Report Number 709 The social and economic value of the UK's geodiversity English Nature Research Reports working today for nature tomorrow English Nature Research Reports Number 709 The social and economic value of the UK’s geodiversity Michelle Webber, Mike Christie and Neil Glasser University of Wales, Aberystwyth You may reproduce as many additional copies of this report as you like for non-commercial purposes, provided such copies stipulate that copyright remains with English Nature, Northminster House, Peterborough PE1 1UA. However, if you wish to use all or part of this report for commercial purposes, including publishing, you will need to apply for a licence by contacting the Enquiry Service at the above address. Please note this report may also contain third party copyright material. ISSN 0967-876X © Copyright English Nature 2006 Cover note Project officers Colin Prosser, Environmental Impacts Team [email protected] and [email protected] Contractor(s) (where appropriate) The views in this report are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent those of English Nature This report should be cited as: WEBBER, M., CHRISTIE, M., & GLASSER, N. 2006. The social and economic value of the UK’s geodiversity English Nature Research Reports, No 709. Executive summary Geology and geomorphology are the rocks, fossils, minerals and landforms, and the natural processes which form and change them. The variety of these can be described as geodiversity. Geodiversity provides many economic, social and cultural benefits. Recent research effort into the value of nature (see De Groot 1992; Daily 1997; English Nature 2002; Gray 2004) suggests that these benefits may be considered under four main value classes: appreciation, knowledge, products and ecosystem/natural functions. Each of these value classes may be further split into detailed categories (English Nature 2002). In this research, we utilise the research protocol developed to value nature and specifically apply these classes to investigate the social, economic and cultural benefits associated with geodiversity. The social and economic value of geodiversity is explored using a variety of methods. First, a review of existing research was undertaken to identify existing knowledge on the value of geodiversity, and also identify where gaps in this knowledge exist. New empirical research was then undertaken to provide information on where gaps in the knowledge occurred. This research included a series of interviews and focus groups with members of the public and specific user groups to collect descriptive and anecdotal evidence of the way in which people value geodiversity. A number of geodiversity-rich case studies were explored to illustrate in greater detail the social functions provided. Empirical research was also undertaken to specifically explore the economic values of geodiversity. In particular, the choice experiments method was used to assess how much people would be willing to pay to protect and enhance two geological sites: Wren’s Nest National Nature Reserve (NNR) and the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site (WHS). Economic impact analysis was also carried out on the Isle of Wight to determine the size of the local economic impacts that geodiversity brings to the Island. Much of this report explores the various ways in which geodiversity contributes towards enhancing people’s quality of life. In particular, the benefits of geodiversity were considered under four classes: appreciation, knowledge, products and ecosystem services. Geodiversity may be directly appreciated by many people as demonstrated by the large number of visitors attracted to geological sites, and also people collecting fossils. People may also appreciate geodiversity indirectly through artistic inspiration and through cultural heritage. For example, geodiversity features significantly in folklore. Geodiversity also provides a significant contribution to mankind’s knowledge. The knowledge gained from geology helps us to better understand the history of the planet, evolutionary biology, and how the environment around us is changing. Geodiversity also provides a number of products useful to man including building materials and minerals for industry, and products such as fossils and minerals, collected by individuals for their own enjoyment. Finally, geomorphological processes provide a number of essential ecosystem/natural system functions including beaches and floodplains, providing us with natural flood defence. The value of different elements of geodiversity was examined using two choice experiments valuation studies: one at Wren’s Nest NNR near Dudley and the other at the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site in Dorset. The value of ‘knowledge’ of geodiversity was explored by comparing the value of access to different geological sites both with and without the provision of interpretative material. o At Wren’s Nest NNR, access to the whole site with educational material was valued at £21.26 per household per year compared to £7.83 per household per year without the provision of educational material. Similarly, access to the geologically-rich Seven Sisters caverns within the NNR with extensive interpretation was valued at £13.95 per household per year compared to £12.22 per household per year without. o Similar findings were also found at the Jurassic Coast WHS where access with extensive interpretative material was valued at £62.35 per household per year compared to a value of £23.69 per household per year for access without educational material. o In all three cases, the provision of educational material on geodiversity (and hence ‘knowledge’) clearly enhances the value that people attain from visiting a geodiversity site. The value that people placed on the opportunity to collect fossils was also explored at both case study sites. o At Wren’s Nest NNR a proposal to allow public collection of fossils to the loose spoil heaps at Wren’s Nest (where only common fossils are found) was valued at £5.18 per household per year, while a further restriction to only allow fossil collecting by geologists was valued at £6.58. Thus, people value the opportunity to collect fossils. o In a third fossil collecting scenario at Wren’s Nest NNR, respondents were informed that ‘Fossil collecting could be allowed by the public in all areas, including the Seven Sisters Caverns where more rare fossils could be found than elsewhere in the nature reserve. However, since collection would not be monitored, some of the rare fossils may be lost’. This scenario was negatively valued at -£11.76 per household per year. This negative value reflects the concerns that people have for losing important and rare fossils. Thus, the preservation of important fossils appears to be of more importance to people than the opportunity to actually collect these rare fossils. o The results relating to fossil collecting on the Jurassic Coast would appear to back up the findings from Wren’s Nest. In particular, fossil collecting by geologists only was negatively valued at -£15.46 per household per year, while public fossil collecting via a code of conduct at £57.73 per household per year. Thus, people would appear to value the opportunity to collect fossils themselves, with the important proviso that the important fossils are protected. A multiplier analysis study was also undertaken to provide an estimate of the local economic impacts associated with geodiversity on the Isle of Wight. This research found that 39% of tourists in this survey had visited the Isle of Wight specifically for the geodiversity. Average daily spend by these visitors was £73.86. The estimated expenditure related to geodiversity can be applied to the expenditure generated by all tourists to the Isle of Wight. Tourism on the Isle of Wight was estimated to be worth £352 million for the tourism year 2004/2005 (Isle of Wight Council 2006a). Geodiversity was therefore estimated to account for approximately £11 million of this value. Applying income and employment multiplier coefficients, it is argued that geodiversity generates between £2.6 million and £4.9 million in local income and supports between 324 and 441 full time equivalent local jobs. Qualitative data, collected during focus groups and interviews, were also collected to provide descriptive evidence of the values that the general public hold for geodiversity. The evidence collected here was indicative of the high values that the public place on geodiversity resources and when considered alongside the findings from the choice experiments, provide strong evidence in support to the continued management and conservation of these resources. Finally, the HM Treasury, in its revised Green Book on policy appraisal (HM Treasury 2003), suggests that the non-market costs and benefits should be considered in policy and project appraisal. Indeed, in terms of nature conservation, these non-market costs and benefits now play an important and crucial role in policy appraisal. This study demonstrates that the use of environmental valuation techniques, such as choice experiments, can be utilised to estimate the non-market benefits that geodiversity provides. These techniques, combined with qualitative and economic impact methods allow for the wider values associated with geodiversity to be identified. These values should now be used to develop policies and provide future management and conservation strategies for geodiversity. Contents Executive summary 1 Introduction.............................................................................................................11