Valuing Non-market Goods: Three Essays on Outdoor Recreation

Millions of people annually participate in a variety of nature-based outdoor activities on public lands. While the recreation spending these people bring to an area is helpful in characterizing the economic contribution of recreation activities in the local economy, the total value of many natural resource amenities for recreational use is not fully understood. This is mainly because of the non-market nature of natural resource amenities, which often lack market data to characterize the monetary value. Revealed preference non-market valuation methods such as travel cost modeling allow modeling demand for access to sites of recreational potential with respect to cost of travel and thereby estimate the economic value of site access. The essays included in this dissertation utilize methods grounded in travel cost theory to address three unique problems related to economic valuation of outdoor recreation resources.This first essay employs an individual travel cost model with onsite survey data of national forests visitors to investigate the economic value of downhill skiing. The model is extended to project the potential effects of climate change on demand and value of downhill skiing in the foreseeable future. The second essay applies a similar valuation framework on nationwide visitor survey data to assess and compare the demand for and value of non-motorized boating access between Wild and Scenic Rivers designated and non-designated rivers. Although no significant difference exists between designated and non-designated rivers, the findings of this study underscore the importance of various site characteristics in recreational value. The third essay utilizes a zonal travel cost model of hunting permit application to address a unique issue of valuation in the presence of lottery-rationed demand. Specific findings incorporated in these three essays and the overall conclusions drawn from these studies will help resource managers, and planners understand the net benefit and public value of nature-based recreation resources and guide in management and policy making

Study of Culture and Sensitivity Pattern In Urinary Tract Infections in A Tertiary Care Center in Nepal

The main purpose of this study was to find out the causative agents of urinary tract infections (UTI) and their culture and antibiotic sensitivity in patients visiting Tribhuvan University and Teaching Hospital (TUTH). A retrospective study conducted among 155 patients, aged from 25-50 years with culture-positive UTI, who visited TUTH from 1st April 2017 to 30th September 2017. A culture of midstream urine was done to find out causative agents and their antibiotic sensitivity performed. Data were evaluated using Microsoft Excel 2016. Female were more affected than males. Escherichia coli (E. coli) was the most common microbes causing UTI in 53% patients. Most of the isolates on culture were Multi-Drug Resistant (MDR) strains to comprise 52%. Of the total gram-negative organisms, 33.9% were Extended Spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) producers, and 3.57% were Metallo β-lactamase (MBL) producers. 29.41% of Staphylococcus were resistant to methicillin. E.coli is the most common organism causing UTI among adults. Multidrug-resistant has appeared alarming with resistant to most of the first line antibiotics

Men's overseas migration and women's mobility and decision-making in rural Nepalese families

This research investigates the ability of women,after the temporary overseas migration of their husbands,to define their priorities and act upon them within household and community spaces in the multi-cultural environment of two distinct geographical locations of Nepal - in the hills and the plains. Based on surveys and in-depth interviews with the women, semi-structured discussions with their neighbours, and a series of observations, this study examines the convertibility of men's migration into the agency of women, in response to the research question - what are the changes in women's abilities to set priorities and act upon them when their husbands migrate and leave them behind? Specifically: a) How do women negotiate decision-making with their husbands when they are working abroad?; b) How do women manage their mobility and community participation in a society where they are constrained by stringent social norms and practices?; and c) How do women's social position and identity change over the period of the men's absence? This research argues that the migration of husbands has not made women dependent, but instead has created the scope to access decision-making processes, financial and non-financial resources, social networks, and information about services, which have collectively enriched women's ability, identity, and agency, despite having to perform some roles which contradict the prevailing social values and practices. The women have increasingly managed their resources and negotiated at different levels according to the length of their husband's migration. Therefore, the temporary separation of husbands and wives in the patriarchal Nepalese villages has been beneficial to the women, enhancing their negotiation and bargaining power, and their ability to challenge the patriarchal institutions as capable agents. In addition, this research argues that the women increased their voice in decision-making when they gained access to information through networking and exposure. The linking capital of women connected them to political decision-making and financial resources, and enhanced their capacity to leverage resources, and information from formal institutions. These social networks are the symbolic power which has offered women a legitimate base for their social position. Thus, while agency has built social capital, social capital has become the means to enhancing the agency of individuals, resulting in a virtuous cycle of change. Therefore, this research establishes exposure and information as two of the major elements in increasing the bargaining power of Nepalese women in trans-national families. However, these women perform their roles despite several restrictions and challenges. With these factors taken into consideration, this research recommends a number of areas that require further understanding. The question of women's agency and decision-making scope after men return from their migration in patriarchal societies is one. Similarly, the experiences that migrant women bring to the community, and the pressures they face in a patriarchal society, help to understand the experiences of the returned migrant women. Finally, an analysis of the differences between women, their capacities and social networking, despite having similar external environments, would help to identify the stimuli for individual behaviours

Postsecondary Students\u27 Perceptions of Water Issues and Water-Related Educational Interests

We conducted a nonexperimental, descriptive study to better understand Oklahoma State University students\u27 perceptions of water issues and relevant learning preferences using a 56-item survey instrument we based on the 2008 Water Issues in Oklahoma survey. In total, 103 agriculture students participated in our survey. Clean drinking water was their top concern, but few understood potential risks to water supplies. Additionally, participants expressed only modest interest in learning more about water issues. They indicated that they preferred learning via digital media and traditional fact sheets and expressed little interest in learning via apps, in-person events, and newspaper articles. Our results have implications for delivering water education programs to younger college-educated adults

