Assessing the ecosystem services in the Monkey Hill Reserve Area in Takoradi and the Ankasa Conservation Area in the Jomoro district, Ghana UNE, 2019
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Date
2019-06
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KNUST
Abstract
A Contingent Valuation Method (CVM) was adopted to elicit values of ecosystem services among sampled households in Monkey Hills, Takoradi and Ankasa conservation, in the Jomoro district. The aim was to assess household’s willingness to pay for biodiversity conservation of forest ecosystems in the mist of prevalent destructive socio-economic activities taking place in the areas; and how it differs along the geographical location and across users groups. Simple random sampling techniques were used to select respondents in the two study areas. Data were collected from 150 respondents in each area using a structured questionnaire. Findings showed that most of the household’s WTP per month ranged from GHȼ 1 to GHȼ 20 in the both Ankasa Conservation Area and Monkey Forest Area. In the Ankasa conservation area age and Gender of the head of household were the factors that had statistically significant effects on household’s willingness to pay as determined by the logistic regression analysis. In the Takoradi Monkey reserve area, none of the demographic characteristics had a significant influence of willingness to pay. The survey showed that majority of households aspired to conserve the biodiversity of the forest ecosystem for the survival of mankind and for future generations. However, the only way they could fulfil this was through increased involvement in decision making on forest ecosystem management and other alternative livelihoods made available to them. The results can be used to mobilize support for conservation and sustainable use of these Forest ecosystems.
Description
A thesis submitted to the Department of Theoretical and Applied Biology (TAB)
College of science in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of
Master of Science in Environmental Science