Evaluación económica ambiental de servicios ecosistémicos naturales. Caso: piscina natural concha de perla, Isla Isabela

Abstract

The aim of the research was to evaluate in an economic and environmental way, the natural ecosystem services of Concha de Perla natural pool. This place is used for public ecotourism and recreational activities. This area is located in the Galapagos Marine Reserve (Isabela Island). First of all, the characterization of the natural resource was carried out using an observation sheet, then the elements associated with the area were identified as well as the main activities/uses, key biodiversity elements, and ecosystem services provided by the site through interviews, bibliographic compilation, and information provided by the Technical Directorate of Isabela Island. The economic valuation was carried out using the travel cost and the contingent valuation method with the application of a survey to 356 visitors.182 of them were foreign and 174 national visitors. The travel cost method provided information on the tourist's context, place of residence, time cost (TC) and interest in the place, while the contingent method provided the willingness to pay (WTP) from which, the total economic value (TEV) of the ecosystem was calculated. As a result, the most predominant services were the cultural services. It was estimated that the willingness to pay for the conservation of Concha de Perla was $ 25.15 per foreign visitor and $ 10.55 per national visitor, and the total economic value was $ 6,864,133.07. It is concluded that the WTP of the foreign visitor is higher than the one offered by the national visitor. Therefore, the total willingness to pay exceeds the budget allocated for public use, sustainable tourism in protected areas and environmental education of Isabela Island. It is proposed that monetary contributions come through donations in order to respect the Galapagos National Park Zoning System.