Ecosystem Service Value Assessment for Protected Wetlands: A Case Study in the Changjiang Estuary

Wetlands provide the highest ecosystem service value in all types of ecosystems. The purpose of this study was to assess the ecosystem service value of protected estuarine wetland by investigating citizens´ willingness to pay for the Jiuduansha Shoals Wetland protection. Contingent valuation method (CVM) was applied in this study with 409 questionnaires completed. The main results show that 60.64% of the respondents are willing to support the government´s protection work. As a conservative estimate, the mean willingness to pay for the protection of the Jiuduansha Shoals Wetland is 105.56 RMB per month per household in the future five years, and the ecosystem services value of the Jiuduansha Shoals Wetland is 4906 million RMB per year. Through this study, huge ecosystem service value of wetland ecosystems was indicated, it´s of great significance to protect estuarine wetlands.