Estimating the effects of fish quality and size on the economic value of fishing in Oklahoma streams and rivers: A revealed preference and contingent behavior approach

Fishing in Oklahoma's rivers and streams provides a unique experience for anglers in the state. Despite its popularity, information on total demand and economic benefits associated with stream fishing is limited in the state. Research on the role of site quality indicators, such as fish size and quantity, on recreational fishing has shown mixed results. Whether fish size or quantity plays an important role in determining fishing demand and economic value may have important management implications. We estimated the demand and economic value of fishing under varying scenarios by using anglers' responses to hypothetical behavioral questions related to fishing in Ozark Highland streams and rivers in Oklahoma. We asked how intended number of trips might change in the future given hypothetical increases in catch rates of fish, catch rates of trophy-sized fish, and catch rates of preferred fish species, in combination with anglers' trip-related data. Under current conditions, we estimated consumer surplus per person per trip to be $55 and aggregate value across all stream anglers in Oklahoma to be$68.51 million. Changes in marginal benefits varied among hypothetical scenarios of fish size and abundance but was maximized with a 25% increase in catch rates of trophy-sized fish. The study findings contribute to the understanding of the economic benefit of fishing in streams and suggest that fish size, rather than fish quantity, is more important to stream anglers in the area.Peer reviewedNatural Resource Ecology and ManagementIntegrative Biolog

An uneven playing field: regulatory barriers to communities making a living from the timber from their forests–examples from Cambodia, Nepal and Vietnam

Community forestry (CF) is widely viewed as the solution to many of the challenges facing forest management and governance in the Asia-Pacific region. However, it is often felt that CF is not delivering on its potential. This paper focuses on one possible limitation: the role of regulations in curbing communities’ ability to make a living from their timber resources. The work covers Cambodia, Nepal and Vietnam, using policy analyses, national level experts’ workshops, and focus group discussions in two CF sites in each country. The results highlight the fact that there are numerous, often prohibitive, regulations in place. One challenge is the regulations’ complexity, often requiring a level of capacity far beyond the ability of community members and local government staff. The paper puts forward various recommendations including simplifying regulations and making them more outcome-based, and facilitating key stakeholders, including government and community based organizations, working together on the design and piloting of forest monitoring based on mutually agreed forest management outcomes. The recommendations reflect the belief that for CF to succeed, communities must be allowed to make a meaningful living from their forests, a result of which would be increased investment in sustainable forest management

Correlation of Alfvén Mach number with field aligned current, polar cap potential and dawn dusk electric field during Quiet and extreme solar wind conditions

128-138This paper has been performed to study the Alfvenic Mach number (M­A) in relation to Field Aligned Currents (FACs), Polar Cap Potential (PCV), Dawn Dusk Electric Field (Ey) during different geomagnetic conditions. The relations of M­A with FACs, PCV and interplanetary electric field (IEF)-EY not solely dependent on any solar wind parameter but also associate with prior, main, and post conditions of geomagnetic storms. This study has shown that Prior to the arrival of interplanetary shock (IS),  and  show good relationship with FAC, PCV, EFY, and solar wind parameters, as the space weather seems unperturbed. The positive correlations among the various parameters have obtained due to the merging of two different interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs) driven solar storms and consequential intense southward interplanetary magnetic field. The negative relationships among the selected parameters may have been due to the slow recovery of the IMF-Bz component. This study indicate that the preceding solar winds could be associatedon the variance of M­A of a geomagnetic event, in turn might have its effects on FACs, PCV, Ey and in other solar wind parameters

Withdrawing from agrarian livelihoods: environmental migration in Nepal

Although about two-thirds of Nepalese families depend on agriculture as their major source of income, the agriculture is mostly rain-fed and it has been adversely affected by water hazards and the subsequent degradation of resources. Based on case studies from three different geographical regions in Nepal, this research examines how environmental factors cause decreasing crop production and push people to abandon agriculture and accept emigration for employment. The research findings suggest a chain of push factors starting from drought or erratic rainfall causing water hazards, which impacts on depletion of crops and livestock, losses in income and employment and increased human mobility and emigration. The paper argues that the Government of Nepal and development partners can be more effective in enabling agrarian families to cope with the water hazards and shocks by formulating pro-poor mitigation and adaptation policies and strategies, focusing both on ‘rapid-onset’ and ‘slow-onset’ water hazards

Impact of Disturbances on Species Diversity and Regeneration of Nepalese Sal (Shorea robusta) Forests Managed under Different Management Regimes

Sal (Shorea robusta) forests, a dominant forest type in Nepal, experience different disturbance intensities depending on management regimes. This study compares the impact of disturbance on Nepalese Sal forests, which are managed on three major management regimes: protected area, state-managed forest, and buffer zone community forest. Using a systematic sampling approach, we sampled 20 plots, each covering 500 square meters, and nested plots within each main plot to measure pole and regeneration for each management regime. We recorded forest characteristics including tree species, counts, diameter, height, crown cover, and disturbance indicators. We compared forest attributes such as diversity indices, species richness, and stand structure by management regime using analysis of variance and regression analysis. The forest management regimes were classified into three disturbance levels based on disturbance factor bundles, and the buffer zone community forest was found to have the highest disturbance while the protected forest had the lowest disturbance. Species richness, diversity, evenness, abundance, density and basal area were higher, but regeneration was lower in protected area and state-managed forest compared to the buffer zone community forests. This suggests positive impacts of moderate disturbance on regeneration. The management plan should prioritize the minimization of excessive disturbance to balance forest conservation and provide forest resources to local users