Application of a Paired Comparison method to Evaluate Forest Public Service Values

In this study, a paired-comparison method for which we designed an internet questionnaire was applied to evaluate relative monetary values for forest public goods and services which have no defined market value or no known monetary value. Through a series of interactive paired comparisons for a given set of elements, which were mixtures of forest public goods and services, private goods possessing market value, and sums of money, the importance levels and preferences were ranked and the relative monetary values were evaluated. The results indicated that the preferences for forest public goods and services from high to low were ranked as water resource maintenance, soil stabilization and land erosion control, biodiversity conservation, carbon sequestration, and ecotourism offerings. The relative monetary values of water resource maintenance and soil stabilization and land erosion control were both higher than the compared private goods, but not higher than the some sums of real money. The preferences appeared to be influenced by individual age, educational level, and personal income.

本研究采用我们设计的互联网问卷配对比较法（paired-comparison method），对无明确市场价值或未知货币价值的森林公共物品与服务（forest public goods and services）开展相对货币价值评估。研究针对由森林公共物品与服务、具备市场价值的私人物品以及货币金额组合而成的特定元素集，开展一系列交互式配对比较，据此对各元素的重要性层级与偏好进行排序，并完成相对货币价值评估。结果显示，森林公共物品与服务的偏好优先级从高到低依次为：水资源维护、土壤稳定与土地侵蚀防控、生物多样性保护、碳固存以及生态旅游产品。其中，水资源维护与土壤稳定及土地侵蚀防控的相对货币价值均高于对照私人物品，但低于部分实际货币金额。受访者的偏好似乎受其年龄、受教育程度与个人收入的影响。