Valoração da importância econômica e social do Parque Estadual Serra Ricardo Franco: uma abordagem preliminar

Abstract

This article measures the ecological and economic importance of the Serra de Ricardo Franco State Park (PESRF), threatened to lose its status as a protected area. If the Conservation Unit is extinguished, it is estimated that the additional returns with the expansion of livestock would be R$9 million annually, a value much lower than the ecosystem services that would be lost. Only in terms of visitation, the potential value lost would exceed R$ 19 million/year. The expansion of pastures would lead to an increase in erosion, with soil loss of more than 200 thousand tons/year, and emission of more than 8 million tons of CO2. The conclusion is that there is no economic justification for the extinction of the PESRF, since the lost benefits far outweigh the gains expected with the advance of the pasture made possible by the end of the Park.