Perception and Willingness to Pay for Mitigation of Tree Risk in a Peri-Urban Park in Central Mexico

Abstract

People’s perception of tree risk in peri-urban environments influences decision-making on mitigation measures. This research aimed to determine the factors affecting the perception of visitors to Molino de Flores Netzahualcóyotl National Park (PNMFN) regarding the risk of tree fall, as well as their willingness to pay for mitigation measures. A survey was applied to PNMFN visitors on socioeconomic characteristics, risk perception and willingness to pay (WTP) to mitigate risk. A conjoint analysis was used to identify the factors influencing visitors’ perception of tree fall risk and the contingent valuation method (CVM) was used to determine their WTP. The results indicate that PNMFN visitors consider the severity of the defect present in a tree to be the most important factor impacting the risk perception rating (40.53%), followed by the proximity to the target (24.25%) and the target type (16.55%) that may be affected. In total, 79.83% of respondents expressed their willingness to pay for risk mitigation. The likelihood of WTP depends on the age, gender, marital status, educational level and occupation of park visitors, while the amount to pay increases as the level of perceived risk increases.