SUSTAINABLE SOIL MANAGEMENT IN NEW ZEALAND: FARMER BELIEFS, ATTITUDES AND MOTIVATIONS

Land Economics/Use,

AN ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF BIRD DAMAGE IN VINEYARDS OF THE MARLBOROUGH REGION

Production Economics,

Understanding values associated with stormwater remediation options in marine coastal ecosystems: A case study from Auckland, New Zealand

This paper describes the design and implementation of a choice experiment to understand Aucklanders’ preferences for environmental qualities associated with the effects of urban run-off on marine coastal environments. Auckland’s coastal environments are affected by a range of ecological and human factors. While much research has been undertaken in the area of ecology, little is understood of human preferences for coastal environments and their management. An unlabelled choice experiment was developed with three environmental quality attributes specified at three broad coastal categories. The environmental qualities are ecological health, water clarity, and underfoot conditions. Willingness to pay estimates for these attributes indicates that respondents show a strong preference for improved environmental quality at outer coastal beach locations over middle and upper harbour locations. Water quality leads ecological health, then underfoot conditions in importance at beach locations. An application is discussed in which a hypothetical project consisting of policy and engineering components delivers changes in water quality and underfoot conditions in the Auckland upper harbour areas. A 95% confidence estimate of the money value of that change ranges from $783 m. to$ 1,122 b. The key outcome is demonstration of the choice experiment as a statistically robust and flexible approach to making sense of Aucklanders’ complex preferences for coastal ecosystem management.Environmental Economics and Policy, Research Methods/ Statistical Methods,

Preliminary Investigation Into The Benefits From Investments In Environmental Research: Case Studies on Water Clarity/Quality and The Biological Management of Possums

MoRST is performing an evaluation of the funds invested in environmental research. The two case studies discussed in this paper contribute to the ongoing decision-making about this investment. Substantial funds have been invested in both research programmes identified. Because the main benefits associated with research output are environmental, they are difficult to value monetarily. Preliminary analysis suggests that at a discount rate of 6%, annual future benefit flows of $7 -$10 million will justify the water quality/clarity research. The expenditure on possum biocontrol will be justified if the research generates an annual future benefit flow of $20 million.Cost benefit analysis, returns to research, environmental research, Community/Rural/Urban Development, Environmental Economics and Policy, Land Economics/Use, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

MicroRNA degradation by a conserved target RNA regulates animal behavior

International audiencemicroRNAs (miRNAs) repress target transcripts through partial complementarity. By contrast, highly complementary miRNA-binding sites within viral and artificially engineered transcripts induce miRNA degradation in vitro and in cell lines. Here, we show that a genome-encoded transcript harboring a near-perfect and deeply conserved miRNA-binding site for miR-29 controls zebrafish and mouse behavior. This transcript originated in basal vertebrates as a long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) and evolved to the protein-coding gene NREP in mammals, where the miR-29-binding site is located within the 3′ UTR. We show that the near-perfect miRNA site selectively triggers miR-29b destabilization through 3′ trimming and restricts its spatial expression in the cerebellum. Genetic disruption of the miR-29 site within mouse Nrep results in ectopic expression of cerebellar miR-29b and impaired coordination and motor learning. Thus, we demonstrate an endogenous target-RNA-directed miRNA degradation event and its requirement for animal behavio

Penilaian Kinerja Keuangan Koperasi di Kabupaten Pelalawan

This paper describe development and financial performance of cooperative in District Pelalawan among 2007 - 2008. Studies on primary and secondary cooperative in 12 sub-districts. Method in this stady use performance measuring of productivity, efficiency, growth, liquidity, and solvability of cooperative. Productivity of cooperative in Pelalawan was highly but efficiency still low. Profit and income were highly, even liquidity of cooperative very high, and solvability was good