Browsing by Author "Supriya Baburaj, M"

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    Valuation of ecosystem services of selected mangrove wetlands of Kozhikode
    (Academy of climate climate change education and research, Vellanikkara, 2020) Supriya Baburaj, M; KAU; Vinod, K
    Mangroves are highly productive ecosystems, have special adaptations to thrive in saline conditions. The mangrove wetlands are important ecosystems that render numerous ecosystem services. The major objectives of the study were to identify the various provisional ecosystem goods and services and assess the present value of the provisional services of Kallai and Kolavipalam mangrove wetlands in the Kozhikode district of Kerala. Kolavipalam (11⁰’56’54”N, 75⁰59’14”E) are known for their lush growth of mangroves and the breeding ground of Olive ridley turtles. Kallai (11⁰’14’292”N, 75⁰47’203”E) was one of the most important centres in the world for timber business and lost its past glory of mangroves due to faulty land use. This work briefly examines the role of economic valuation information (includes Willingness To Pay{WTP}) to argue for the conservation of mangroves. Economic information is valuable to decision-makers for implementing management strategies for the sustainable and wise use of this ecosystem.To determine the marginal changes that happen in the in-situ values of mangrove resources, one needs to understand not only the ecological dynamics of the system but also the link between human activities and their impacts on the goods and services provided by the ecosystem, in addition to their economic value. In this backdrop, a study entitled “Valuation of ecosystem services of selected mangrove wetlands of Kozhikode district, Kerala” was undertaken during 2018-19. The direct market price method was used to assess the valuation of provisional services like fishery, raw materials,etc. Also, primary and secondary data were used for biodiversity documentation, socio-economic studies, WTPstudies and to identify the various issues faced by the local community. Value estimated from the provisional services is 13,25,900 INR and 71,51,000 INR for Kolavipalam and Kallai respectively. The willingness of people to pay for conservation of mangrove ecosystem was also estimated through interviews with the stakeholders and an annual average WTP value of 122 1,351 INR and 362 INR were recorded for Kolavipalam and Kallai respectively. The various goods and services provided by the mangroves were ranked based on the perception of the local community; besides, a checklist of the diversity of mangroves and the associated faunal assemblages such as have been prepared. The results of the present study would be useful to plan suitable management measures for the conservation and sustainable use of the mangrove wetlands of Kolavipalam and Kallai.