6 May 2026

Economic Valuation and Natural Resource Damage Assessment Methods at Myakka River State Park, Florida

Abstract: The growing population and distribution of invasive wild pigs across vulnerable ecological communities has emerged as a significant issue, and there is not a standardized ecological-economic framework to precisely measure and value the impact of wild pigs to natural resources. The FY24 research presented here is year four of a 4-year research plan to develop a user-friendly ecological-economic framework for rapid assessment and valuation of wild pig damage to wetlands. Building off the findings from research conducted at Somerville Lake, Texas, and Richard K. Yancey Wildlife Management Area, Louisiana, this FY24 research took place at Myakka River State Park, Florida. Research objectives for FY24 included adapting the ecological-economic framework to a different landscape type, refining and broadening the artificial intelligence–based economic valuation approach by valuing a variety of natural communities, and improving the setup of the before-after-control-impact study design estimating damage reduction after a targeted control effort. Across the study area, we estimated that the benefits provided by the natural communities lost to wild pigs over a 1-year period were $273,525 (80% confidence interval: $72.684 and $920.883), and an aerial gunning control effort produced an estimated 685% return on investment in avoided losses 4 weeks postmanagement.