Value assessment of aesthetic function of Sarbijan mountain’s rangeland using Contingent Valuation Method (CVM) South of Kerman province, Iran

Aesthetic is an added value to other precious values of rangelands and helps its ecosystem conservation. Unfortunately, there is not plenty of researches run on this issue and its probable value. Instead emphasis has put on ecosystem management especially on the basis of marketable products. In this study, the people willingness to pay for the aesthetic of Sarbijan rangeland landscapes and its affecting factors were investigated using 184 questionnaires, the contingent valuation method and logit regression model in 2018. The results showed that more than 78 percent of visitors and 86 percent of residents had high to very high aesthetic sense to the region’s rangelands. Vegetation diversity was the most important factor affecting the landscape beauty from their point of view. The results of economic valuation showed that proposed price negatively and homeland interests, educational level, monthly income, and beauty of land positively affect willingness to pay for the region aesthetic function. The willingness to pay for the aesthetic function has been estimated to be 28798 Rials, which shows the visitors and residents attention to the aesthetic function of the Sarbijan rangelands is high. Understanding of the value of aesthetic function of rangeland will increase moral responsibilities of people to the natural landscapes and greatly contribute to the development and implementation of natural ecosystem conservation programs with the public participation.