In Bat Deaths, a Catastrophe in the Making?

http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/19/in-bat-deaths-a-catastrophe-in-the-making

A “biodiversity crisis”: that’s how some conservationists describe new numbers released this week by the federal Fish and Wildlife Service on so-called white-nose syndrome. According to the agency, 5.7 million to 6.7 million bats have died from the fungal ailment in eastern North America since an epidemic first broke out in upstate New York in 2006.

The new numbers are striking, and far higher than the previous bat mortality estimate of one million released in 2009, yet it is hard to put the number into perspective because researchers lack baseline data for many bat species populations from before the disease started demolishing colonies.
...
What is known is that when the fungus gets into a cave or mine where bats are hibernating, 70 to 90 percent of the bats die. In some cases, the mortality rate is 100 percent.

Over the past three years, the disease has spread from 88 sites in nine states in 2009 to at least 200 sites in 16 states today....  There are 45 species of bats in North America, 26 of which are hibernating species potentially susceptible to the fungus. While the disease has infected only six species so far, some researchers worry that it could wipe out as many as 20 bat species in the next few years.

Researchers have estimated that bats save farmers at least $3.7 billion a year by keeping down crop pests (see http://www.envirovaluation.org/2011/05/bats-worth-billions-to-agriculture-pest.html).

Ann Froschauer of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service emphasized that each bat species fulfills a specific ecological purpose.... “Different species eat different things, hunt in different locations and fit into the ecological puzzle in a unique way,” she said. “Losing one bat species would be huge — losing 20 would be catastrophic.”

...
by Joanna M. Foster
FOR FULL STORY GO TO:
http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/19/in-bat-deaths-a-catastrophe-in-the-making
The New York Times Green Blog http://green.blogs.nytimes.com
January 19, 2012

Global fisheries losses at the exclusive economic zone level, 1950 to present

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308597X11001515
Abstract: Up to one-third of commercial fishery stocks may be overfished at present. By analyzing catch trends and applying an empirical relationship derived from stock assessments, this article tracks the geographic spread of overfishing at the country level in terms of lost catch and lost revenue, from the start of industrialized fishing in 1950–2004. The results tell a cautionary tale of serial depletion to meet the ever-rising demand for fish. Examining country losses with respect to fishery management reveals that overcapacity and excess fishing effort are widespread, but also that recent trends towards sustainability can stabilize or reverse losses (e.g. for Norway, Iceland, the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand). Global trade effectively masks the successive depletion of stocks, so that without decisive action to reduce fishing effort, many more stocks will suffer and undernourishment impacts for the major exporting, food-deficit nations will only magnify.

Highlights:
► This study tracks the spread of overfishing by country in catch and revenue losses.
► A pattern of serial depletion to meet growth in demand is observed.
► Losses are linked to overcapacity and excess effort and fishing by foreign fleets.
► Sustainable fisheries management can slow, stabilize or reverse losses.
...
Overfishing and overcapacity are costing the world’s fishery sector dearly, reducing resource rent—the surplus after fishing costs have been subtracted from revenue—by an estimated US$50 billion a year according to two recent studies based on different methodologies. Meanwhile,the gap between global revenue and costs narrows, with global revenue from marine fisheries at approximately US $95 billion and the total variable cost of fishing estimated at US $92 billion (both in real 2005 dollars).



Excess subsidies, by one estimate topping US $27 billion per year currently [8], largely fuel this cycle of dysfunction. Against this backdrop, the human consumption of fish has been rising, up 9% from 2002 to 2006 alone. To support this, overall fish production from both capture fisheries and aquaculture continues to climb, reaching a level in 2006 more than seven times that recorded for 1950. The phenomenal growth of aquaculture is responsible for the recent growth, and nearly half of the world’s food fish supply is farmed at present. But just as the overall rise in fish production hides the stagnation in catches from the world’s capture fisheries over the past two decades, global catch trends mask successive declines in regional stocks and the geographic spread of overfishing in time. Indeed, the roughly five fold increase in marine fishery catches from 1950 to the late 1980s when catches peaked was facilitated by the expansion into and exploitation of new fishing areas, from the North Atlantic and Western Pacific coastlines southward and into the high seas.
...
The anchoveta crash placed Peru 5th in overall catch losses although the country may have ranked higher given that peak landings were under-reported by perhaps 33%. Although Peru’s recent losses have been mitigated by the recovery of anchoveta stocks, it has been estimated that a 60–80% reduction in excess fleet and processing capacity could allow fish stocks to rebuild meaningfully, adding potentially $400 million per year in economic benefits.
...
by U. Thara Srinivasan 1 and 3, Reg Watson 2 and U. Rashid Sumaila 2 and 3
1. Pacific Ecoinformatics and Computational Ecology Lab, Berkeley, 1471 Catherine Dr., Berkeley CA 94702, United States. Tel.: +1 510 524 5467
2. Sea Around Us Project, Fisheries Centre, The University of British Columbia, 2202 Main Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V6T 1Z4
3. Global Ocean Economics Project, Fisheries Economics Research Unit, Fisheries Centre, the University of British Columbia, 2202 Main Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V6T 1Z4
Marine Policy via Elsevier Science Direct www.ScienceDirect.com Volume 36, Issue 2; March, 2012; Pages 544-549
Keywords: Overfishing; Fisheries management; Depletion; Sustainability

