Motivated by the increasing popularity of wildlife viewing and a growing emphasis on management for nontimber outputs, wildlife viewing demand was assessed. Specific objectives included determining factors affecting participation and frequency of use, and furthermore, deriving 2006 nationwide wildlife viewing consumer surplus estimates. With the travel cost method as the theoretical basis, the empirical estimation method employed was a two-step sample selection model that included a probit first step and a negative binomial second step. Consumer surplus per trip estimates ranged from $215.23 to $739.07 while aggregate national estimates ranged from $44.5 billion to $185.1 billion. Results reveal that age, race, and urban residence affect participation and frequency similarly. This research can help policymakers in particular better understand determinants of wildlife viewing participation and frequency. The value of wildlife viewing access can be used to justify funding initiatives aimed at protecting or managing for this use.

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Um sistema financeiro eficiente é capaz de oferecer produtos e serviços adequados, especialmente crédito, com preço acessível, possibilitando a inclusão social dos cidadãos. O objetivo deste trabalho foi analisar a contribuição do Sistema de Crédito Cooperativo para o aumento da eficiência econômica do Sistema Financeiro Nacional. O cooperativismo é o movimento que preconiza a colaboração e associação de pessoas com os mesmos interesses, a fim de maximizar resultados em suas atividades econômicas. Formalmente, o movimento surgiu em 1844, em Rochdale (Manchester/Inglaterra). No Brasil desde 1902, quando constituída a primeira cooperativa em Linha Imperial, atual município de Nova Petrópolis/RS, as cooperativas de crédito diferenciam-se do sistema bancário tradicional na medida em que aplicam os recursos na própria comunidade onde os captam. A evolução da legislação brasileira possibilitou a formação de grandes sistemas (SICOOB, SICREDI, UNICRED, CECRED e CONFESOL), sendo a capilaridade do segmento cooperativo um aspecto importante no aumento da eficiência do Sistema Financeiro Nacional (SFN), permitindo maior acesso as localidades e cidadãos que utilizam seus serviços. Em termos de mercado, o crédito cooperativo vem na última década apresentado crescimento superior a 20% ao ano e apesar de representar apenas 3% do crédito no Sistema Financeiro Nacional, tem grande destaque no financiamento rural, onde 41% do crédito originado no segmento cooperativo tem este objetivo, enquanto que no SFN, não chega a 10% (Banco Central do Brasil, 2012). Em termos de inadimplência de crédito, as cooperativas registraram picos de 2,39% em 2010, quando o mercado registrou taxas de 5,9% neste mesmo período. Ademais, contatou-se que as taxas praticadas pelas Cooperativas de Crédito em 2010 foram em média 31% menores que as praticadas pelo mercado de crédito convencional. Isso proporcionou um excedente do consumidor para os associados de R$ 2,87 bilhões em juros não pagos que retornaram para a economia, demonstrando a importância das cooperativas de crédito para o aumento da eficiência do Sistema Financeiro Nacional. / An efficient financial system is able to offer appropriate products and services, especially credit, affordable, enabling social inclusion of citizens. The objective of this study was to analyze the contribution of the Cooperative Credit System to increase the economic efficiency of the National Financial System. The cooperative movement is the movement which advocates collaboration and association of people with similar interests, in order to maximize results in their economic activities. Formally, the movement emerged in 1844 in Rochdale (Manchester/England). In Brazil since 1902, when the first cooperative formed in Imperial Line current municipality of Nova Petrópolis/RS, credit unions differ from traditional banking system to the extent that apply resources in their own community where the capture. The evolution of Brazilian law allowed the formation of large systems (SICOOB, SICREDI, UNICRED, CECRED and CONFESOL), the capillarity of the cooperative sector an important aspect in increasing the efficiency of the National Financial System (SFN), allowing greater access locations and citizens who use their services. In terms of market share, credit unions in the last decade has presented more than 20% per year growth and despite representing only 3% of credit in the financial system, has great prominence in rural finance, where 41% of loans originated in the cooperative sector has this goal, while SFN, does not reach 10% (Central Bank of Brazil, 2012). In terms of credit default cooperatives recorded peak of 2.39% in 2010, when the market rate of 5.9% recorded in the same period. Moreover, if contacted that the rates charged by credit unions in 2010 were on average 31% lower than those charged by conventional credit market. This provided a consumer surplus for members at R$ 2.87 billion in unpaid interest returning to the economy, demonstrating the importance of credit unions to increase the efficiency of the National Financial System.

