Economic valuation of biodiversity conservation in Manisa-Spil Mountain

Biological resources and their diversity are regarded as one of the most important sources of the services provided by ecosystems. The contribution of the forest resources to social welfare has great importance among natural resources, and the techniques and studies on for the evaluation of this contribution are essential.In this study, Spil Mountain in Manisa province where industrialization and urbanization is increasing in the Aegean Region, was determined as the study area. The aim of this study was to show the continuity of the services provided by the biodiversity in Spil Mountain and the importance for the people living in the vicinity. A questionnaire was conducted with face to face interview technique with 444 individuals living in Manisa city center and visiting Spil Mountain. Contingent valuation method was used to determine the contribution of the conservation of Spil Mountain biodiversity to social welfare. According to the findings of the study, the annual value of preserving the biodiversity of Spil Mountain was estimated to be 5.220.000 TL