Valuing improvements in biodiversity due to controls on atmospheric nitrogen pollution

Jones, Laurence ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4379-9006; Milne, Alice; Hall, Jane; Mills, Gina; Provins, Allan; Christie, Michael. 2018 Valuing improvements in biodiversity due to controls on atmospheric nitrogen pollution. Ecological Economics, 152. 358-366. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2018.06.010

Before downloading, please read NORA policies.

Preview

Text
N520580PP.pdf - Accepted Version
Download (850kB) | Preview

Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2018.06.010

Abstract/Summary

Atmospheric nitrogen pollution has severe impacts on biodiversity, but approaches to value them are limited. This paper develops a spatially explicit methodology to value the benefits from improvements in biodiversity resulting from current policy initiatives to reduce nitrogen emissions. Using the UK as a case study, we quantify nitrogen impacts on plant diversity in four habitats: heathland, acid grassland, dunes and bogs, at fine spatial resolution. Focusing on non-use values for biodiversity we apply value-transfer based on household's willingness to pay to avoid changes in plant species richness, and calculate the benefit of projected emission declines of 37% for nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and 6% for ammonia (NH3) over the scenario period 2007–2020. The annualised benefit resulting from these pollutant declines is £32.7 m (£4.4 m to £109.7 m, 95% Confidence Interval), with the greatest benefit accruing from heathland and acid grassland due to their large area. We also calculate damage costs per unit of NO2 and NH3 emitted, to quantify some of the environmental impacts of air pollution for use alongside damage costs for human health in policy appraisal. The benefit is £103 (£33 to £237) per tonne of NO2 saved, and £414 (£139 to £1022) per tonne of NH3 saved.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2018.06.010
UKCEH and CEH Sections/Science Areas:	Soils and Land Use (Science Area 2017-) UKCEH Fellows
ISSN:	0921-8009
Additional Keywords:	nitrogen deposition, species richness, economic value, damage cost, ecosystem services, policy
NORA Subject Terms:	Ecology and Environment
Date made live:	24 Jul 2018 10:40 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/520580

Item Type:

Publication - Article

Digital Object Identifier (DOI):

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolecon.2018.06.010

UKCEH and CEH Sections/Science Areas:

Soils and Land Use (Science Area 2017-)
UKCEH Fellows

ISSN:

0921-8009

Additional Keywords:

nitrogen deposition, species richness, economic value, damage cost, ecosystem services, policy

NORA Subject Terms:

Ecology and Environment