Willingness-to-pay for the conservation of endangered frog species in Taiwan

Taiwan's awareness of environmental conservation and biodiversity has been increasing in recent years. As frog plays a vital role in the environment and recreational activities in Taiwan, this study aimed to quantify the willingness-to-pay (WTP) of the public for conserving the selected endangered frog species. Respondents were asked using a semistructured questionnaire with auxiliary audio and video files. After deleting incomplete responses following regular data handling, 585 valid responses were used in the estimation. Using the contingent valuation method and single-bounded dichotomous choice model, the results showed that people are willing to pay an amount of 32.01 USD (922.85 New Taiwan Dollars) per person annually. Factors affecting the public's WTP include price, age, support for establishing conservation areas, payment through donations, number of trips in ecotourism, and the place of residency in Taiwan. The result of this study can be used as a benchmark for the government for the implementation of the conservation and rehabilitation of the habitat of the endangered frog species in the future. Involvement of people in recreation like traveling, their location of residency, and their age are critical factors in the government's policy formulation. The government should promote endangered frog species conservation in the Northern part of Taiwan, towns near the conservation areas, and younger and middle-aged populations for the immediate implementation of rehabilitation. An ecological compensation scheme shall be implemented to mitigate the impact of development on ecosystems and provide aid to those residing near conservation areas. The research focused only on Taiwan's three most representative endangered frog species. Future research direction can also focus on the ecology and quantity of the remaining endangered species subject to the study on willingness-to-pay the conservation value.