ABSTRACT
Some environmental economics approaches based on neo-classical theory attempt to reveal people’s values related to the natural environment by aggregating single statements, e.g. the contingent valuation method (CVM). Such approaches are based on the assumption that a person has complete information about the natural good at stake and that they already have formed preferences. However, people tend to form values and attitudes over time and may change their value perception of the natural environment as their knowledge and experiences increase (e.g. Jiggins and Röling 1998; O’Hara 2000). The case study presented in this chapter is based on the hypothesis that values for nature emerge from interactions between people (see O’Connor 1998) and could therefore be linked to Sahlins’s (1976) remark that valuation approaches should be recognized as a subjective, cultural and contextual phenomenon. This study is based on the observations that ecosystems are dynamic and that many of their changes are unpredictable (see Hanna et al. 1996; Berkes and Folke 1998; Holling et al. 1998). Therefore an optimal solution for the management of different ecosystems cannot be presumed beforehand (see Munda 2000). Complexity and unpredictability in physical and social systems has thus to be considered when valuing environments.
