233 research outputs found
A social-economic study of land development for farm settlement at Butler's
Commissioned by: Commissioner of Crown Lands Department of Lands and Survey, Hokitika.The primary aim of the study is to identify the likely impacts of publicly-funded programmes of land development for farm settlement on the social life and economy of small communities in the West Coast Region.
As this is a preliminary, or scoping, type of analysis the investigation focuses on the identification of important issues regarding land development and settlement rather than a definitive assessment of particular impacts. Specifically, the study attempts to identify the key issues of major planning importance for the Butler's development block in Westland County. The proposed Butler's development, a 5427 hectare Lands and Survey Department block located between Ross and Hokitika, is representative of land development opportunities and related issues on the West Coast generally
The economics of rabbit control in Central Otago: A preliminary analysis
With contributions by J.M. Williams, J. Bell and T.M. Broad, Agricultural Research Division, Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries.
Prepared under contract for Agricultural Research Division Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, WellingtonThis paper reports a preliminary examination of the economic efficiency and equity implications of recent rabbit control policies and programmes. The Alexandra Pest Destruction Board in Central Otago was used as a case study.
Public and private expenditure data on rabbit control were collected and analysed for the period 1974-75 through 1981-82. Control programme benefits were estimated using data obtained in a survey of runholders and from historical production records. Programme costs were developed from actual expenditure data on control operations and administration based on Board records. While the estimated benefits are much less precise in comparison to programme costs, the results of the cost-benefit analysis suggest that significant cost savings can be achieved in meeting the stated objectives of current pest management policies. In particular, the level of annual expenditure in recent years on those lands which can be regarded as good natural habitat for the feral rabbit does not appear to be warranted, since such land types have an inherently low productive capacity and could not sustain the present level of control input on a 'user pays' basis. Although certain public benefits (e.g., land and water conservation) were not estimated, such benefits would have to be quite large to justify recent levels of annual taxpayer input into APDB control operations. The incidence of programme costs under present policy shows that most of the burden is borne by the tax-paying public. The report concludes with some suggestions to appraise these implications more accurately for regional and national public policy
GCIP water and energy budget synthesis (WEBS)
As part of the World Climate Research Program\u27s (WCRPs) Global Energy and Water-Cycle Experiment (GEWEX) Continental-scale International Project (GCIP), a preliminary water and energy budget synthesis (WEBS) was developed for the period 1996–1999 from the “best available” observations and models. Besides this summary paper, a companion CD-ROM with more extensive discussion, figures, tables, and raw data is available to the interested researcher from the GEWEX project office, the GAPP project office, or the first author. An updated online version of the CD-ROM is also available at http://ecpc.ucsd.edu/gcip/webs.htm/. Observations cannot adequately characterize or “close” budgets since too many fundamental processes are missing. Models that properly represent the many complicated atmospheric and near-surface interactions are also required. This preliminary synthesis therefore included a representative global general circulation model, regional climate model, and a macroscale hydrologic model as well as a global reanalysis and a regional analysis. By the qualitative agreement among the models and available observations, it did appear that we now qualitatively understand water and energy budgets of the Mississippi River Basin. However, there is still much quantitative uncertainty. In that regard, there did appear to be a clear advantage to using a regional analysis over a global analysis or a regional simulation over a global simulation to describe the Mississippi River Basin water and energy budgets. There also appeared to be some advantage to using a macroscale hydrologic model for at least the surface water budgets
The differential effects of concurrent planning practice elements on reunification and adoption
Objective: The child welfare practice of concurrent planning attempts to shorten children\u27s stays in foster care. There is very little quantitative research on concurrent planning\u27s effects. This study examines the influence of concurrent planning practice elements (reunification prognosis, concurrent plan, full disclosure, and discussion of voluntary relinquishment) on reunification and adoption. Method: Using a sample of 885 children, an observational design, and statistical controls, children who received concurrent planning elements were compared to those who did not. Results: Findings show discussion of voluntary relinquishment to be positively associated with adoption and full disclosure to be negatively associated with reunification. Conclusions: Concurrent planning\u27s benefits may require more intensive services to be fully realized. Care should be taken to ensure activities achieve their intended effects
Reunifying from behind bars: A quantitative study of the relationship between parental incarceration, service use, and foster care reunification
Incarcerated parents attempting to reunify with their children in foster care can find it difficult to complete the activities on their court-ordered case plans, such as drug treatment services and visitation with children. Although much has been written regarding the obstacles that are likely to interfere with reunification for incarcerated parents, very little quantitative research has examined the topic. This study uses secondary data to examine the incarceration experiences and reunification outcomes of a sample of 225 parents in one large urban California county. In multivariate analysis controlling for problems and demographics, incarcerated parents were less likely to reunify with their children; however, service use appeared to mediate this relationship, as the negative association between incarceration and reunification did not persist when service use was included as a variable in the model. Suggestions are made for policy and practice changes to improve reunification outcomes for this population of parents.
Salinity management options for the Colorado River. Damage estimates and control program impacts
Rivers draining arid basins increase in salinity content in the downstream area to the point where water users are often significantly damaged. The problem in some cases can be ameliorated by altering upstream water and land use practices. An economic trade off exists between the cost of such upstream efforts and the downstream benefits achieved. This report examines options for salinity management in the Colorado River Basin. The study sought to provide additional information to estimate 1) economic damages caused by various salt concentrations to agricultural and municipal water users and 2) economic costs of salinity control measures by upstream water users. Damages were estimated for high salinity levels to provide guidelines to project future conditions. Control costs were estimated with a physical model developed to predict the response of soil, water, and crop factors. Input-output models were used to estimate indirect economic impacts. Agricultural damages for each milligram per liter of salt concentration at Imperial Dam in the 900 to 1400 range were estimated to be #33,100 annually. Of the total, 11,400 for the 11,200 for Central Arizona and 2.20 per ton. The comparison of the reduction measures showed on-farm practices to be the last expensive alternative for reducing salinity. Based on an approximation that 1 mg/1 at Imperial Dam is equivalent to 10,000 tons of salt, the above estimated benefits of salinity reduction would be about $17 per ton. Salinity control projects at Paradox Valley and acreage retirements in the Grand and Uncompaghre Valleys were found to be economically justified but lining the Grand Valley Canal was not. The above estimates are approximations obtained from available data and can be improved by further studies to cover additional cost and benefit effects or by more comprehensive data the effects covered
Effects of nitrogen availability on polymalic acid biosynthesis in the yeast-like fungus Aureobasidium pullulans
Stochastic Modeling of the Effects of Large-Scale Circulation on Daily Weather in the Southeastern U.S.
- …