Evaluation of the Direct Use Value from Huai Thuem Watershed, Thong Pha Phum District, Kanchanaburi Province

Abstract

     The main objectives of this study were to evaluate the direct use value of agriculture production and minor forest products collection in the watershed area of the studied community by market value method. The 89 respondents were employed for the study. The designed questionnaire was used as a principal tool for data collection. The using statistical analysis methods were frequency, percent, minimum, maximum and mean, The results of study indicated that the direct use value could be classified into two categories: the first use value is agriculture. The cultivated crops were paddy, jew's ear fungus, oyster mushroom, cassava and corn, this provided the use value of 302,671.47 bath per annum: and the second use value of seven kinds of minor forest products, namely plants using for handicraft, edible plants, mushroom, spice, edible insects, wild animals, etc, which provided the use value of 49,416.09 baht per annum. Thus, the total use value will be 352,087.59 baht per annum. In addition, the capitalized value of the equal annual use value for infinity was discounted by using the rate of return of the government bond (5.5 percent per annum) this provided the direct use value which reflected the value of this watershed area of 6,401,592 baht.