Sample records for forest valuation exercise

  1. Stated Preference Methods for Valuation of Forest Attributes

    Treesearch

    Thomas P. Holmes; Kevin J. Boyle

    2003-01-01

    The valuation methods described in this chapter are based on the idea that forest ecosystems produce a wide variety of goods and services that are valued by people. Rather than focusing attention on the holistic value of forest ecosystems as is done in contingent valuation studies, attribute-based valuation methods (ABMs) focus attention on a set of attributes that...

  2. 36 CFR 254.42 - Valuation of tracts.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Valuation of tracts. 254.42 Section 254.42 Parks, Forests, and Public Property FOREST SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE LANDOWNERSHIP ADJUSTMENTS Conveyance of Small Tracts § 254.42 Valuation of tracts. (a) Approximately equal value shall be...

  3. The Value of Satellite Early Warning Systems in Kenya and Guatemala: Results and Lessons Learned from Contingent Valuation and Loss Avoidance Approaches

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Morrison, I.; Berenter, J. S.

    2017-12-01

    SERVIR, the joint USAID and NASA initiative, conducted two studies to assess the value of two distinctly different Early Warning Systems (EWS) in Guatemala and Kenya. Each study applied a unique method to asses EWS value. The evaluation team conducted a Contingent Valuation (CV) choice experiment to measure the value of a near-real time VIIRS and MODIS-based hot-spot mapping tool for forest management professionals targeting seasonal forest fires in Northern Guatemala. The team also conducted a survey-based Damage and Loss Avoidance (DaLA) exercise to calculate the monetary benefits of a MODIS-derived frost forecasting system for farmers in the tea-growing highlands of Kenya. This presentation compares and contrasts the use and utility of these two valuation approaches to assess EWS value. Although interest in these methods is growing, few empirical studies have applied them to benefit and value assessment for EWS. Furthermore, the application of CV and DaLA methods is much less common outside of the developed world. Empirical findings from these two studies indicated significant value for two substantially different beneficiary groups: natural resource management specialists and smallholder tea farmers. Additionally, the valuation processes generated secondary information that can help improve the format and delivery of both types of EWS outputs for user and beneficiary communities in Kenya and Guatemala. Based on lessons learned from the two studies, this presentation will also compare and contrast the methodological and logistical advantages, challenges, and limitations in applying the CV and DaLA methods in developing countries. By reviewing these two valuation methods alongside each other, the authors will outline conditions where they can be applied - individually or jointly - to other early warning systems and delivery contexts.

  4. What ignited Forest Service interest in nonmarket valuation in fire economics?

    Treesearch

    John B. Loomis; Armando González-Cabán

    2009-01-01

    This paper traces the origin and evolution of the application of nonmarket valuation techniques to fire management within the USDA Forest Service. The motivation for contingent valuation (CVM) studies that quantify existence value is traced to the need for monetary benefits of protecting spotted owl old-growth forest habitat from fire in the early 1990s. Two large...

  5. Economic vulnerability of timber resources to forest fires.

    PubMed

    y Silva, Francisco Rodríguez; Molina, Juan Ramón; González-Cabán, Armando; Machuca, Miguel Ángel Herrera

    2012-06-15

    The temporal-spatial planning of activities for a territorial fire management program requires knowing the value of forest ecosystems. In this paper we extend to and apply the economic valuation principle to the concept of economic vulnerability and present a methodology for the economic valuation of the forest production ecosystems. The forest vulnerability is analyzed from criteria intrinsically associated to the forest characterization, and to the potential behavior of surface fires. Integrating a mapping process of fire potential and analytical valuation algorithms facilitates the implementation of fire prevention planning. The availability of cartography of economic vulnerability of the forest ecosystems is fundamental for budget optimization, and to help in the decision making process. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  6. Economic vulnerability of timber resources to forest fires

    Treesearch

    Francisco Rodriguez y Silva; Juan Ramon Molina; Armando Gonzalez-Caban; Miguel Angel Herrera Machuca

    2012-01-01

    The temporal-spatial planning of activities for a territorial fire management program requires knowing the value of forest ecosystems. In this paper we extend to and apply the economic valuation principle to the concept of economic vulnerability and present a methodology for the economic valuation of the forest production ecosystems. The forest vulnerability is...

  7. Taxation indices of forest stand as the basis for cadastral valuation of forestlands

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kovyazin, V.; Belyaev, V.; Pasko, O.; Romanchikov, A.

