Essays on Behavioral Economics and Policies for Provision of Ecosystem Services

This is a PhD dissertation by Anna Norden contains five papers:

• Paper 1: Incentives, Impacts, and Behavioural Issues in the Context of Payment for Ecosystem Services Programmes: Lessons for REDD+
• Paper 2: Incentivizing versus Rewarding Good Behavior: Insights on the Use of Monetary Incentives
• Paper 3: Unintended Consequences of Targeting Forest Conservation Incentives: Behavioral Insights into Incentive Design
• Paper 4: Payments in Cash or in Kind for Ecosystem Services: Stated Preferences of Costa Rican Landowners
• Paper 5: Do Entrance Fees Crowd Out Donations for Public Goods? Evidence from a Protected Area in Costa Rica

This five-paper thesis attempts to contribute to the understanding of people’s behavioral responses to forest conservation policies. The first paper examines determinates of the impact of payment for ecosystem services (PES) and the role of behavioral aspects. The second and third papers experimentally examine behavioral responses to incentives for voluntary contributions to forest conservation, where some stakeholders are excluded in favor of others. The fourth paper investigates the relationship between participation in PES programs and type of payment (i.e., cash or in-kind). The fifth and last paper examines the effect of introducing fixed entrance fees on voluntary donations to a protected area.