The economic impact of the invasion of Acacia saligna in Israel

Author

David Lehrer, Nir Becker (nbecker@telhai.ac.il) and Pua Bar

MPRA Paper from  University Library of Munich, Germany

Abstract: This paper illustrates the use of alternative, non-market valuation methods to estimate the economic value of ecological damage caused by the invasive plant Acacia saligna. We discuss the motivation to perform an economic valuation for bio-invasion in general and then examine the costs and benefits of conservation management programmes that reduce the risk of A. saligna invasion at the Nizzanim Long-Term Ecosystem Research (LTER) nature reserve in Israel. The study found that the annual mean willingness to pay (WTP) for containment or eradication of A. saligna was US$8.41 and US$8.83, respectively. The value placed on conserving the nature reserve was then compared to the cost of containment or eradication of the species, enabling a standard economic benefit–cost analysis. The result of this analysis showed that, using the most conservative method of valuation of the nature reserve, eradication of A. saligna gave a net benefit.

Keywords: Acacia saligna; benefit–cost analysis; biodiversity; conservation planning; CVM; Mediterranean; non-market valuation; sand dunes (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q24 Q51 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2010-11-28
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Published in International Journal of Sustainable Development & World Ecology 18.2(2011): pp. 118-127

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