ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT OF FOREST ECOSYSTEM SERVICES IN THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT SYSTEM

Abstract

The article identifies the important role of forests in ensuring a comfortable life and well-being of the population by providing ecosystem services. A classification of forest ecosystem services is carried out. It is determined that provisioning services and cultural and social services can be provided by forestry enterprises. And regulation and control services are provided by the forests themselves due to their natural potential. It is noted that in order to preserve the natural potential of forests to provide these services, an economic assessment of ecosystem services is required. Methods for the economic evaluation of forest ecosystem services are considered. It has been determined that enterprises engaged in forestry activities are able to independently determine the economic assessment of ecosystem services and cultural and social services. To assess the material products provided by forests, the direct market valuation method is used. To expand sources of income, forestry enterprises can form a value proposition of recreational and tourist services. Their assessment can be carried out using the transportation cost method or the hedonic method. The purpose of economic assessment is to reflect the potential opportunity to receive income from the provision of these services. It is noted that as the potential income of forestry enterprises increases, the anthropogenic load on forest ecosystems increases, which reduces their potential to provide regulatory and maintenance services. The goal of the economic evaluation of ecosystem services of regulation and maintenance is formulated, which is to compare environmental benefits with the costs of forestry management, as well as to justify the necessary environmental protection measures. It is concluded that the economic assessment of ecosystem services is important for: rational use of forest resources; substantiation of environmental policy and environmental protection measures; integration of environmental factors into economic planning of forestry; determination of the real value of forest ecosystems for society. Thanks to economic assessment, it becomes possible to take into account the real value of the natural capital of the forest, which contributes to the transition to the principles of sustainable development.