Ebook: The Economics of Forest Disturbances: Wildfires, Storms, and Invasive Species

This book provides a unique, state-of-the-art review of both traditional and emerging themes in the economics of natural forest disturbances. Although natural disturbances such as wildfire, hurricanes and pests have long been recognized as important factors influencing the structure and health of forests, recent and dramatic increases in the costs and damages associated with forest disturbances necessitates a new evaluation of these processes. The authors show that neo-classical economic principles can be integrated with ecosystem analysis and modern econometric methods to uncover the causes and consequences of natural forest disturbances. The chapters encompass modern areas of concern in forest economics and policy, including temporal and spatial dynamics of economic-ecologic systems, risk-reducing mitigation and adaptation strategies, and the valuation of impacts on market and non-market resources. These topics are developed with case studies demonstrating rigorous empirical analysis with a policy-oriented focus. The book is intended for forest policy analysts and decision-makers, risk managers, forest economists and graduate students studying natural resource economics.

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This book provides a unique, state-of-the-art review of both traditional and emerging themes in the economics of natural forest disturbances. Although natural disturbances such as wildfire, hurricanes and pests have long been recognized as important factors influencing the structure and health of forests, recent and dramatic increases in the costs and damages associated with forest disturbances necessitates a new evaluation of these processes. The authors show that neo-classical economic principles can be integrated with ecosystem analysis and modern econometric methods to uncover the causes and consequences of natural forest disturbances. The chapters encompass modern areas of concern in forest economics and policy, including temporal and spatial dynamics of economic-ecologic systems, risk-reducing mitigation and adaptation strategies, and the valuation of impacts on market and non-market resources. These topics are developed with case studies demonstrating rigorous empirical analysis with a policy-oriented focus. The book is intended for forest policy analysts and decision-makers, risk managers, forest economists and graduate students studying natural resource economics.

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This book provides a unique, state-of-the-art review of both traditional and emerging themes in the economics of natural forest disturbances. Although natural disturbances such as wildfire, hurricanes and pests have long been recognized as important factors influencing the structure and health of forests, recent and dramatic increases in the costs and damages associated with forest disturbances necessitates a new evaluation of these processes. The authors show that neo-classical economic principles can be integrated with ecosystem analysis and modern econometric methods to uncover the causes and consequences of natural forest disturbances. The chapters encompass modern areas of concern in forest economics and policy, including temporal and spatial dynamics of economic-ecologic systems, risk-reducing mitigation and adaptation strategies, and the valuation of impacts on market and non-market resources. These topics are developed with case studies demonstrating rigorous empirical analysis with a policy-oriented focus. The book is intended for forest policy analysts and decision-makers, risk managers, forest economists and graduate students studying natural resource economics.

Content:
Front Matter....Pages i-xiii
An Introduction to the Economics of Forest Disturbance....Pages 3-14
Forest Economics, Natural Disturbances and the New Ecology....Pages 15-32
Natural Disturbance Production Functions....Pages 35-58
Statistical Analysis of Large Wildfires....Pages 59-77
The Production of Large and Small Wildfires....Pages 79-106
Climatology for Wildfire Management....Pages 107-122
Wildland Arson Management....Pages 123-147
Designing Economic Impact Assessments for USFS Wildfire Programs....Pages 151-166
Timber Salvage Economics....Pages 167-190
Wildfire and the Economic Value of Wilderness Recreation....Pages 191-208
Forest Disturbance Impacts on Residential Property Values....Pages 209-228
Contingent Valuation of Fuel Hazard Reduction Treatments....Pages 229-243
Analyzing Trade-Offs Between Fuels Management, Suppression, and Damages from Wildfire....Pages 247-272
A Review of State and Local Regulation for Wildfire Mitigation....Pages 273-293
Economic Analysis of Federal Wildfire Management Programs....Pages 295-322
Incentives and Wildfire Management in the United States....Pages 323-340
Forecasting Wildfire Suppression Expenditures for the United States Forest Service....Pages 341-360
Toward a Unified Economic Theory of Fire Program Analysis with Strategies for Empirical Modeling....Pages 361-380
Economic Aspects of Invasive Forest Pest Management....Pages 381-406
Back Matter....Pages 407-415