Wildfires' Cost for Societal Welfare: Economic Evaluation of Forestry Ecosystem Services Losses in Southern Italy

Forest ecosystem services (ESs) are garnering increasing public attention as awareness grows regarding society's fundamental dependence on them for well-being. Forest fires, one of the major disturbances of ESs, are becoming more frequent and destructive, exacerbated in part by climate change. Quantifying the value of ESs can foster responsible behavior and offer suggestions to public decision-makers in planning activities and mitigating damaging events. The objective of this study is to provide a monetary valuation of the reduction in ESs' use value in a protected forest area in southern Italy. The study focused on the Aspromonte National Park (ANP) in Calabria, a region with typical Mediterranean characteristics, which experienced a significant fire in August 2021. By combining a geographic information system (GIS) and field surveys with tailored estimation methodologies rooted in the total economic value (TEV) approach, the study effectively addressed the distinctive variables of both ESs and the forest, enabling the economic quantification of the resulting loss. The analysis showed that the total damage amounted to roughly €26 million. The ESs with the highest incidence of economic damage were identified as hydrogeological protection, wood resources, and naturalistic function. Following this, a detailed valuation of the most representative forest categories was conducted, revealing that all systems, including the simplest ones, possess substantial value and fulfill specific ecological roles. Findings establish a promising framework for informing silvicultural strategies and represent a suggestion system to identify damage phenomena and safeguard the continued existence of forests and the ESs they provide.