The whooping crane is one of the rarest and most endangered birds in North America. Once numbering in the tens of thousands, the whooping crane population declined to just 21 individuals in 1941. Thanks to dedicated conservation efforts over the past eight decades, there are now over 500 whooping cranes in the wild. But the whooping crane is still classified as endangered and faces ongoing threats from habitat loss and other factors.
Given the precarious state of the whooping crane population, it’s clear this iconic bird is incredibly valuable from a conservation perspective. But how can we put a dollar figure on the worth of a whooping crane? Evaluating the economic value of a species is a challenging but important process. Doing so can help justify expenditures on conservation programs and habitat protections. As pressures on wildlife and wild places continue to mount worldwide, quantifying the value of at-risk species can provide compelling evidence for investing in their preservation.
Ecological Value
The whooping crane has inherent worth as a unique living organism and integral part of intact, functioning ecosystems. As an endangered species, the whooping crane also has symbolic value as an indicator of the health of wetland habitats. Conservationists consider the disappearance of a species from an ecosystem an irreparable loss. Preventing the extinction of the whooping crane is a way to preserve biodiversity and ecosystem resilience.
Beyond its inherent worth, the whooping crane provides important ecological services. For example, the probing of whooping crane bills aerates wetland soils. Whooping cranes also disperse seeds and nutrients across the landscape. Some of these ecological functions would likely disappear or diminish if whooping cranes became extinct. While the specifics are difficult to quantify, the whooping crane’s contributions to ecosystem health certainly have economic relevance.
Existence Value
Many people derive satisfaction from simply knowing rare species like the whooping crane exist in the wild. In economic terms, this is referred to as “existence value” and reflects a moral belief that species have a right to exist. Existence value is generally measured using surveys that assess what people would be willing to pay to protect endangered species and habitats.
For unique and charismatic animals like the whooping crane, existence value can be quite substantial. For example, a survey in the 1990s found the average U.S. household was willing to pay $81 each year to protect endangered whooping cranes. Based on the number of U.S. households at the time, the study authors estimated the U.S. public’s aggregate existence value for wild whooping cranes was over $1.1 billion per year. Clearly, people place considerable value on conservation efforts simply to ensure this iconic species continues to exist in the wild into the future.
Bequest Value
Closely related to existence value is bequest value. This represents the satisfaction people derive from preserving species like the whooping crane for future generations to appreciate and enjoy. Essentially, protecting the whooping crane today ensures our children and grandchildren have the chance to see whooping cranes in the future. Bequest value reflects the altruistic human desire to conserve wildlife as our legacy and gift to younger generations.
As with existence value, bequest value is commonly assessed through economic surveys. For example, a contingent valuation survey in Canada in the early 1990s measured what people would pay to protect wildlife and wilderness for future generations. The results suggested the average household would pay around $300 per year, or $60 to preserve the whooping crane specifically. When extrapolated across the Canadian population at the time, this amounted to over $700 million in annual bequest value for wild whooping cranes.
Tourism Value
Each year, thousands of birdwatchers travel to see glimpses of whooping cranes in the wild. During migration, breeding, and wintering, whooping cranes attract substantial numbers of ecotourists to sites like Aransas National Wildlife Refuge in Texas, Wood Buffalo National Park in Canada, and wildlife refuges throughout the Midwest. This bird-focused travel generates considerable tourist expenditures that boost local economies.
Several studies have estimated the magnitude of expenditures related to whooping crane tourism:
Study | Expenditures |
---|---|
Duffy (1987) – Aransas NWR, TX | $2.4 million annually |
Stoll et al. (2006) – Aransas NWR, TX | $12 million annually |
Askins et al. (2012) – Platte River, NE | $10 million annually |
These numbers reflect substantial tourism revenues generated by the iconic whooping crane each year at just a handful of key sites. Considering that whooping cranes attract birders throughout their vast range across North America, total expenditures are likely far higher. By attracting ecotourism, the presence of whooping cranes injects money into regional economies and supports local businesses and jobs.
