Forests in northern Sweden are used for both timber production and reindeer grazing. Negative externalities and open access effects threaten the ability of the region to sustain economic benefits from these uses. Adiscrete time simulation for three municipalities in northern Sweden suggests that...

We analyzed the factors determining mangrove conversion by shrimp farmers in the coastal provinces of Thailand between 1979–1996. The profit-maximizing behavior of a shrimp farmer converting mangrove area under open access conditions is modeled. Aggregate mangrove clearing by all farmers in...

This paper examines how to harvest a biomass exposed to a potential collapse at an uncertain date. A specific recovery effect is identified which may be positive or negative. In general, the effect on the optimal biomass is indeterminate and depends upon the failure rate, the expected collapse,...

We use a unique data set to investigate the economic consequences of banning the harvest and trade of Brazilian mahogany. Because we find strong evidence that mahogany is smuggled out of Brazil as "other tropical species" through formal export mechanisms, we are able to construct a time series...

This paper examines the role of uncertain crude oil prices, uncertain crop yields, and competition for acreage on corn, soybean, and switchgrass prices under biofuel production mandates. We find enforcement of the cellulosic mandate is costly in that it raises equilibrium prices of all three...

Using a panel dataset on annual visits to each U.S. national park, we empirically analyze the demand for these parks using a spatial lag model, which accounts for the complementary nature of the parks. Our results suggest that increases in fuel costs, temperature increases of greater than 3 °F,...

We estimate the willingness to pay for curbside recycling based on a contingent valuation survey of 600 residents of a large southeastern United States city. The best estimate of willingness to pay for curbside recycling is $2.29/month after adjustment for hypothetical bias. We also report the...

Some economists have advocated the use of measures of genetic dissimilarity to guide species preservation priorities. It is argued here that such policies are: 1) possible for only a very small number of species for which data are available; 2)impractical as a general guide to biodiversity...

Deforestation primarily affects developing countries. Most developing countries share two characteristics: (1) trade liberalization reforms in the last two decades, and (2) weak property rights and limited rule of law. This paper investigates this second-best world; first, in a stylized model in...

The command-and-control approach to environmental regulation requires that firms install prescribed technologies to meet specified goals. However, environmental regulations change frequently; in addition, the enforcement agency cannot perfectly monitor firm compliance. We examine the impact of...