Influencing Factors and Measurement of “Willingness to Accept” Living with Alligators in a Nature Reserve: A Case Study in National Chinese Alligator Nature Reserve, China

Abstract

The establishment of nature reserves is an important measure to protect the wild population of Chinese alligators. Due to the overlap of nature reserves and human living areas, there is a certain conflict between economic development and ecological protection. How to formulate a feasible eco-compensation scheme and accurately analyze the influencing factors of eco-compensation willingness is of great significance to alleviate the contradiction between local residents and Chinese alligators. In this study, the contingent valuation method (CVM) was used to measure and analyze the residents’ willingness to accept (WTA) at National Chinese Alligator Nature Reserve (NCANR) located in Anhui province, China. Furthermore, decision tree modeling and logistic regression were used to analyze the influencing factors of residents’ WTA in NCANR, which provides a new insight to the influencing factors of eco-compensation. The results indicate that: (1) 93% of the residents living in NCANR have a WTA compensation, and the amount of WTA is CNY 25,542 (USD 3659.36) per household per year; and (2) individual characteristics, ecological protection cognition and external impact affect the WTA, and external impact on local residents is the most important factor affecting WTA. Therefore, it is necessary to make differential compensation to ensure the fairness of eco-compensation. In addition, the propaganda of eco-compensation should be strengthened, and the boundary of NCANR needs to be further clarified. The sources of funds for eco-compensation are supposed to be broadened, and poverty alleviation can be combined with eco-compensation policies.