Eric Zhang’s enthusiasm for research has only grown since he began his first research project his sophomore year, which eventually led him to work with CEOS’s Amy Ando. In 2019, Eric Zhang, a senior in ACE, was awarded the first CEOS undergraduate research mini-grant to study the value people have for native plant species in the University of Illinois community. The project gracefully blended Eric’s background in applied economics with his minor in horticulture. Eric used the grant money to design and conduct a survey that enabled him to collect data from respondents in the UIUC community. The analysis can help determine if the cost of converting landscapes to include native plants exceeds people’s willingness to pay (WTP) for them.
The results of the study were straightforward. The average WTP for replacing non-native flower plantings with native species on central campus was more than $20 per person. Eric reports, “People have higher WTP when they know more about native plants. However, we do not know the cost of having and keeping native plants on this campus, so we cannot determine if expanding native plants has net positive value.”
Eric hopes the results will support native landscaping projects at the University, such as the creation of rain gardens and native plant corridors across campus by reminding landscape planners of two important points: (1) people's WTP for native plants is related to how much they know about them, and (2) planners should take into account the value people have for native plants when deciding how much of the campus landscape to devote to native plants.
Eric intends to continue research in the same field and is currently pursuing a Master of Science degree in Applied Economics and Management at Cornell University.
Learn more about CEOS Student Research Mini-grants
Image from Red Oak Rain Garden