We consider an ecosystem with two distinct equations of motion that are separated by a threshold value of the state variable. We find that increasing uncertainty (both uncertainty embedded in the natural system and uncertainty of the decisionmaker about the location of the threshold) can lead to...

Many natural systems have the potential to switch between alternative dynamic behaviors. We consider a system with two distinct equations of motion that are separated by a threshold value of the state variable. We show that utility maximization will give a decision making rule that is consistent...

In this study, we empirically examine the effectiveness of regulatory actions on wastewater treatment plants in Illinois with careful attention to endogeneity issues that might have caused biased estimates in previous studies. We show that Pooled OLS and Fixed Effect models, which are the...

Previous research on water trading has focused on surface water trading and theoretical approaches to analyzing groundwater trading. Empirical analysis of groundwater trading is a new area of study due in part to the previous lack of recorded usage, trade data and binding constraints on...

We analyze the potential effects of listing threatened salmonid species on landowner behavior using parcel-level data from Sonoma County, California. We estimate a bivariate probit model, representing the landowner's joint decision on land use and water management during the period 1973--2006,...

Contrary to widely held belief, we show that the source of regression error does not matter when calculating Marshallian surplus. A misspecified demand curve, not the assumed source of regression error, leads to differences in estimates of consumer surplus.

We present a theory of vehicle choice where utility depends on the vehicle choices made by other consumers. We use parameters from current transportation and public safety data to show that changes in motor vehicle policy may have unexpectedly large or non-existent effects on safety, fleet mix,...

Most existing economic analyses of optimal groundwater management use single-cell aquifer models, which assume that an aquifer responds uniformly and instantly to groundwater pumping. In this paper, we develop an economic model of groundwater management that explicitly incorporates spatial...