    2014-08-01

    Cadastral valuation of forestlands is one of the problems of the modern economy. Valuation procedures depend either on the profitability of timbering or forest areas are not differentiated according to value. The authors propose the procedure based on taxation indices of strata. The most important factors influencing the valuation are determined. The dependence that allows establishing the relative cost of a certain forest area is defined. Knowing the cadastral value of a model area, it is possible to determine the values of all other sites. The evaluation results correlate with the Faustman procedure with slight difference in the absolute value.

  8. Contingent Valuation of Forest Ecosystem Protection

    Treesearch

    Randall A. Kramer; Thomas P. Holmes; Michelle Haefele

    2003-01-01

    In recent decades, concerns have arisen about the proper valuation of the world's forests. While some of these concerns have to do with market distortions for timber products or inadequate data on non-timber forest products, an additional challenge is to uncover the economic worth of non- market services provided by forest ecosystems (Kramer et al. 1997). This has...

  9. Subjective Well-Being Approach to Environmental Valuation: Evidence for Greenhouse Gas Emissions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Beja, Edsel L., Jr.

    2012-01-01

    The subjective well-being approach to environmental valuation is applied to analyze the valuation of greenhouse gas emissions with a fairness-adjustment in the valuation exercise. Results indicate that industrialized countries have high willingness-to-pay to reduce emissions. Developing countries differ in their valuations. Results indicate that…

  10. Assessment and valuation of forest ecosystem services: State of the science review

    Treesearch

    Seth Binder; Robert G. Haight; Stephen Polasky; Travis Warziniack; Miranda H. Mockrin; Robert L. Deal; Greg Arthaud

    2017-01-01

    This review focuses on the assessment and economic valuation of ecosystem services from forest ecosystems—that is, our ability to predict changes in the quantity and value of ecosystem services as a result of specific forest management decisions. It is aimed at forest economists and managers and intended to provide a useful reference to those interested in developing...

  11. Applying Climate Compatible Development and economic valuation to coastal management: A case study of Kenya's mangrove forests.

    PubMed

    Huxham, Mark; Emerton, Lucy; Kairo, James; Munyi, Fridah; Abdirizak, Hassan; Muriuki, Tabitha; Nunan, Fiona; Briers, Robert A

    2015-07-01

    Mangrove forests are under global pressure. Habitat destruction and degradation persist despite longstanding recognition of the important ecological functions of mangroves. Hence new approaches are needed to help stakeholders and policy-makers achieve sound management that is informed by the best science. Here we explore how the new policy concept of Climate Compatible Development (CCD) can be applied to achieve better outcomes. We use economic valuation approaches to combine socio-economic data, projections of forest cover based on quantitative risk mapping and storyline scenario building exercises to articulate the economic consequences of plausible alternative future scenarios for the mangrove forests of the South Kenya coast, as a case study of relevance to many other areas. Using data from 645 household surveys, 10 focus groups and 74 interviews conducted across four mangrove sites, and combining these with information on fish catches taken at three landing sites, a mangrove carbon trading project and published data allowed us to make a thorough (although still partial) economic valuation of the forests. This gave a current value of the South Coast mangroves of USD 6.5 million, or USD 1166 ha(-1), with 59% of this value on average derived from regulating services. Quantitative risk mapping, projecting recent trends over the next twenty years, suggests a 43% loss of forest cover over that time with 100% loss at the most vulnerable sites. Much of the forest lost between 1992 and 2012 has not been replaced by high value alternative land uses hence restoration of these areas is feasible and may not involve large opportunity costs. We invited thirty eight stakeholders to develop plausible storyline scenarios reflecting Business as Usual (BAU) and CCD - which emphasises sustainable forest conservation and management - in twenty years time, drawing on local and regional expert knowledge of relevant policy, social trends and cultures. Combining these scenarios with the quantitative projections and economic baseline allowed the modelling of likely value added and costs avoided under the CCD scenario. This suggests a net present value of more than US$20 million of adoption of CCD rather than BAU. This work adds to the economic evidence for mangrove conservation and helps to underline the importance of new real and emerging markets, such as for REDD + projects, in making this case for carbon-rich coastal habitats. It demonstrates a policy tool - CCD - that can be used to engage stakeholders and help to co-ordinate policy across different sectors towards mangrove conservation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Benefit transfer of outdoor recreation use values: A technical document supporting the Forest Service Strategic Plan (2000 revision)

    Treesearch

    Randall S. Rosenberger; John B. Loomis

    2001-01-01

    We present an annotated bibliography that provides information on and reference to the literature on outdoor recreation use valuation studies. This information is presented by study source, benefit measures, recreation activity, valuation methodology, and USDA Forest Service region. Tables are provided that reference the bibliography for each activity, enabling easy...

