Valuing Nature: Public Perception of Value Added by Native and Invasive Non-Native Species to a Recreational Trail Experience

Aims: To assess the effect of four animal and four plant species on the perceived monetary value of users’ single experience of a recreational trail. To assess the effect on perceived value of identifying to users that four of the species are invasive non-native species (INNS) with adverse impacts on native species.
Study Design: An image-based questionnaire was used to assess perceived monetary value of the species before and immediately after being given information on their INNS status.
Place and Duration of Study: The Camel Trail, North Cornwall UK, used by about ½ million people annually, April and May 2011.
Methodology: Fifty one Camel Trail users completed the questionnaire.
Results: Trail users positively valued all eight species when first shown them. Mean values ranged from £0.066 to £0.104. However, species were valued significantly differently (non-parametric repeated measures ANOVA, H = 55.3, 7 DF, P < .0001). Users showed significant agreement on the rank order of the value of the eight species (Kendall’s coefficient of concordance, W = 0.155, χ2 = 55.3, 7 DF, P < .0001). After the four INNS were identified to users, these INNS were devalued by 115% to 180%. Again there were significant differences between species values (H = 16.9, 3 DF, P = .0007) and significant agreement between users on the rank order value of INNS (W = 0.11 χ2 = 16.9, 7 DF, P = .001).
Conclusion: Using a simple image-based questionnaire to assess perceived monetary value of species can provide evidence to assess the cost of managing INNS.