Ecosystem services from protected areas to urban centers: The case of Cumbres de Monterrey National Park, Mexico

Although Protected Areas (PAs) represent a crucial strategy for biodiversity conservation around the world, growing societies may compromise their success. Over the last decade, the scientific community has recognized the importance of Ecosystem Services (ES), and the PAs' role as providers of these benefits. Nowadays, the understanding of public perceptions and preferences for ES from PAs becomes important when ES are threatened by development projects. The objective of this project is to elicit the preferences for ES from Cumbres de Monterrey National Park of urban residents of Monterrey Metropolitan Area, Mexico using a choice experiment. Scenario evaluation comparing public support and estimated willingness to pay for ES showed potential trade-offs between the ES and development. Conclusions highlight the importance of inclusive processes that incorporate public preferences into the decision making and park management in order to promote outcomes based on equity and economic efficiency.