This research documents the societal worth of riparian resources in the Southwestern United States. Two case studies are developed for this inquiry, the first being Aravaipa Canyon Wilderness in Southern Arizona, an area containing one of the last perennial streams in the Sonoran Desert bioregion. A hiking use value per visitor-day is estimated via the Travel Cost Method at $25.06 and $17.31 (2003 dollars) respectively for two access sites. I hypothesize the value discrepancy to indicate a premium for remote recreation. These valuation results compare well with other published recreational use value estimates, though it is the only valuation study associated with instream recreation in the Sonoran Desert of which I am aware. Indeed the environmental valuation literature is thin for the desert region in any respect.The second case study values public restoration preferences for the Albuquerque reach of the Rio Grande in Central New Mexico. A Choice Experiment and Contingent Valuation are employed within an original survey instrument to estimate human values for various restoration strategies planned for the region. Through focus groups and stakeholder interactions four restoration attributes were defined: vegetation density; tree type; fish and wildlife population; and natural river processes. Quantified values for Albuquerque area households were estimated for each restoration attribute level of change, allowing construction of total benefits anticipated for various restoration scenarios considered for the region. This research is at the vanguard of quantifying human benefit for saltcedar control, and this particular restoration characteristic was the most highly valued of all, at $59.03 per household per year. Full restoration was valued at $156.60 per household per year. These results have meaning beyond the study area since river restoration efforts are increasing across the Western US, with many focusing on controlling saltcedar, an exotic invasive plant.The final phase of this research integrates riparian valuation concepts within a dynamic simulation framework to guide systems-level riparian management. Control variables are combined with known valuation pathways to predict riparian investment funding optimal in benefit-cost ratio. The model is built for the Middle Rio Grande in Albuquerque, however it was designed for easy adaptation to other Southwestern riparian areas. A detailed forest module is included, through which seven defined forest stocks may be managed through thinning, clearing, and revegetation. River management may occur through environmental river flow releases, reconstructing stream-overbank connections, and wetland construction. Recreational amenities may be improved through the four infrastructure categories of trails, toilet facilities, picnic areas, and parking areas. Benefits and costs are estimated through original research and region benefit transfer, and tracked for different investment scenarios to predict the highest-return strategies over a 100 year planning horizon. A sensitivity analysis is used to suggest areas of future research.

<p> Renewable portfolio standards have been widely adopted by the many states due in large part to their broad political appeal. Of particular note is the significance that labor market impacts have played in the rhetoric for adopting renewable portfolio standards--they are commonly touted and perceived as net job creating policies. No robust analysis has yet been performed to assess the effectiveness of renewable portfolio standards in achieving this policy goal, however. </p><p> Through regression analysis that directly accounts for previously unconsidered selection biases, this work seeks to approach the question of labor market impacts and determine to what extent renewable portfolio standards have affected employment within the electricity industry as well as the broader economy at both the state and regional levels. </p><p> The presence of selection bias, identified via a Maddala Two-Stage Treatment Effects Model, was found to significantly impact coefficient estimates. Once these biases were econometrically factored out, RPS policies were found to be unambiguously effective at increasing the share of the electricity portfolio provided by renewable energy. The resultant expansion in renewable energy capacity was in turn found to have several statistically significant labor market impacts at both the state and regional levels. </p><p> At the state level, RPS policies are associated with ceteris paribus increases in employment in RE related fields (including installation and production), a decrease in employment in the broader electrical generation sector, and provided no statistically significant impact on overall employment within a state. At the regional level the benefits of RPS policies appear far greater. Under a regional specification an estimated ceteris paribus increase in employment in RE related fields, no statistically significant impact on overall employment in the electrical generation sector, and an increase in total region-wide employment was observed. Estimates of gains of approximately 2% in total regional employment are supported. The discrepancy between state and regional impacts was attributed to both labor and renewable energy capacity leakages across state borders, driven by economies of agglomeration; causing neighboring states to benefit from a local adoption of the RPS policy.</p>

<p>At a meeting of worl leaders at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, it was recognized that because of the tremendous increase in the size of the global populations (which now is estimated to exceed six billion), there were concerns that global biodiversity was at risk if insufficient land were not put aside for conservation within formal Protected Areas. The primary aim of this study was to compare investment in Protected Areas in relation to socio-economic conditions at global and regional levels.</p>

<p>Developing countries often hoard the largest number of species, but also experience very high poverty levels. This dissertation reviews the evidence of the performance common conservation interventions. I find that despite the billions of dollars channeled towards conservation efforts annually, there is still very limited evidence whether or not conservation policies work. The evidence has been limited to exceptional countries like Costa Rica and Thailand and outlines like deforestation, without considering ecosystem function and ecosystem services. Furthermore, I find that the conservation impact evaluation literature has currently not highlighted the channels through which conservation policies effect change and how the effectiveness varies with the baseline characteristics of the area. </p><p>This dissertation aims to address some of the gaps in current conservation literature. Focusing on Indonesia between 2000 and 2006, I evaluate the performance of protected areas in terms of stalling deforestation as well as providing a wide range of ecosystem services and benefits (Chapter 2). In Chapter 3 I examine the role of context in which protected areas operate and show significant heterogeneity in their performance. In Chapter 4 I develop a static spatially explicit model of household fuelwood extraction that allows me to predict the location and magnitude of spillovers when a protected area is introduced. I find that depending on the characteristics of the areas, it may be optimal for households to buy fuelwood than collect it.</p> / Dissertation

Schriftenreihe

<p>At a meeting of worl leaders at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, it was recognized that because of the tremendous increase in the size of the global populations (which now is estimated to exceed six billion), there were concerns that global biodiversity was at risk if insufficient land were not put aside for conservation within formal Protected Areas. The primary aim of this study was to compare investment in Protected Areas in relation to socio-economic conditions at global and regional levels.</p>

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Tufts University, 2000. / Adviser: Stephen H. Levine. Submitted to the Dept. of Civil Engineering. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 259-277). Access restricted to members of the Tufts University community. Also available via the World Wide Web;

Thesis (M.Env.St.) -- University of Adelaide, Mawson Graduate Centre for Environmental Studies, 2000? / Bibliography: leaves 64-66.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2008. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wyoming, 2007. / Title from PDF title page (viewed on Feb. 6, 2009). Includes bibliographical references (p. 137-147).