Valuation of ecological service function of Futian mangroves and birds national nature reserve, Shenzhen

Mangrove marsh is one of the most important types of wetland ecosystems along tropical and subtropical coastal areas. It supports a variety of natural resources and also provides a wide range of ecological services. These resources and services promote and sustain the economic activities in coastal areas. Futian mangroves and birds national nature reserve, Shenzhen is the smallest mangrove reserve located at the urban fringe in China. Different kinds of ecological economic methods, including marketing price method, substitute method and travel cost method, were used in the present research to evaluate the ecological service functions of the reserve. Our evaluation indicated that the annual total value of the ecological service functions was estimated at 441.79 million RMB. Among all the ecological service functions, water purification, habitat provision and gas regulation account for 39%, 34% and 16% in total value, respectively, indicating that they are the core service functions of the reserve. Based on the results, some useful discussions have been put forward on the sustainable development and management of the reserve.