CONCLUSION

Forest resources in the Uttara Kannada district has undergone tremendous change and degradation because the value of it is being poorly understood and not considered in the policy making process. However, valuation of regulating services, cultural services and supporting services are more difficult to estimate and thus pose serious challenges to planners and practitioners. As a consequence the values of these services are often overlooked. Hence, valuation of these services in income accounting of a region/nation is essential to make the plans and policies more sustainable.

Goods and services that forest ecosystems provide are grossly undervalued, evident from GDDP of Uttara Kannada, about Rs. 5,978 crores, which accounts goods of forests as Rs. 180 crores (3% of GDDP), in contrast to TEV of Rs. 84,321 crores from forest ecosystems of Uttara Kannada district. The comprehensive valuation has the potential to provide effective options for management of ecosystem. If the total economic value of forests ecosystem in particular and ecosystem in general are not considered in decision and policy making, the policies thus adopted would lead to detrimental effect on human and societal welfare in the long run. Policies therefore, have an important role in ensuring that benefits from forest ecosystem are accounted in decision making to avoid underestimation of the values of forest, value of conservation and sustainable use of forest resources. Incorporating the values of ecosystem services plays an important role in making the economy resource efficient