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Returns from Hay Cultivation in Fertilized Low Diversity and Non-Fertilized High Diversity Grassland

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Author Info
Felix Schläpfer ()
Michael Tucker
Irmi Seidl
Abstract

Recent ecological experiments suggest that theinterannual stability of ecosystem productivitymay be determined by the diversity of organismspresent in the system. We investigate whethersuch effects of biotic diversity on ecosystemstability may translate into economic valuesand possibly into an economic argument for themaintenance of biodiversity in managedhabitats. Applying a stochastic model fromfinancial economics to long-term harvest datafrom a grassland ecosystem we examine thepotential “insurance” value of plant diversityon the stability of yields and economic returnsin a drought-sensitive agricultural setting.Putative insurance premiums priced as putoptions on revenues from hay yield were higherfor fertilized low-diversity grassland than forunfertilized species-rich glassland. From thisperspective the annual “insurance value”(differential insurance premiums required tolock in specific rates of returns) of diverseplant communities may amount to $3.50 to$6.00 per acre. The results suggest thatincreased costs of risk in species-poorfertilized grassland may affect the optimumlevel of fertilization making lower fertilizerinput and concomitantly higher plant communitydiversity more desirable. Copyright Kluwer Academic Publishers 2002

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File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1023/A:1014580317028
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Publisher Info
Article provided by European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists in its journal Environmental and Resource Economics.

Volume (Year): 21 (2002)
Issue (Month): 1 (January)
Pages: 89-100
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Handle: RePEc:kap:enreec:v:21:y:2002:i:1:p:89-100

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Related research
Keywords: biodiversity; insurance; grassland; option pricing model; stability;

References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:

  1. Charles Perrings & David Stern, 2000. "Modelling Loss of Resilience in Agroecosystems: Rangelands in Botswana," Environmental & Resource Economics, European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 16(2), pages 185-210, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  2. Tucker, Michael, 1997. "Climate change and the insurance industry: the cost of increased risk and the impetus for action," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 22(2), pages 85-96, August. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  3. Andrew Metrick & Martin L. Weitzman, 1998. "Conflicts and Choices in Biodiversity Preservation," Harvard Institute of Economic Research Working Papers 1836, Harvard - Institute of Economic Research.
    Other versions:
  4. Nick Hanley & Clive Spash & Lorna Walker, 1994. "Problems in Valuing the Benefits of Biodiversity Protection," Working Papers Series 94/8, University of Stirling, Department of Economics.
    Other versions:
  5. Montgomery Claire A. & Brown Jr. , Gardner M. & Adams Darius M., 1994. "The Marginal Cost of Species Preservation: The Northern Spotted Owl," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 26(2), pages 111-128, March. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  6. Black, Fischer & Scholes, Myron S, 1973. "The Pricing of Options and Corporate Liabilities," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 81(3), pages 637-54, May-June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  7. Simpson, R David & Sedjo, Roger A & Reid, John W, 1996. "Valuing Biodiversity for Use in Pharmaceutical Research," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 104(1), pages 163-85, February. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  8. Swanson, Timothy & Goschl, Timo, 2000. "Property rights issues involving plant genetic resources: implications of ownership for economic efficiency," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 32(1), pages 75-92, January. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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Cited by:
(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. Stefan Baumgärtner & Martin F. Quaas, 2007. "Agro-biodiversity as natural insurance and the development of financial insurance markets," Working Paper Series in Economics 61, University of Lüneburg, Institute of Economics. [Downloadable!]
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