Filling evidence gaps with expert opinion: The use of Delphi analysis in least-cost modelling of functional connectivity

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0169204611002738
Abstract:
Assessment of landscape functional connectivity is increasingly important for planning landscape scale conservation measures. However, measuring the functional connectivity of landscapes is challenging due to the lack of data on species landscape interactions and because connectivity is species-specific. We developed parameters for a connectivity indicator using Delphi analysis, and critically examine the use of Delphi analysis in this context. To calculate the connectivity indicator we used the following parameters: maximum dispersal distance, negative edge effects of different land cover, and relative permeability of different land cover.

Delphi is a technique designed to numerically synthesise expert opinion in data-poor environments and is based on repetitive questionnaires interspersed with controlled feedback. Three panels of experts were assembled, one covering each of three habitats of interest. Experts found the process challenging especially fixing exact numbers given the potential range of values. However, panels generally assigned higher permeability and low edge effects to semi-natural land cover classes, assigning low permeability and high edge impacts to more modified land cover. During the Delphi process we found that experts were prepared to alter their answers in response to feedback from the previous round. Participants’ answers which did change between rounds generally changed to approach the group median, and when they did, the associated confidence score was more likely to rise than to fall. After three rounds, answers were generally stable. Delphi proved a useful method to use to generate parameter values for the connectivity indicator, with the method particularly acceptable to stakeholders of the indicator project.

Highlights
► We used Delphi analysis to generate parameters for a connectivity indicator from expert opinion.
► Experts found the process challenging given the range of potential species and values involved.
► Panels generally assigned higher permeability and lower edge effects to semi-natural land cover.
► Experts did alter their answers in response to feedback, approaching the group median.
► Delphi generated broadly-accepted least-cost parameter values, in a transparent and credible way.

by Amy E. Eycott 1, Mariella Marzano 2 and Kevin Watts 1
1. Forest Research, Alice Holt Lodge, Farnham, Surrey GU10 4LH, England, UK; Tel.: +44 1420 526200; fax: +44 1420 23653.
2. Forest Research, Northern Research Station, Roslin, Midlothian EH25 9SY, Scotland, UK
Landscape and Urban Planning via Elsevier Science Direct www.sciencedirect.com
Volume 103, Issues 3-4; 30 December 2011; Pages 400-409
Keywords: Fragmentation; Biodiversity; Indicator; Connectivity; Matrix; Focal species

A review of EU bio-economic models for fisheries: The value of a diversity of models

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308597X11001382
Abstract: The lessons learned from a review of thirteen existing European bio-economic models used in the evaluation of EU policies are presented. How these models compare and differ in terms of their biological and economic components, the integration between the components, which indicators are selected and how they are used, are described and analysed. The article concludes that the multitude of construction differences reflects the necessity of adapting the modelling approach to answer different questions. Since real life questions in fisheries are so diverse, answering them requires a diversity of models.

Highlights:
► BEMs are used to understand the feedback between human activity and natural resources.
► When a model is built initial attention must be given to the fishery management problem.
► The simulation of fisherman behaviour is not extensively included in the models.
► A tradeoff between simplicity and usefulness emerges when integrated models are used.
► New research questions will stimulate the development of new models.

by Raúl Prellezo 1, Paolo Accadia 2, Jesper L. Andersen 3, Bo S. Andersen 4, Erik Buisman 5, Alyson Little 6, J. Rasmus Nielsen 4, Jan Jaap Poos 7, Jeff Powell 5, Christine Röckmann 7
1. AZTI-Tecnalia, Txatxarramendi Ugartea Z/G, 48395 Sukarrieta, Spain; Tel.: +34 94 6574000; fax: +34 94 6572555.
2. IREPA Onlus Via S. Leonardo, Traversa Migliaro, 84131 Salerno, Italy
3. Institute of Food and Resource Economics, Environmental and Natural Resource Economics Unit, Rolighedsvej 25, 1958 Frederiksberg C, Copenhagen, Denmark
4. National Institute of Aquatic Resources, DTU Aqua, Technical University of Denmark, Jaegersborg Allé 1, 2920 Charlottenlund, Denmark
5. LEI Wageningen UR, PO Box 29703, 2502 LS Den Haag, The Netherlands
6. CEFAS, Lowestoft Laboratory, Pakefield Road, Lowestoft, Suffolk, NR33 0HT, United Kingdom
7. IMARES Wageningen UR, Institute for Marine Resources and Ecosystem Studies, PO Box 68, 1970 AB IJmuiden, The Netherlands
Marine Policy via Elsevier Science Direct www.sciencedirect.com
Volume 36, Issue 2; March, 2012; Pages 423-431
Keywords: Bio-economic models; European region; Model characteristics; Review