This thesis uses zonal travel cost method (ZTCM) to estimate consumer surplus of Peace & Love festival in Borlänge, Sweden. The study defines counties as zones of origin of the visitors. Visiting rates from each zone are estimated based on survey data. The study is novel due to the fact that mostly TCM has been applied in the environmental and recreational sector, not for short term events, like P&L festival. The analysis shows that travel cost has a significantly negative effect on visiting rate as expected. Even though income has previously shown to be significant in similar studies, it turns out to be insignificant in this study. A point estimate for the total consumer surplus of P&L festival is 35.6 million Swedish kronor. However, this point estimate is associated with high uncertainty since a 95 % confidence interval for it is (17.9, 53.2). It is also important to note that the estimated value only represents one part of the total economic value, the other values of the festival's totaleconomic value have not been estimated in this thesis.

Um sistema financeiro eficiente é capaz de oferecer produtos e serviços adequados, especialmente crédito, com preço acessível, possibilitando a inclusão social dos cidadãos. O objetivo deste trabalho foi analisar a contribuição do Sistema de Crédito Cooperativo para o aumento da eficiência econômica do Sistema Financeiro Nacional. O cooperativismo é o movimento que preconiza a colaboração e associação de pessoas com os mesmos interesses, a fim de maximizar resultados em suas atividades econômicas. Formalmente, o movimento surgiu em 1844, em Rochdale (Manchester/Inglaterra). No Brasil desde 1902, quando constituída a primeira cooperativa em Linha Imperial, atual município de Nova Petrópolis/RS, as cooperativas de crédito diferenciam-se do sistema bancário tradicional na medida em que aplicam os recursos na própria comunidade onde os captam. A evolução da legislação brasileira possibilitou a formação de grandes sistemas (SICOOB, SICREDI, UNICRED, CECRED e CONFESOL), sendo a capilaridade do segmento cooperativo um aspecto importante no aumento da eficiência do Sistema Financeiro Nacional (SFN), permitindo maior acesso as localidades e cidadãos que utilizam seus serviços. Em termos de mercado, o crédito cooperativo vem na última década apresentado crescimento superior a 20% ao ano e apesar de representar apenas 3% do crédito no Sistema Financeiro Nacional, tem grande destaque no financiamento rural, onde 41% do crédito originado no segmento cooperativo tem este objetivo, enquanto que no SFN, não chega a 10% (Banco Central do Brasil, 2012). Em termos de inadimplência de crédito, as cooperativas registraram picos de 2,39% em 2010, quando o mercado registrou taxas de 5,9% neste mesmo período. Ademais, contatou-se que as taxas praticadas pelas Cooperativas de Crédito em 2010 foram em média 31% menores que as praticadas pelo mercado de crédito convencional. Isso proporcionou um excedente do consumidor para os associados de R$ 2,87 bilhões em juros não pagos que retornaram para a economia, demonstrando a importância das cooperativas de crédito para o aumento da eficiência do Sistema Financeiro Nacional. / An efficient financial system is able to offer appropriate products and services, especially credit, affordable, enabling social inclusion of citizens. The objective of this study was to analyze the contribution of the Cooperative Credit System to increase the economic efficiency of the National Financial System. The cooperative movement is the movement which advocates collaboration and association of people with similar interests, in order to maximize results in their economic activities. Formally, the movement emerged in 1844 in Rochdale (Manchester/England). In Brazil since 1902, when the first cooperative formed in Imperial Line current municipality of Nova Petrópolis/RS, credit unions differ from traditional banking system to the extent that apply resources in their own community where the capture. The evolution of Brazilian law allowed the formation of large systems (SICOOB, SICREDI, UNICRED, CECRED and CONFESOL), the capillarity of the cooperative sector an important aspect in increasing the efficiency of the National Financial System (SFN), allowing greater access locations and citizens who use their services. In terms of market share, credit unions in the last decade has presented more than 20% per year growth and despite representing only 3% of credit in the financial system, has great prominence in rural finance, where 41% of loans originated in the cooperative sector has this goal, while SFN, does not reach 10% (Central Bank of Brazil, 2012). In terms of credit default cooperatives recorded peak of 2.39% in 2010, when the market rate of 5.9% recorded in the same period. Moreover, if contacted that the rates charged by credit unions in 2010 were on average 31% lower than those charged by conventional credit market. This provided a consumer surplus for members at R$ 2.87 billion in unpaid interest returning to the economy, demonstrating the importance of credit unions to increase the efficiency of the National Financial System.

