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What to Preserve? An Application of Diversity Theory to Crane Conservation

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  • Martin L. Weitzman

Abstract

This paper attempts to demonstrate how "diversity theory" can be applied to the analysis of real-world conservation policies. The specific example chosen to serve as a paradigm concerns preservation priorities among the fifteen species of cranes living wild throughout the world. The example is sufficiently actual to show how diversity theory can be used operationally to frame certain critical conservation questions and to guide us toward answers by providing informative quantitative indicators of what to protect. At the same time the cranes example is rich enough that it illustrates nicely some broad general principles about the economics of diversity preservation.

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  • Martin L. Weitzman, 1993. "What to Preserve? An Application of Diversity Theory to Crane Conservation," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 108(1), pages 157-183.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:qjecon:v:108:y:1993:i:1:p:157-183.
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Steven Polasky & Andrew R. Solow, 1993. "Option Value, Gallot's Inequality, And The Measurement Of Biological Diversity," Boston College Working Papers in Economics 241, Boston College Department of Economics.
    2. Martin L. Weitzman, 1992. "On Diversity," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 107(2), pages 363-405.
    3. Weitzman, M.L., 1991. "A Reduced Form Approach to Maximum Likelihood Estimation of Evolutionary Trees," Harvard Institute of Economic Research Working Papers 1569, Harvard - Institute of Economic Research.
    4. Weitzman, M.L., 1992. "Diversity Functions," Harvard Institute of Economic Research Working Papers 1610, Harvard - Institute of Economic Research.
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