Abstract

This article presents the results of studies carried out in Santiago del Estero, Argentina that assessed people’s willingness to pay (WTP) and willingness to accept (WTA) for useful plants conservation using the Contingent Valuation Methodology (CVM). The WTP of residents in rural areas in Santiago del Estero, Argentina was researched. In this study residents expressed that medicinal, food and dye plants are very important to them. In different parts of the province of Santiago del Estero, 268 families in eleven small towns were surveyed obtaining values of willingness to pay and willingness to accept. The use of useful plants has been passed down over many generations, which ensures the availability of a continuous flow of environmental services. The results expressed in monetary terms that show the importance that environmental services provided by native forests for rural communities.

Keywords: Ecosystem services; Valuation; Medicinal plants; Die plants; Food plants