Tham khảo luận văn - đề án 'báo cáo lâm nghiệp: " an estimation of willingness to pay for asparagus (asparagus racemosus willd.) collectors in makawanpur district, nepal"', luận văn - báo cáo phục vụ nhu cầu học tập, nghiên cứu và làm việc hiệu quả | JOURNAL OF FOREST SCIENCE 54 2008 3 131-137 An estimation of willingness to pay for asparagus Asparagus racemosus Willd. collectors in Makawanpur District Nepal T. N. Maraseni1 J. Maroulis2 G. Cockfield3 -Australian Centre for Sustainable Catchments ACSC University of Southern Queensland USQ Toowoomba Australia Faculty of Education and ACSC USQ Toowoomba Australia faculty of Business and ACSC USQ Toowoomba Australia ABSTRACT The collection and sale of asparagus Asparagus racemosus Willd. is a major source of income for Praja and Tamang castes around the Royal Chitwan National Park RCNP in Nepal. However the forests where asparagus is harvested are becoming depleted threatening the livelihood of collectors. To address this issue at sustainable harvesting practices the research reported here applied the contingent valuation method bidding game and estimated the average willingness to pay WTP of collectors to two asparagus collection scenarios. In the first scenario if forests under the Department of Forests jurisdiction were managed for sustainable harvesting at 1995 rates the average WTP of collectors was NR kg. In the second scenario if the forest in the RCNP is managed in such a way that both the current harvesting rate of asparagus is sustained and they are legally allowed to collect asparagus at the present rate the average WTP of collectors was NR kg. Consequently there is a good chance of earning revenue for the government and sustaining the livelihood of asparagus dependents by the sustainable management of the Department s and the National Park s forests and giving legal permissions to collect asparagus from the National Park which would have happened anyway but with financial and legal risks to collectors. Keywords Asparagus racemosus willingness to pay contingent valuation method Praja Tamang Nepal has high levels of endemism in its endogenous flora and fauna carrying high non-timber use and value. Though Nepal covers of the earth s landmass .
