The Local Labor Market Impacts of US Megafires

As we learn to sustainably coexist with wildfire, there is an urgent need to improve our understanding of its multidimensional impacts on society. To this end, we undertake a nationwide study to estimate how megafires (wildfires \u3e 100,000 acres in size) affect US labor market outcomes in communities located within the flame zone. Both year-of-fire and over-time dynamic impacts are studied between 2010−2017. We find that counties located within a megafire flame zone experience significantly lower per capita wage earnings across multiple sources of earnings data for up to two years after megafire event occurrence. We find preliminary evidence that impacts are nonlinear over megafire size. These results highlight a new dimension of megafire impacts and expand the scope of the potential costs of megafires that should be considered in benefit-cost analyses of wildfire control and suppression decisions, especially along sustainability dimensions

Using Economic Instruments to Develop Effective Management of Invasive Species: Insights From a Bioeconomic Model

Economic growth is recognized as an important factor associated with species invasions. Consequently, there is increasing need to develop solutions that combine economics and ecology to inform invasive species management. We developed a model combining economic, ecological, and sociological factors to assess the degree to which economic policies can be used to control invasive plants. Because invasive plants often spread across numerous properties, we explored whether property owners should manage invaders cooperatively as a group by incorporating the negative effects of invader spread in management decisions (collective management) or independently, whereby the negative effects of invasive plant spread are ignored (independent management). Our modeling approach used a dynamic optimization framework, and we applied the model to invader spread using Linaria vulgaris. Model simulations allowed us to determine the optimal management strategy based on net benefits for a range of invader densities. We found that optimal management strategies varied as a function of initial plant densities. At low densities, net benefits were high for both collective and independent management to eradicate the invader, suggesting the importance of early detection and eradication. At moderate densities, collective management led to faster and more frequent invader eradication compared to independent management. When we used a financial penalty to ensure that independent properties were managed collectively, we found that the penalty would be most feasible when levied on a property\u27s perimeter boundary to control spread among properties. At the highest densities, the optimal management strategy was “do nothing” because the economic costs of removal were too high relative to the benefits of removal. Spatial variation in L. vulgaris densities resulted in different optimal management strategies for neighboring properties, making a formal economic policy to encourage invasive species removal critical. To accomplish the management and enforcement of these economic policies, we discuss modification of existing agencies and infrastructure. Finally, a sensitivity analysis revealed that lowering the economic cost of invader removal would strongly increase the probability of invader eradication. Taken together, our results provide quantitative insight into management decisions and economic policy instruments that can encourage invasive species removal across a social landscape

Using Economic Instruments to Develop Effective Management of Invasive Species: Insights From a Bioeconomic Model

Economic growth is recognized as an important factor associated with species invasions. Consequently, there is increasing need to develop solutions that combine economics and ecology to inform invasive species management. We developed a model combining economic, ecological, and sociological factors to assess the degree to which economic policies can be used to control invasive plants. Because invasive plants often spread across numerous properties, we explored whether property owners should manage invaders cooperatively as a group by incorporating the negative effects of invader spread in management decisions (collective management) or independently, whereby the negative effects of invasive plant spread are ignored (independent management). Our modeling approach used a dynamic optimization framework, and we applied the model to invader spread using Linaria vulgaris. Model simulations allowed us to determine the optimal management strategy based on net benefits for a range of invader densities. We found that optimal management strategies varied as a function of initial plant densities. At low densities, net benefits were high for both collective and independent management to eradicate the invader, suggesting the importance of early detection and eradication. At moderate densities, collective management led to faster and more frequent invader eradication compared to independent management. When we used a financial penalty to ensure that independent properties were managed collectively, we found that the penalty would be most feasible when levied on a property\u27s perimeter boundary to control spread among properties. At the highest densities, the optimal management strategy was do nothing because the economic costs of removal were too high relative to the benefits of removal. Spatial variation in L. vulgaris densities resulted in different optimal management strategies for neighboring properties, making a formal economic policy to encourage invasive species removal critical. To accomplish the management and enforcement of these economic policies, we discuss modification of existing agencies and infrastructure. Finally, a sensitivity analysis revealed that lowering the economic cost of invader removal would strongly increase the probability of invader eradication. Taken together, our results provide quantitative insight into management decisions and economic policy instruments that can encourage invasive species removal across a social landscape