Um sistema financeiro eficiente é capaz de oferecer produtos e serviços adequados, especialmente crédito, com preço acessível, possibilitando a inclusão social dos cidadãos. O objetivo deste trabalho foi analisar a contribuição do Sistema de Crédito Cooperativo para o aumento da eficiência econômica do Sistema Financeiro Nacional. O cooperativismo é o movimento que preconiza a colaboração e associação de pessoas com os mesmos interesses, a fim de maximizar resultados em suas atividades econômicas. Formalmente, o movimento surgiu em 1844, em Rochdale (Manchester/Inglaterra). No Brasil desde 1902, quando constituída a primeira cooperativa em Linha Imperial, atual município de Nova Petrópolis/RS, as cooperativas de crédito diferenciam-se do sistema bancário tradicional na medida em que aplicam os recursos na própria comunidade onde os captam. A evolução da legislação brasileira possibilitou a formação de grandes sistemas (SICOOB, SICREDI, UNICRED, CECRED e CONFESOL), sendo a capilaridade do segmento cooperativo um aspecto importante no aumento da eficiência do Sistema Financeiro Nacional (SFN), permitindo maior acesso as localidades e cidadãos que utilizam seus serviços. Em termos de mercado, o crédito cooperativo vem na última década apresentado crescimento superior a 20% ao ano e apesar de representar apenas 3% do crédito no Sistema Financeiro Nacional, tem grande destaque no financiamento rural, onde 41% do crédito originado no segmento cooperativo tem este objetivo, enquanto que no SFN, não chega a 10% (Banco Central do Brasil, 2012). Em termos de inadimplência de crédito, as cooperativas registraram picos de 2,39% em 2010, quando o mercado registrou taxas de 5,9% neste mesmo período. Ademais, contatou-se que as taxas praticadas pelas Cooperativas de Crédito em 2010 foram em média 31% menores que as praticadas pelo mercado de crédito convencional. Isso proporcionou um excedente do consumidor para os associados de R$ 2,87 bilhões em juros não pagos que retornaram para a economia, demonstrando a importância das cooperativas de crédito para o aumento da eficiência do Sistema Financeiro Nacional. / An efficient financial system is able to offer appropriate products and services, especially credit, affordable, enabling social inclusion of citizens. The objective of this study was to analyze the contribution of the Cooperative Credit System to increase the economic efficiency of the National Financial System. The cooperative movement is the movement which advocates collaboration and association of people with similar interests, in order to maximize results in their economic activities. Formally, the movement emerged in 1844 in Rochdale (Manchester/England). In Brazil since 1902, when the first cooperative formed in Imperial Line current municipality of Nova Petrópolis/RS, credit unions differ from traditional banking system to the extent that apply resources in their own community where the capture. The evolution of Brazilian law allowed the formation of large systems (SICOOB, SICREDI, UNICRED, CECRED and CONFESOL), the capillarity of the cooperative sector an important aspect in increasing the efficiency of the National Financial System (SFN), allowing greater access locations and citizens who use their services. In terms of market share, credit unions in the last decade has presented more than 20% per year growth and despite representing only 3% of credit in the financial system, has great prominence in rural finance, where 41% of loans originated in the cooperative sector has this goal, while SFN, does not reach 10% (Central Bank of Brazil, 2012). In terms of credit default cooperatives recorded peak of 2.39% in 2010, when the market rate of 5.9% recorded in the same period. Moreover, if contacted that the rates charged by credit unions in 2010 were on average 31% lower than those charged by conventional credit market. This provided a consumer surplus for members at R$ 2.87 billion in unpaid interest returning to the economy, demonstrating the importance of credit unions to increase the efficiency of the National Financial System.

