Evaluating Ecosystem Services of Ecological Restoration in Mining Areas: A Modified Choice Experiment Approach

Unsustainable mining practices have led to severe ecosystem degradation in mining areas. Ecological restoration plays a crucial role in reinstating the ecosystem service functions of these areas. A monetary evaluation of the ecosystem service value generated by ecological restoration can provide a clear understanding of its socioeconomic benefits, which are of considerable practical significance. While traditional choice experiment methods are widely used in ecosystem service valuation, they often overlook non-compensatory decision-making strategies employed by respondents, potentially resulting in biased estimates. To address this limitation, this study enhances the traditional choice experiment model by introducing attribute cutoffs and incorporates a generative artificial intelligence model to assist in questionnaire design. Using the Dexing Copper Mine as a case study, both the traditional and the modified choice experiment approaches were applied to assess the ecosystem service value resulting from ecological restoration efforts in the mining area. The results indicated that the modified choice experiment method outperforms the traditional choice experiment method in terms of goodness of fit and explanatory power. Based on the improved method, the socioeconomic benefits of ecological restoration in the Dexing copper mine area are projected to reach 53.45 million yuan in 2024. Additionally, the respondents' average annual willingness to pay for ecosystem services ranked as follows: landscape esthetics, disaster prevention, air quality, water quality, soil quality, vegetation coverage, science education, and biodiversity. This study provides methodological innovation and empirical evidence for the valuation of ecosystem services resulting from ecological restoration in mining areas. It offers theoretical support and a decision-making foundation for ecological restoration planning and related policy formulation in mining regions.