RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 The Impact of Deforestation on Nature-Based Recreation: Evidence from Citizen Science Data in Mexico
JF Land Economics
JO Land Econ
FD University of Wisconsin Press
SP 22
OP 40
DO 10.3368/le.98.1.031020-0036R1
VO 98
IS 1
A1 Chen, Wei
A1 Flatnes, Jon Einar
A1 Miteva, Daniela A.
A1 Klaiber, H. Allen
YR 2022
UL http://le.uwpress.org/content/98/1/22.abstract
AB We use citizen science eBird data to investigate the effect of deforestation on birdwatching across Mexico. Using detailed data on individual trips reported to eBird, we construct annual count data on visits to 1,810 Mexican municipalities from 2008 to 2016 to examine how deforestation affects visitation patterns. We find that a municipality, experiencing an increase in deforestation equivalent to the average deforestation over our study period, would see birdwatching visits decrease by 4.4% a year. The results also provide an application of citizen science data using an underused source of information on economic behavior in an otherwise limited data environment.