Valuing Ecosystem Services related to Biodiversity Function in Protected Areas: A Methodological Approach from São Francisco Xavier Environmental Protection Area.

Due to the critical state of biodiversity loss, the valuation of biodiversity-related ecosystem services is fundamental for assertive policy-making and sustainable development. This study assessed these services in the São Francisco Xavier Environmental Protection Area in Brazil. The objective was the economic value of aspects of biodiversity, considering the conservation of ecosystems. The method involved identifying relevant ecosystem services associated with local biodiversity and the corresponding economic indicators, then assessing the biodiversity status of the area and integrating this as a weight in the valuation equation. The total economic value of ecosystem services in EPA-SFX was US$4,684.81 per hectare. The study concluded that current financial incentives for biodiversity conservation, such as the Payment for Environmental Services programs, were insufficient compared to the intrinsic value of ecosystem services. The findings emphasize the need to reform valuation models and establish effective financial mechanisms for biodiversity conservation. They also demonstrated that incorporating habitat quality into the valuation equation enhanced the accuracy of the results, bringing them closer to the local context, representing an innovative contribution to this study.