El presente documento tiene por objetivo analizar el impacto de la introducción de impuestos en la industria de telefonía móvil. Un impuesto común en este sector es el canon cobrado para financiar las actividades de fiscalización y supervisión del uso del espectro radioeléctrico. Con tal fin, se modificó el modelo de competencia entre redes móviles propuesto por Laffont, Rey yTirole (1998), para lo que se introdujo tres diferentes estructuras impositivas: un impuesto específico por cada minuto de telefonía móvil (impuesto de tipo I), un impuesto en función de la participación de mercado de cada una de las redes (impuesto de tipo II) y un impuesto lump-sum (impuesto de tipo III). Como resultado del modelo se obtiene que las firmas consiguen trasladar a los consumidores el total del impuesto (disminuyendo el excedente del consumidor) cuando la estructura impositiva es tipo I y II. Por el contrario, cuando el impuesto es de tipo III, los precios y las cantidades de equilibrio, así como el excedente del consumidor, se mantienen constantes.---The present document has for aim analyze the impact of the introduction of taxes in the industry of mobile telephony. A common tax in this sector is the canon received to finance the activities of taxation and supervision of the use of the radio spectrum. With such an end, the competition model between mobile networks proposed by Laffont, Rey and Tirole (1998), was modified introducing three different tax structures: a tax I specify in every minute of mobile telephony (TaxType I), a tax depending on the participation of market of each one of the networks (tax type II) and a tax lump-sum (Tax Type III). Since results of the model, obtains that the signatures manage to move the consumers the whole of the tax (diminishing the consumer surplus) when the tax structure is a type I and type II. On the contrary, when the tax is of type III, the prices and the quantities of balance, as well as the surplus of the consumer, they have been keeping constant.

I used on-site interviews and angler counts to estimate angler effort, catch and harvest rates, and total catch and total harvest. On the Smith River, angling pressure per km was most intense in the special management area, with most use occurring on weekend days. Anglers harvested approximately 90% of the rainbow trout they caught, and 63% of the rainbow trout stocked during the study period. Anglers harvested only 5% of the brown trout they caught. Philpott Reservoir was overwhelmingly a nonconsumptive black bass fishery (anglers harvested only 9% of the black bass they caught). I also estimated net economic value of both fisheries using the travel cost method (TCM) and contingent valuation method (CVM). In addition to estimating net economic value for the fisheries under current fishing conditions, I also explored changes in economic value under different fishing scenarios and alternative flow regimes. On the Smith River, doubling an angler's chance of catching a large trout (> 16 in.) had the highest net economic value of any scenario in all three river sections. The wild trout scenario had the highest net economic value in the special management area. On Philpott Reservoir, doubling an angler's chance of catching a black bass had the highest net economic value. Total economic value (including angler expenditures) of both fisheries was $656,140, only $13,000 less than the value of power produced at Philpott Dam during Fiscal Year 1995. / Master of Science

This dissertation consists of three essays on Hedonic price method which is widely used in non-market good evaluation. The first chapter outlines three topics involved and briefly discusses the motivations and methods, as well we some conclusions in each of the following chapters. Chapter 2 uses a conventional first stage hedonic price method to estimate the effect of an aquatic invasive species (Eurasian watermilfoil) on lakefront property values at selected Vermont lakes. Results indicate that as the primary component of total aquatic macrophyte growth in a lake Eurasian watermilfoil significantly and substantially affects lakefront property values. As Eurasian watermilfoil infests a lake, adding to the total macrophyte growth, property values can diminish by <1% to 16% for incremental increases in the infestation level. Hence, policies that successfully prevent infestations have significant economic benefits to owners of lakefront properties and local communities. Chapter 3 focused on a previously unexplored potential impact of 9/11—the impact it may have had on housing prices near mosques. Using a unique dataset that combines the locations of functioning mosques with housing transactions near the time of 9/11, combined with a generalized difference-in-differences framework, we find that housing prices decreased by approximately 7% ($10,559 for the average home) in areas near mosques along the east coast of the U.S. on average in the two years following the attacks. However, on the west coast we find no evidence that 9/11 caused a systematic decrease in housing prices near mosques. Chapter 4 begins from a conventional model of hedonic equilibrium where a nonmarket amenity is conveyed as an attribute of a differentiated traded good. Different metropolitan areas may have different equilibrium price functions due to geographic variation in consumer preferences, income, and production costs. We demonstrate that under relatively mild restrictions on the geographic extent of taste-based sorting, indicator variables for metro areas define "imperfect instruments" that can be used to identify bounds on demand curves. Bounds on demand curves correspond to ranges of partial equilibrium welfare measures for non-marginal changes in environmental quality. We find these ranges to be informative in a preliminary application to evaluating the benefits of reducing cultural eutrophication of lakes in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. The last chapter concludes and discusses the insights for future research. / Ph. D.

