Valuation of Provisioning Ecosystem Services and Utilization in Three Rural Communities of Ghana

摘要

Benefits to ecosystem services may be identified and achieved through their quantification and valuation. The objectives of this study were to map the provisioning ecosystem services and determine the values of these services to the local community members. The study took place at Ejisu-Juaben district of Ghana which is endowed with forests, water bodies, minerals, plants and animals. The study used Participatory Geographic information systems (PGIS) as a tool in valuing ecosystem services in Ejisu-Juaben districts of Ghana. The valuation was carried out based on the construction preference method that sought to assign values to ecosystem services and places where they collect these services. It was indicated that forest holds lots of the key ecosystem services followed by fallow, farmland and grass. The most important ecosystem services listed by both low and high income groups in all study communities were mushroom, medicinal plants, bush meat, snails, honey, food (fruits), fuel wood, water and cane. Low income group use the ecosystem services more for commercial purposes and less for domestic usage across the study communities in contrast to the high income group, who use more for domestic purposes than for commercial purposes. The results mean that the low income groups' livelihoods depend more on income generated from selling the ecosystem services whilst the high income group may have other alternative sources of income in addition to the ecosystem services provision.