The Economic Costs of Biological Invasions Around the World

Not applicabl

Damage costs from invasive species exceed management expenditure in nations experiencing lower economic activity

Financial disclosure The InvaCost project was funded by the French National Research Agency (ANR-14-CE02-0021), the BNP-Paribas Foundation Climate Initiative, the AXA Research Fund Chair of Invasion Biology of University Paris Saclay and by the BiodivERsA and Belmont-Forum call 2018 on biodiversity scenarios (AlienScenarios; BMBF/PT DLR 01LC1807C). M.K. received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research programme under a Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement 899546. C.J.A.B. acknowledges the Australian Research Council (CE170100015) for support. A.B. acknowledges Azim Premji University's grants programme (UNIV-RC00326) for support.Peer reviewe

Optimal Regulation of Invasive Species Long-Range Spread: A General Equilibrium Approach

Economic activity is implicated in the long-range spread of invasive species, resulting in ecological and economic damages. Current policies that are used to prevent such spread include specific and ad valorem taxes. However, these taxes are often created under ecological and economic uncertainty. To address this concern, this paper develops a general equilibrium model capable of evaluating the efficiency of specific and ad valorem taxes under uncertainty. Results show that specific taxes are more efficient at achieving a social optimum under imperfect information and that a combination of taxes is needed for multiple forms of long-range transmission

Health Impacts of Invasive Species Through an Altered Natural Environment: Assessing Air Pollution Sinks as a Causal Pathway

Invasive alien species impact environmental quality by disrupting biodiversity, vegetation cover, and displacing native flora and fauna. This can affect human health outcomes. For example, the invasive emerald ash borer (EAB) has led to the destruction of millions of ash trees, one of the most common tree species in the US. Since trees are an important source of air pollution sinks, EAB-caused ash dieback may affect human health through changes in air quality. The quasi-random nature of EAB detections and consequent changes in various air pollution levels allow us to analyze differences in mortality rates for individuals living in counties where the beetle has been found relative to individuals in contemporaneously beetle-free counties. Results suggest that EAB are associated with lagged increases in pollutant concentrations ranging from 9.2 to 46.2%. A 2SLS fixed effects model indicates that EAB-induced air pollution is associated with increases in rates of cardiovascular mortality of 6.2/year–32.6/year per 100,000 people and increases in respiratory mortality of 1.9/year–3.9/year per 100,000. Impacts are greatest for children and young adults. At its peak impact, EAB-induced air pollution resulted in $4.8–$21.6 billion in annual mortality costs over 2002–2014 in the 24 US states in the study area. This study has important abatement policy implications

Linking Environmental Management to Health Outcomes: A Case Study of the Emerald Ash Borer

Research has linked the environment to improved health outcomes; however, environmental policy continues to ignore this connection. This is particularly important with invasive species, such as the emerald ash borer (EAB), that are destroying ash trees throughout North America. This oversight has potential impacts in terms of increased mortality rates due to a loss of ash trees. To address this issue, we use a health production function to map heterogeneous environmental amenities to changes in health. We find that inclusive of health impacts, management of the EAB is qualitatively different than current practices and varies according to spatial distributions of wealth. This model has policy implications for the optimal management of environmental amenities where a link between nature and health exists

Impact of Repeated Human Introductions and the Allee Effect on Invasive Species Spread

A strong Allee effect, or density dependent growth, has been proposed as a justification for early control of some spreading invasive species. A strong Allee effect implies that if the invader can be caught early in a low density area, then the invasive species will not be able to establish in the new environment and will die off. Yet, economic activity is often responsible for repeated human introductions, and can increase the density of the invader thereby allowing establishment. In this paper, we examine the implications of repeated human introduced invasive species and determine the benefits of policies that reduce introductions. We use the emerald ash borer (EAB) in Ohio as an example and model the relationship between this invasive species with the native environment, as well as economic activity in Ohio. We show that when accounting for a strong Allee effect, the population of the EAB can be managed to remain below endemic levels; we can slow ash tree decline. Understanding the interaction between human activity, repeated introductions, and the Allee effect can assist policymakers in effectively reducing the establishment and spread of invasive species