Earth Science: Geology, the Environment, and the UniverseChapter 9:
Surface WaterProblem of the WeekWetlands: Worthless or Worth Saving? Answers: - First the students must calculate dollar/acre/year value of the 100
million acres.
$9,600 × 100,000,000 = $960,000,000,000 (9.6 × 1011)
or 960 billion dollars/acre/year
- Next the students will compare this amount with the Gross Domestic
Product (defined above), and calculate the percent of GDP the estimated
wetlands value represents.
$960 billion/$7,813.2 billion = 0.012877 × 100 = 1.2287% To put this in perspective, again remind them that this is an estimate
of the "services" alone. It is an effort to put a dollar
value on things that are intangible, such as prevention of flood damage
or water quality control, or are not specific goods or services that
someone can sell. This amount does not include those dollar values
that can be assigned to wetlands, as in the fishing industry and recreation
examples discussed.
- Students should provide data to support their conclusions on the value
of wetlands. You may also want to send them to Resource #1 – EPA Fact
Sheet: Economic Benefits of Wetlands.
Resources: - Environmental
Protection Agency Fact Sheet: Economic Benefits of Wetlands
- Environmental
Protection Agency Fact Sheet: Facts About Wetlands
- The
Economic Value of Wetlands: Wetlands Role in Flood Prevention in Washington.
Ecology Publication #97 – 100, October 1997.
- U.
S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Survey of Current Business 2000
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