by Non-Point Source Pollution

“…Ghermandi et al [21] developed a meta-analysis and estimated benefits transfer functions for the benefits of man-made wetlands across several countries, and standardize measures of willingness-to-pay using purchasing power parity (PPP). Similarly, Adusumilli [22] conducted a meta-analysis of wetlands mitigation studies in the United States and estimated the benefits of wetlands mitigation across the contiguous United States. Johnston and Thomassin [10] conducted an international meta-analysis to estimate the benefits of water quality changes affecting aquatic life habitats in Canada, based mostly on primary studies from the United States.…”

Peer Review #1 of "Spatial analysis, local people’s perception and economic valuation of wetland ecosystem services in the Usumacinta floodplain, Southern Mexico (v0.1)"

“…In this regard, the ecosystem service framework may help to understand user preferences and relative values placed on ecosystem services (de Groot et al 2012). In turn, this provides important support information for policy-makers and stakeholders to make informed decisions involving wetland resource allocation when faced with competing uses (Chaikumbung et al 2016) as well as to implement more integrative and effective conservation strategies that recognize the needs of local people and the economic costs of private or public interventions (Camacho-Valdez et al 2013;Adusumilli 2015).…”