Chi Nguyen, Uwe Latacz-Lohmann, Nick Hanley, Sayed Iftekhar
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
How best to achieve spatially-coordinated environmental outcomes using reverse auctions has become a research question of growing interest. This paper makes a first attempt to systematically investigate the combined effects of the spatial configuration of landscape and landholder-to-landholder communication on auction performance in delivering landscape-scale environmental improvements. We provide novel insights into the importance of the regulator's knowledge about landscape configuration when implementing auctions for landscape-scale environmental management. Using lab experiments, we vary the spatial correlations of opportunity costs and environmental benefits (positive, negative, no correlation) and the availability of costly communication in stylized agricultural landscapes, where the environmental goal is to establish corridors and stepping stones to facilitate the movement of wildlife species. Results show that bidding behaviour, the degree of spatial coordination and cost-effectiveness are significantly different across these three types of landscape configuration. Auctions perform worst in landscapes where opportunity costs and environmental benefits are negatively correlated. Communication promotes spatially-coordinated conservation effort, but its effects on bidding behaviour depend on landscape configuration. The interplay of a positive spatial correlation with communication was found to best promote spatial coordination, although willingness to incur communication costs by landholders varies with landscape configuration.
期刊介绍:
Ecological Economics is concerned with extending and integrating the understanding of the interfaces and interplay between "nature''s household" (ecosystems) and "humanity''s household" (the economy). Ecological economics is an interdisciplinary field defined by a set of concrete problems or challenges related to governing economic activity in a way that promotes human well-being, sustainability, and justice. The journal thus emphasizes critical work that draws on and integrates elements of ecological science, economics, and the analysis of values, behaviors, cultural practices, institutional structures, and societal dynamics. The journal is transdisciplinary in spirit and methodologically open, drawing on the insights offered by a variety of intellectual traditions, and appealing to a diverse readership.
Specific research areas covered include: valuation of natural resources, sustainable agriculture and development, ecologically integrated technology, integrated ecologic-economic modelling at scales from local to regional to global, implications of thermodynamics for economics and ecology, renewable resource management and conservation, critical assessments of the basic assumptions underlying current economic and ecological paradigms and the implications of alternative assumptions, economic and ecological consequences of genetically engineered organisms, and gene pool inventory and management, alternative principles for valuing natural wealth, integrating natural resources and environmental services into national income and wealth accounts, methods of implementing efficient environmental policies, case studies of economic-ecologic conflict or harmony, etc. New issues in this area are rapidly emerging and will find a ready forum in Ecological Economics.