[Pollinator] National valuation of monarch butterflies indicates an untapped potential for incentive-based conservation

[De Angelis, Patricia]

*National valuation of monarch butterflies indicates an untapped potential
for incentive-based conservation*

Jay E. Diffendorfer, John B. Loomis, Leslie Ries, Karen Oberhauser, Laura
Lopez-Hoffman,
Darius Semmens, Brice Semmens, Bruce Butterfield, Ken Bagstad, Josh
Goldstein,
Ruscena Wiederholt, Brady Mattsson, & Wayne E. Thogmartin

Conservation Letters 00 (2013) 1–10

*Abstract*
The annual migration of monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) has high
cultural
value and recent surveys indicate monarch populations are declining.
Protecting migratory species is complex because they cross international
borders
and depend on multiple regions. Understanding how much, and where,
humans place value on migratory species can facilitate market-based
conservation
approaches. We performed a contingent valuation study of monarchs
to understand the potential for such approaches to fund monarch
conservation.
The survey asked U.S. respondents about the money they would spend,
or have spent, growing monarch-friendly plants, and the amount they would
donate to monarch conservation organizations. Combining planting payments
and donations, the survey indicated U.S. households valued monarchs as a
total one-time payment of $4.78–$6.64 billion, levels similar to many
endangered
vertebrate species. The financial contribution of even a small percentage
of households through purchases or donations could generate new funding for
monarch conservation through market-based approaches.

Full Article (may be by subscription only):
http://www.sesync.org/national-valuation-of-monarch-butterflies-indicates-an-untapped-potential-for-incentive-based
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