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Invasive Species Impacts on Human Well-being Using the Life Satisfaction Index

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  • Jones, Benjamin A.

Abstract

Invasive alien species are known to be disruptive to the natural environment and can lead to sharp reductions in environmental quality, thereby affecting social welfare. However, little is known about how subjective well-being, in particular, is impacted by invasive species. This is troubling because it precludes credible empirical considerations of the full-range of social externalities when setting invasive species management policy. To address this knowledge gap, this paper provides the first estimates of invasive species impacts on subjective well-being using the life satisfaction (“happiness”) index. The approach is applied to the invasive emerald ash borer (EAB), a particularly virulent ash tree attacking pest in North America. Using a repeated cross-sectional fixed effects design, the impact of EAB detection on life satisfaction (LS) is estimated for individuals living in 189 counties in 15 US states over 2005–2011. Results suggest that after EAB detection, LS is reduced by 0.127 on a 4-point scale [95% CI: −0.002, −0.252]. The magnitude of impacts are greatest after a 5-year lag and are largest among young adults (18–24years).

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  • Jones, Benjamin A., 2017. "Invasive Species Impacts on Human Well-being Using the Life Satisfaction Index," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 134(C), pages 250-257.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecolec:v:134:y:2017:i:c:p:250-257
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2017.01.002
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    Cited by:

    1. Jones, Benjamin A. & McDermott, Shana M., 2018. "The economics of urban afforestation: Insights from an integrated bioeconomic-health model," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 89(C), pages 116-135.
    2. Veldhuizen, Caroline, 2021. "Conceptualising the foundations of sustainability focused innovation policy: From constructivism to holism," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 162(C).
    3. C. Diagne & B. Leroy & Rodolphe Gozlan & A.-C. Vaissière & C. Assailly & L. Nuninger & David A Roiz & Frédéric Jourdain & I. Jarić & F. Courchamp, 2020. "InvaCost, a public database of the economic costs of biological invasions worldwide," Post-Print hal-03085161, HAL.
    4. Shuai Zhang & Binbin Liu & Dajian Zhu & Mingwang Cheng, 2018. "Explaining Individual Subjective Well-Being of Urban China Based on the Four-Capital Model," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(10), pages 1-14, September.
    5. Li, Xiaoshu & Boyle, Kevin J. & Preisser, Evan L. & Holmes, Thomas P. & Orwig, David, 2022. "Property value effects of the Hemlock wooly adelgid infestation in New England, U.S.A," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 194(C).
    6. Jones, Benjamin A., 2018. "Forest-attacking Invasive Species and Infant Health: Evidence From the Invasive Emerald Ash Borer," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 154(C), pages 282-293.
    7. Li Ma & Yueting Qin & Han Zhang & Jie Zheng & Yilei Hou & Yali Wen, 2021. "Improving Well-Being of Farmers Using Ecological Awareness around Protected Areas: Evidence from Qinling Region, China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(18), pages 1-22, September.
    8. Jones, Benjamin A., 2023. "Can invasive species lead to sedentary behavior? The time use and obesity impacts of a forest-attacking pest," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 119(C).
    9. Jones, Benjamin A., 2019. "Infant health impacts of freshwater algal blooms: Evidence from an invasive species natural experiment," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 96(C), pages 36-59.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Life satisfaction; Invasive species; Environmental quality; Emerald ash borer; Well-being;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • Q57 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Ecological Economics
    • I31 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - General Welfare, Well-Being
    • D61 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Allocative Efficiency; Cost-Benefit Analysis
    • Q23 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Renewable Resources and Conservation - - - Forestry

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