Social and economic value of riparian environments

Greg G. Jones

Treesearch

Social and economic value of riparian environments

Informally Refereed

Authors:

Greg G. Jones

Year:

2008

Type:

Miscellaneous Publication

Station:

Rocky Mountain Research Station

Source:

In: Finch, Deborah M. Rocky Mountain Riparian Digest. Rocky Mountain Riparian Digest. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. p. 3-4.

Download (PDF 495 KB)

Download (PDF 495 KB): https://research.fs.usda.gov/download/treesearch/32739.pdf

Abstract

Riparian areas commonly represent only a small percentage of a landscape, but typically are more structurally diverse and more productive in plant and animal biomass than adjacent upland areas. Yet, this small percentage of land area provides many benefits to society. These benefits, however, are not generally accounted for in market transactions. One exception to this appears to be private property values. Studies in both Arizona and Oregon found that proximity to a stream corridor increased the value of vacant land in residential areas by as much as 10 to 27 percent.

Parent Publication

Rocky Mountain Riparian Digest

Keywords

riparian environments, social and economic value, private property values

Citation

Jones, Greg. 2008. Social and economic value of riparian environments. In: Finch, Deborah M. Rocky Mountain Riparian Digest. Rocky Mountain Riparian Digest. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. p. 3-4.