A methodological approach for the non-monetary valuation of ecosystem services in three communities of the Colombian Amazon

Zulma   Duran H.; Heliodoro  Arguello A.; Jeimar   Tapasco

A methodological approach for the non-monetary valuation of ecosystem services in three communities of the Colombian Amazon

Autores

Zulma Duran H.

Heliodoro Arguello A.

Jeimar Tapasco

Editor

Universidad Nacional de Colombia

Descripción

To conduct a non-monetary valuation of ecosystem services, this study explored combining data on the use of ecosystem resources with measuring the effort expended on agricultural activities in three communities of the lower Caqueta, Colom - bian Amazon. By measuring the energy expended by people during their principal subsistence activities, a measure of well- being was also indirectly obtained. For the three communities, the most costly ecosystem service in terms of energy expended was land in forests, which is prepared for planting with felling and clearing, with a value of 1,353 kcal per workday. This was followed by bush meat from hunting at 811 kcal per workday, fish at 682 kcal, obtaining food from the chagra (small family farming plot) at 470 kcal, collecting fruits at 380 kcal, collect - ing firewood at 148 kcal, and fetching water at 29 kcal. The preparation of casabe (cassava f latbread) as a cultural service has an energy cost of 386 kcal, while preparing mambe (toa sted pulverized coca leaves) has a much higher cost at 808 kcal.