Estimating the social benefits of recreational harvesting of edible wild mushrooms using travel cost methods

The public demand for recreational harvesting of edible wild mushrooms has risen over the last two decades and currently affects all forestry areas with mycological resources in Spain. The idea of introducing a system of 'user-pays' fees has been conceived as a possible ecosystem management strategy. Valuing the recreational benefits people derive from harvesting edible wild mushrooms may provide some guidance as to how much people would be willing to pay and may also justify future taxes for on harvesters. Environmental valuation methods allow the benefits of this recreation activity to be estimated. In this case, the authors estimate a demand model of recreational harvesting of edible wild mushrooms in 'Pinar Grande' (Soria, Spain) through the zonal travel cost model, its consumer surplus associated and explanations factors.