Reducing protest responses by deliberative monetary valuation: Improving the validity of biodiversity valuation

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0921800911004010
Abstract: This paper focuses on examining the validity of biodiversity valuation methodologies. The results of a group deliberation technique (deliberative monetary valuation) are compared to those derived from a contingent valuation (CV) survey using the same environmental topic. Evidence is here presented that DMV can address some of the limitations of CV; namely a prevalence for lexicographic preference ordering due to psychological reasons and the lack of a priori or well-formed preferences. Both of these methodological shortcomings can result in protest responses which decrease the external validity of results. It is common environmental valuation methodology practice to exclude protest responses from the analysis on the grounds that they are illegitimate choices, thus the sample and consequently the environmental valuation analysis may become less representative of the population. An advantage of the DMV methodology is that it was found to significantly reduce the rate of protest responses to less than half (from 29% to 13%). Furthermore, DMV significantly increased the proportion of positive bids but not the amounts contributed. In relation to preference formation issues, we suggest rethinking the current practice of the DMV method, and propose dedicating the entire initial discussion session to introducing the good outside of a valuation context.

Highlights
► Prevalence of protest responses decrease the validity of biodiversity valuation
► Deliberative Monetary Valuation is supplemented by a contingent valuation survey
► Methodological reasons of protesting: psychological reasons, unformed preferences
► Our interpretation of DMV halved the rate of protest responses
► DMV increased the proportion of positive bids but not the amounts contributed
...
Among deliberative forum participants the mean of the implied fair price of a modest improvement in biodiversity (Switch from conventional to environment friendly crop production program) was calculated at 26.1 Euro/year/person. As for healthy land use structure with up to a doubling of diversity (Agro-environmental program) a mean value of 41 Euro/year/person as a fair price emerged among those who participated in deliberations.
...
by Zoltán Szabó; Corvinus University of Budapest, Department of Environmental Economics and Technology, 1093, Fővám tér 8., Budapest, Hungary
Ecological Economics via Elsevier Science Direct www.sciencedirect.com
Volume 72; 15 December 2011; Pages 37-44
see also http://www.bioecon.ucl.ac.uk/12th_2010/Szabo.pdf
Keywords: Biodiversity valuation; Deliberative Monetary Valuation; Protest responses; Lexicographic preferences; Unformed preferences; Agriculture

Using an adapted HEP to assess environmental cost

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S092180091100396X
Abstract: The situation regarding the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services is now critical. Consequently, environmental targets have been determined and environmental legislation at every level tend to be more demanding. The result at local scale is that land planners have to take more rigorous account of the environmental damage stemming from their infrastructure development plans. Several economic valuation methods can be used to perform a monetary valuation of losses of natural areas. However, existing valuation methods have reached their limits when dealing with land planning in complex natural areas (i.e. unfamiliar goods). We propose to use a method based on the American Habitat Evaluation Procedure (HEP) to assess the environmental cost of infrastructure development plans. The “adapted” HEP is an equivalence-based valuation method that bases the valuation of environmental cost on the environmental damage itself rather than willingness to pay. We find that compared to more conventional methods, the “adapted” HEP gives a higher value to lost environmental assets, which is rather promising.

Highlights
► Natural areas are highly unfamiliar goods.
► These goods tend to reveal the limitations of conventional methods.
► We use the “adapted” HEP to assess environmental cost. 
► It bases the valuation on ecological data rather than willingness to pay.

by Nathalie Dumax and Anne Rozan; both of the UMR Cemagref-Engees, GESTE, 1 quai Koch, BP 61039, 67070 Strasbourg Cedex, France; Tel.: + 33 388 248 232; fax: + 33 388 248 284.
Ecological Economics via Elsevier Science Direct www.ScienceDirect.com
Volume 72; 15 December 2011; Pages 53-59
Keywords: Ecosystem services; Mitigation; Valuation; Habitat evaluation procedure

Identifying the scope effect on a meta-analysis of biodiversity valuation studies

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0928765511000194
Abstract: Insensitivity to scope is an issue of much debate in contingent valuation (CV) even today. Although the literature about insensitivity to scope is abundant, the reasons for it are not yet well known. Through a meta-analysis of CV studies of biodiversity, the treatment of the different possible measures of the quantity of the good is explored in relation to scope sensitivity. Overall, the findings suggest that CV results are sensitive to the amount of the good being valued, although the result depends on how the environmental change is measured. Results support the use of absolute sizes when conducting CV studies.

by Elena Ojea 1 and Maria L. Loureiro 2
1. Basque Centre for Climate Change (BC3), Alameda Urquijo 4, 4-1, 48008 Bilbao, Bizkaia, Spain
2. Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Departamento de Fundamentos da Análise Económica, Facultade de Ciencias Económicas e Empresariais, Campus Universitario Norte, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain
Resource and Energy Economics via Elsevier Science Direct www.ScienceDirect.com
Volume 33, Issue 3, September 2011, Pages 706-724
Keywords: Biodiversity; Contingent valuation; Ecosystems; Meta-analysis; Scope test