Estimates of the value of carbon sequestration services provided by a savanna ecosystem and of the value of water for the supply of a number of environmental goods and services are developed in a Zimbabwean case study using an ecological-economic model that captures the interactions between ecological and economic processes. The estimated values of carbon sequestration, in both the woodlands of the Communal Area and the State Forest, are substantial, but slightly lower than the value of converting these lands to individually held agricultural land. This, and the lack of markets in which individuals can be compensated for maintaining some land under woodland as a store for carbon, creates strong incentives for households to convert woodlands to agriculture. There is a high value for additional water availability, associated with the supply of wild foods, firewood, crop production and carbon sequestration, suggesting that efforts towards conservation in this eco-region can have high economic returns.
Journal articles from the Grassland Society of Southern Africa (GSSA) African Journal of Range and Forage Science as well as related articles and reports from throughout the southern African region.