Payments for Ecosystem Services: Mechanisms to Achieve Desired Landscape Patterns

This paper evaluates the effectiveness of five payment for ecosystem service (PES) schemes at meeting conservation objectives when the spatial configuration is important in meeting desired landscape patterns. The five PES schemes are: 1) fee-simple acquisition; 2) subsidies; 3) tradable development rights (TDR) with zoning; 4) mitigation banking; and 5) purchased development rights (PDR) easements. Findings are that tradeoffs exist between PES schemes for meeting spatial conservation objectives. The appropriate PES scheme incentive mechanism for a given region will depend upon economic demand as well as the landowner and landscape characteristics of the conservation region.