Economic Implications of Biological Control of Arundo donax in the Texas Rio Grande Basin

ABSTRACT Arundo donax, or giant reed, is a large, bamboo-like plant that is native to Spain and has invaded several thousand acres of the Rio Grande riparian zone in Texas and Mexico. The plant grows to over 26 feet tall, and consumes large quantities of water, estimated as an amount equivalent to about 11% of irrigation water diverted by Valley irrigation districts (i.e., some estimates are more than 5.5 acre-feet per acre). With concern of increased water demands in the Texas Lower Rio Grande Valley region, the United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service (USDA)ARS) is investigating four herbivorous insects as potential biological control agents for Arundo donax to facilitate increased water supply. This study examines selected economic implications for agricultural water users in the United States of applying these biological control agents along the Rio Grande. The research includes (a) estimating the value of the water saved due to the reduction of Arundo donax, (b) a benefit -cost analyses, (c) regional economic impact analyses, and (d) an estimate of the per-unit cost of water saved over a 50-year planning horizon (2009 through 2058). The model ArundoEcon© is used to perform a baseline deterministic analyses using low- and high-value irrigated composite acre values. That is, the saved water is initially valued based on being applied to agriculture as irrigation. Since the actual crop mix irrigated with the saved water is unknown, a range is provided by assuming all irrigated crops are “low-value,” and then again by including both “lowvalue” and “high-value” irrigated crops. Results of the water amount saved are 2/9 of the amount consumed, or approximately one acrefoot of water for each acre of Arundo. For each acre-foot of water saved, 1.85 dryland acres can be converted to low-value crop acres, and 0.71 can be converted to high-value crop acres. Regional economic results indicate a present value of farm-level benefits ranging from $98 to$160 million. Benefit-cost ratios are calculated with normalized prices and indicate a range from 4.38 to 8.81. Sensitivity analyses provide a robust set of results for Arundo agricultural water use, effectiveness of control agents, replacement species’ water use, Arundo expansion rate after control, value of water, and the cost of the program. The pre-production processes and farm-gate economic impact analyses are estimated using multipliers from the IMPLAN model. Regional results reveal a range of $9 to$18 million annually in economic output and 197 to 351 jobs associated with the increase in gross revenues due to the control of Arundo donax for the year 2025. Values for other select years are also provided. Further results suggest a life-cycle cost per acre-foot of water saved of $44. This amount is comparable to other projects designed to conserve water in the region. The USDA)ARS, Weslaco, Texas Arundo donax biological control project will realize positive results as indicated by the benefit-cost ratios, economic impact analyses, and competitive results for the per-unit cost of saving water. These results indicate this project will have positive economic implications for the U.S. and the Texas Lower Rio Grande Valley

Masculinity Ideology and Forgiveness of Racial Discrimination among African American Men: Direct and Interactive Relationships

Forgiveness research has focused almost exclusively on interpersonal transgressions committed in close relationships. Consequently, less is known about factors informing forgiveness of non-intimate actors. The current study addresses these gaps by investigating correlates of forgiveness over racial discrimination among African American men (N=171). Specifically, we explore relationships between the endorsement of traditional masculine ideology (e.g., restrictive emotionality), overall forgiveness, forgiveness with positive affect, and forgiveness with the absence of negative affect. Links between personality, religiosity, social support, discrimination experiences, and these forms of forgiveness also are examined. Restrictive emotionality emerged as a barrier to forgiveness of discrimination. However, the relationship between restrictive emotionality and forgiveness was moderated by age, socioeconomic status, personality, and religious coping disposition

An Economic Analysis of Erosion and Sediment Damage in the Duck Creek Watershed, Dickens County, Texas

The Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1972, Public Law 92-500, established a national goal of eliminating the discharge of pollutants into the nation's waterways by 1985. As a step toward that goal an interim water quality standard of "fishable, swimmable waters nationwide" by July 1, 1983 was determined. Under section 208 of this law, each state was required to establish a "continuing planning process" to define controls for agricultural non-point sources of water pollution. Section 208 calls for the development of state and area-wide water quality management plans The plans are to include "a process to (i) identify if appropriate? agriculturally and silviculturally related non-point sources of pollution, including runoff from manure disposal areas, and from land used for livestock and crop production, and (ii) set forth procedures and methods (including land use requirements) to control to the extent feasible such sources." The water quality issue of concern in this study is fertilizer and pesticide residuals carried into waterways by sediment. Since sediment is a potential transporter of pollutants, practices to control agricultural non-point source pollution would probably be aimed at reducing soil loss. Conservation and conservation related practices are, at present, considered the best technical practices to abate agricultural non-point source pollution. This study examines the economic impact of various policies that could be used to reduce soil loss. Both regulatory and voluntary policies are considered. Economic impacts examined include: (a) impacts of the policies on farm income; (b) government costs associated with the policies, including administration costs; (c) off-site sediment damages that would be abated; and (d) social desirability of the policies. The first section of the report describes the selected "Best Management Practices" and examines the on-farm economics of soil conservation. Then, the second section postulates various sediment damage control options and models the economic consequences, both to agricultural producers as a group? and to society of implementing them

Economic Implications of Conventional Water Treatment Versus Desalination: A Dual Case Study

Most municipalities use conventional treatment to produce potable water. Historically, desalination has not been economically feasible, but technological advancements warrant a new analysis. This study analyzes the costs of two Texas municipal facilities producing water using the above technologies based on Capital Budgeting-NPV analysis combined with annuity equivalents

An Economic Analysis of Erosion and Sediment Damage in the Lower Running Draw Watershed

The development and implementation of agricultural non-point source (NPS) pollution control plans was mandated by the 1972 Federal Pollution Control Act Amendments, Public Law 92-500. The purpose of this particular report is to present the results of a study on the economic impact of implementing potential agricultural NPS pollution controls in Lower Running Water Draw watershed. The study focuses on: (a) the effects of erosion control on farm income, (b) off-site sediment damages in the watershed; (c) the costs of administering and enforcing alternative erosion controls, and (d) on-farm economics of soil conservation practices. Erosion controls considered include the traditional voluntary programs combined with economic incentives as well as possible regulatory programs. The focus of the study is on erosion and sedimentation because sediment is a potential transporter of pollutants. Practices to control agricultural non-point source pollution would probably be aimed at reducing soil loss. Conservation and conservation related practices are, at present, considered the best technical practices to abate agricultural non-point source pollution. This is a study of both conservation and environmental economics, two areas that tend to be closely related. For this project, the concern was over potential pollution (an off-site problem), but because of long-run farm income consequences, this concern cannot be separated from conservation problems (an on-farm problem). Accordingly, the report contains substantial information on the short and long-run on-farm benefits and costs of various soil conservation practices for the specific soil mapping units in Lower Running Water Draw watershed. The results of this study are applicable to the majority of the soils in the High Plains Land Resource Area. Only sheet and rill erosion are considered in the study. The first section of the report describes the selected "Best Management Practices" and examines the on-farm economics of soil conservation. The second section postulates various sediment damage control options and models the economic consequences of implementation, both to agricultural producers as a group, and to society