Commercial Fishing Value
Healthy wetland ecosystems support productive fisheries that have commercial value. As a wetland keystone species, whooping cranes help sustain ecosystem processes that benefit fish populations. So the presence of whooping cranes indirectly boosts incomes and economic activity linked to commercial and recreational fisheries.
For example, Wood Buffalo National Park, the whooping crane’s main breeding ground, overlaps with part of the Peace-Athabasca Delta in northern Canada. This vast delta hosts multi-million dollar commercial fisheries for species like lake whitefish and northern pike. By protecting the ecological integrity of the delta, whooping cranes help ensure these economically important fisheries remain productive into the future.
Although the cranes’ specific contribution is difficult to isolate, one study estimated that Wood Buffalo National Park’s ecosystem services support fisheries valued at $58 million annually. These services would likely diminish if whooping cranes disappeared, so their preservation has significant economic implications for commercial fishing.
Hunting Value
While whooping cranes themselves are not hunted, their wetland habitat supports waterfowl and other game species that generate hunting revenues each year. For example, Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, the most important whooping crane wintering area, hosts almost 30,000 duck hunters annually. These hunters spend money on equipment, licenses, leases, guides, lodging, and more. One study estimated annual duck hunting expenditures related to Aransas NWR at $5.5 million each year.
By preserving wetlands for endangered whooping cranes, conservation efforts also ensure habitat remains suitable for economically valuable game species. So expenditures on whooping crane conservation have the additional benefit of supporting recreational waterfowl hunting and its associated economic activity. Although not market-traded commodities, hunting opportunities retain economic significance.
Unique Genetics
The whooping crane has unique genetic traits that may eventually have economic value to humans. For example, whooping cranes are one of only two crane species that are long-distance migrants. This suggests they have evolved genes enabling enhanced endurance and navigational abilities during lengthy seasonal migrations.
Identifying and studying such genes in whooping cranes could provide insights that help improve human performance or medical care. For instance, a gene involved in muscle efficiency or recovery in migrating whooping cranes may eventually inspire the development of new therapies to treat muscle-wasting diseases in humans. However, the potential economic value of whooping crane genetics remains speculative at this point.
Estimating Total Value
The above sections describe different dimensions of the whooping crane’s economic value, from existence value to tourism revenue. But how can these be compiled into a total valuation figure?
Some studies have produced comprehensive estimates by combining multiple valuation methods:
Study | Estimated Total Value |
---|---|
Stoll et al. (2006) | $208 per acre of crane habitat |
Askins et al. (2012) | $110,000 – $280,000 per crane |
However, accurately quantifying the full economic value of wildlife species like the whooping crane remains challenging. Different methods measure different aspects of value based on a range of assumptions. Most experts believe existing valuations underestimate the total worth of endangered species. But placing an exact dollar figure on the multidimensional value of an at-risk species like the whooping crane may ultimately be impossible. The core message is that protecting the crane produces human benefits well in excess of the costs of conservation programs.
Conclusions
The whooping crane represents an iconic North American wildlife species on the brink of extinction. Efforts to save the whooping crane from disappearing have already likely cost over $1 billion since the 1960s. But even this substantial investment is dwarfed by the crane’s overall economic value to society. Through ecological services, tourism revenues, and its existence and bequest value to wildlife lovers, the whooping crane generates diverse benefits many times higher than the costs of conservation.
Quantifying the exact worth of an endangered species is challenging. But assessing even a fraction of the whooping crane’s monetary value makes clear that spending millions on conservation is well justified. Saving the whooping crane is not only ethically essential, but also smart economic policy. The crane’s tourism draws, contribution to fisheries, value to hunters, and deeply meaningful worth to the public combine to make this rare crane incredibly precious, both ecologically and economically. With so many quantifiable and intangible benefits tied to its survival, the whooping crane is clearly a wildlife species well worth saving.