Den svenska telekommarknaden präglas av en oligopolsituation, där de fyra största företagen utgör 97,5 procent av marknaden, och den främsta konkurrensen sker om befintliga kunder. TeliaSonera är marknadens största företag och de saluför de två operatörerna Telia och Halebop, medan Tele2 är det näst största företaget och de saluför operatörerna Tele2 och Comviq. Inom den svenska telekombranschen har operatörerna förhållandevis liknande tjänsteerbjudanden och det är därför viktigt att skapa sig ett starkt varumärke som differentierar sig ur mängden samt bidrar till att skapa synergieffekter för företag som har två varumärken. Ett varumärke kan användas för att skapa värde för både konsumenten och företaget samt etablera en relation mellan dessa parter. Det värde som företaget skapar med varumärket benämns som brand equity, vilket kan ses ur ett kundvärdebaserat respektive finansiellt perspektiv. Det finns dock oklarheter i hur detta värdeskapande faktiskt sker. Uppsatsens syftar därför till att analysera hur TeliaSonera och Tele2 hanterar brand equity samt vilka synergieffekter som kan uppnås av att använda sig utav två varumärken. Vidare har empirin frambringats genom en metodtriangulering bestående av en kvantitativ webbenkät för privatpersoner med ett kvalitativt inslag som är baserad på viktiga variabler relaterade till brand equity, djupintervjuer med företagsrepresentanter för TeliaSonera och Tele2, samt intervju med en marknadskommunikatör. Uppsatsen visar att de studerade företagen använder sig av två varumärken på olika sätt, där TeliaSonera skiljer sina operatörer i syfte att nå olika kundsegment, medan Tele2 skiljer dessa genom att fördela dem mellan kontantkort och abonnemang. Överlag visade sig branschen svag på att förmedla budskap till kunderna, vilket kan ses som en brist då det är viktigt för att kunden ska kunna identifiera sig med varumärket. Då operatören Halebop konkurrerar med Tele2 och Comviq om priskänsliga kunder, samtidigt som Halebop har ett högre kundupplevt värde gällande flera centrala variabler är detta något som Tele2 och Comviq måste hantera strategiskt. Då de båda företagen har flertalet ansvariga inom olika avdelningar som arbetar med olika typer av brand equity bör de inrätta en roll för en brand equity manager som kan integrera dessa olika personer och avdelningar, vilket kan skapa en högre effektivitet och synergieffekter för företaget och dess varumärken. / The Swedish telecommunications market is characterized as an oligopoly, where the four largest firms represent 97.5 percent of the market, and the main competition takes place regarding existing customers. TeliaSonera is the market's largest company who promotes the two operators Telia and Halebop, while Tele2 is the second largest company who promotes Tele2 and Comviq. Due to the Swedish telecom operators have relatively similar offerings, it is important to create a strong brand which differentiates itself from the crowd and helps to create synergies for companies that have two brands. A brand can be used to create value for both consumer and companies, and establish a relationship between these parties. The value that the company creates with the brand is referred to as brand equity, which could be viewed from a customer based or financial perspective. However, there is ambiguity in how this value creation is actually occurring. Therefore this paper regard to analyze how these companies handle brand equity, and study the synergies that can emerge from using two brands. Furthermore the empirical data has been generated by method triangulation, consisting a quantitative online survey with a qualitative element for consumers, that is based on key factors related to brand equity, along with interviews with representatives of the companies TeliaSonera and Tele2, and also with a market communicator. The study shows that the two companies are using two kinds of brands in separated ways, where TeliaSonera distinguish their operators in order to meet different customer segments, while Tele2 distinguishes them by distributing them between prepaid cards and subscriptions. Overall the industry was weak in transmission messages to customers, which can be seen as a weakness because it is important for customers to identify themselves with the brand. The operator Halebop competes with Tele2 and Comviq to price-sensitive customers, and regarding to that Halebop has a higher customer perceived value regarding several key factors, this is something that Tele2 and Comviq have to manage strategically. The two companies have multiple people in different departments working with brand equity, and they should therefore establish a role for a brand equity manager who can integrate the assignments, which can create greater efficiency and synergies for the company and its brands.