Research

My current research broadly falls at the intersection of conservation, land use and ecosystem services and consists of three main research streams. I explore the use of dynamic and spatial mathematical models to allocate land for conservation, and study the use of non-market valuation methods to understand public preferneces for conservation and restoration.

Dynamic Reserve Design
I create a dynamic reserve design framework that can analyze the impact of location based amenity price effects on optimal site selection for conservation reserves. This work is done in collaboration with Hayri Onal and I presented the research at multiple conferneces including the WCERE, the AAEA Annual Meeting and the pERE Seminar.

The first paper stemming from this research titled, "Amenity Driven Price Effects and Conservation Reserve Site Selection: A Dynamic Linear Integer Programming Approach" is published in Ecological Economics. doi:10.1016/j.ecolecon.2011.06.015

Choice Experiment of Public Preferences for Ecosystem Restoration
I use a choice experiment (conjoint analysis) survey of Illinois residents to understand public preferneces and WTP for restoring grasslands. In addition, the research hopes to analyze the impact of conservation management options with negative externalities such as prescribed fire on the publics' willingess to support conservation activities. This work is done in collaboration with Amy W. Ando and I presented the work at the inaugural AERE Summer Conference, the pERE Seminar, and the AAEA Annual Meeting.

Spatal Considerations and Multiple Land Use in Reserve design
I study the optimal allocation of land for conservation using spatial mathematical models that incoporate both economic and ecological considerations and consider alternate land uses. This work is done in collaboration with Hayri Onal, research scientists at US Army ERDC CERL, land managers from Ft. Benning GA and Ft. Stewart GA. This work has been presented at multiple conferences including the AAEA Annual Meeting, SEA Annual Meeting, and the SHAPE Summit.

This work has currently resulted in two published papers.
Optimum Selection of Clustered Conservation Areas for Species Relocation. Ecological Modeling. (Forthcoming)
Optimum Selection of Conservation Reserves: Extensions to Multiple Land Use. Military Operations Research, Vol 16, No. 1. doi:10.5711/1082598316165

Optimal Taxation of Inter-related Environmental Externalities
I am currently working on a Genereal Equiblirium model that analyzes the optimal taxation given interrelated environmental externalities. The paper studies the optimal allocation of land for conservation given the use values and non-use option and existance values in a world where the use of the environment creates congestion. This work is done in collboration with Hector A. Nunez and the research has been presented at the AAEA Annual Meeting and the SHAPE Summit. You can download the working paper in the working paper section here.

 

Using STELLA Simulation Models to Teach Natural Resource Economics
STELLA simulation models can be used when teaching undergraduate natural resource economics classes to allow students to gain an intuitive understanding of economics policies. This working paper presents my experiences in using STELLA models in a natural resource economics class. You can download the working paper in the working paper section here.

If you are interested in incoporating STELLA simulation models indo a natural resource economics class that you are teaching I am willing to share the models that I currently have.