Ecosystem services value: case of pollination
2018
Majewski, J., Warsaw Univ. of Life Sciences (Poland). Dept. of Agricultural Economics and International Economic Relation
Ecosystem services constitute inseparable component of human life. Their economic value is difficult to estimate. Estimating the economic value of the ecosystem services is important because it is necessary to make people realise the importance of the natural environment. The study attempts to present the pollination as an ecosystem service. The purpose of the study was to specify the market and non-market components of valuation of pollination as well as estimating the economic value of the service for the main crops in Poland. Pollination of open-pollinated plants is necessary for their reproduction. In Poland, the plant species pollinated by insects account for approx. 78 % of open-pollinated plant species. They include many arable crops. The most important Polish entomophilious arable crops include the fruit plants, rape, colza, shrubs and permanent pasture, buckwheat and vegetables: tomatoes and cucumbers. The value of pollination of the plants in Poland estimated by means of the method of the value of production generated thanks to pollination increased from EUR 625 million in 2005 to EUR 1195 million in 2016. The growth resulted both from the growth of the area of the crops and the growth in the prices of buying-in prices of most of the entomophilious plants. In the structure of the value of pollination fruit plants prevailed, accounting for 55 % of the value of pollination on average of the total plants under review in 2005−2016. The value of pollination of rape and colza amounted to 21 % on average; of fruit shrubs and permanent crops: 14.5 %; tomatoes and ground cucumbers: 7.5 %, and buckwheat: over 2 %. The method of estimating the pollination value of open-pollinated plants should be developed, in particular those related to the economic value of wild plants. In particular, the foregoing follows from the need of compensation for the ecosystem services performed, e.g. by honey bees of the apicultural farms, and also imposition and enforcement of fines if the natural environment is destroyed.
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