Estimating Economic and Environmental Values of Forests: A Case Study of Kheirood Forest in Novshahr

Due to increasing trend in forest destruction in Iran, pilot projects were designed to monitor and to control forests deterioration. One of the forests that included in these forestry protection programs was Kheirood Forest located in Novshar in north of Iran. In this study, the environmental benefits (i.e. soil conservation, water regulation, carbon absorption and soil creation) of Kheirood Forest Project were examined by using cost based method. The annual economic values of soil conservation, water regulation, soil creation and carbon absorption were 72.74, 0.39, 118.84 and 1.82 million Rials, respectively. According to the results of the study, 90 percent of total environmental benefits belonged to soil conservation. On the whole, the findings of the study indicated that due to great environmental value of Kheirood Forestry Project, continuation and expansion of such projects were recommended.