期刊名称:Journal of Environmental Science and Technology
印刷版ISSN:1994-7887
电子版ISSN:2077-2181
出版年度:2012
卷号:5
期号:5
页码:389-396
DOI:10.3923/jest.2012.389.396
出版社:Asian Network for Scientific Information
摘要:The manners in which natural resources are exploited lead the conviction that such unmatched assets are about to decline. Unfortunately, humans, either consciously or unconsciously, degrade ecosystems with unsustainable rapid development and this has caused them to backslide. Obviously, lack of awareness regarding the economic values of all goods and services offered by natural ecosystems as well as non-interfering them through cost-benefit analysis will lead to choosing the options followed by destruction of environment. Indeed, knowing the economic values of natural resources for those whom decisions somehow affects the environment is absolutely essential in order to obtain the optimal decision. The current study was carried out with the aim of valuating carbon sequestration in shrubs and trees to find out their real economic role in humans life. Accordingly, Latyan Watershed was selected as a case study area. It is noteworthy that the method provided by the United States Department of Energy was applied to estimate carbon sequestration through the area. The obtained results indicated that around 3,699 tons of carbon dioxide is annually sequestrated in the whole area. On this basis if the sequestrating price of carbon per ton is considered $ 20, the economic role of the land cover in sequestration of carbon dioxide will be tantamount to $ 73,980 in the entire study area. Generally, it can be concluded that all forests have conceal economic values which are usually neglected by economists and decision makers.