Valoración económica del uso recreativo del paisaje de oasis de Luján de Cuyo y Maipú, provincia de Mendoza. Argentina, mediante valoración contingente con formatos de pago y respuestas múltiples

The vineyards of the North Oasis partially surround the Metropolitan Area of Mendoza (MAM), a regional metropolis with more than one million inhabitants. Urban growth with sprawl expansion is changing the landscape; as a result, many visuals have been altered by residential mosaics. The objective of this work is to know how the local population perceives and values these changes, in order to assess the value of recreational service through the willingness to pay (WTP). Contingent valuation procedures with payment cards and uncertainty levels were used with the aim to reduce biases. The parametric estimation of the amenity value is the main result, obtained through a normal model. Confidence intervals and the significance of some covariables such as location and income level, among others, were also obtained. It is concluded that the local population values this landscape and they declare that degradation alters lifestyle; The answers and values obtained depended on their place of residence, level of income and education, and age. These results support the implementation of public policies aimed at preserving the landscape's recreational value and provide a more realistic indicator of the impact of vineyards eradication.