  13. Economic Valuation as an Instrument to Determine The Management Strategy of Baros Mangrove Forest, Bantul, Yogyakarta, Indonesia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Waluyo Jati, Irawan; Pribadi, Rudhi

    2018-02-01

    The Baros mangrove forest in Bantul Regency is now beginning to develop. Many government and private sectors programs are rolled out to support its development. The development of the Baros mangrove forest must be in accordance with the rules of conservation so that it will not damage the mangrove ecosystem. Mangrove forest has high economical and ecological value but is very vulnerable if lack of wisdom in maintaining, preserving and managing them. The involvement of government and other stakeholders are essential in determining management policies. Unawareness of society and the government to the importance of mangrove ecosystem can cause development of it becomes uncontrolled, consequently can destroy it. Mangrove forests are an important natural resource in coastal environments, and have three main functions: physical, biological, and economic functions. To quantify the functions of mangrove forests as the basis to determine the policy is required a research instrument called economic valuation. The approach of this study is the literature review from various studies before to perceive the influence of economic valuation in determining the management strategy of Baros mangrove forest in Bantul Regency, Yogyakarta, Indonesia.

  14. A contingent valuation study of the value of reducing fire hazards to old-growth forests in the Pacific Northwest

    Treesearch

    John B. Loomis; Armando González-Cabán; Robin Gregory

    1996-01-01

    A contingent valuation methodology was applied to old-growth forests and critical habitat units for the Northern Spotted Owl in Oregon to estimate the economic value to the public in knowing that rare and unique ecosystems will be protected from fire for current and future generations. Generalizing to the whole state, the total annual willingness-to-pay of Oregon...

  15. Modelling the role of forests on water provision services: a hydro-economic valuation approach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Beguería, S.; Campos, P.

    2015-12-01

    Hydro-economic models that allow integrating the ecological, hydrological, infrastructure, economic and social aspects into a coherent, scientifically- informed framework constitute preferred tools for supporting decision making in the context of integrated water resources management. We present a case study of water regulation and provision services of forests in the Andalusia region of Spain. Our model computes the physical water flows and conducts an economic environmental income and asset valuation of forest surface and underground water yield. Based on available hydrologic and economic data, we develop a comprehensive water account for all the forest lands at the regional scale. This forest water environmental valuation is integrated within a much larger project aiming at providing a robust and easily replicable accounting tool to evaluate yearly the total income and capital of forests, encompassing all measurable sources of private and public incomes (timber and cork production, auto-consumption, recreational activities, biodiversity conservation, carbon sequestration, water production, etc.). We also force our simulation with future socio-economic scenarios to quantify the physical and economic efects of expected trends or simulated public and private policies on future water resources. Only a comprehensive integrated tool may serve as a basis for the development of integrated policies, such as those internationally agreed and recommended for the management of water resources.

  16. Five challenges to reconcile agricultural land use and forest ecosystem services in Southeast Asia.

    PubMed

    Carrasco, L R; Papworth, S K; Reed, J; Symes, W S; Ickowitz, A; Clements, T; Peh, K S-H; Sunderland, T

    2016-10-01

    Southeast Asia possesses the highest rates of tropical deforestation globally and exceptional levels of species richness and endemism. Many countries in the region are also recognized for their food insecurity and poverty, making the reconciliation of agricultural production and forest conservation a particular priority. This reconciliation requires recognition of the trade-offs between competing land-use values and the subsequent incorporation of this information into policy making. To date, such reconciliation has been relatively unsuccessful across much of Southeast Asia. We propose an ecosystem services (ES) value-internalization framework that identifies the key challenges to such reconciliation. These challenges include lack of accessible ES valuation techniques; limited knowledge of the links between forests, food security, and human well-being; weak demand and political will for the integration of ES in economic activities and environmental regulation; a disconnect between decision makers and ES valuation; and lack of transparent discussion platforms where stakeholders can work toward consensus on negotiated land-use management decisions. Key research priorities to overcome these challenges are developing easy-to-use ES valuation techniques; quantifying links between forests and well-being that go beyond economic values; understanding factors that prevent the incorporation of ES into markets, regulations, and environmental certification schemes; understanding how to integrate ES valuation into policy making processes, and determining how to reduce corruption and power plays in land-use planning processes. © 2016 Society for Conservation Biology.

  17. Extended benefit cost analysis as an instrument of economic valuated in Petungkriyono forest ecosystem services

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Damayanti, Irma; Nur Bambang, Azis; Retnaningsih Soeprobowati, Tri

    2018-05-01

    Petungkriyono is the last tropical forest in Java and provides biodiversity including rare flora and fauna that must be maintained, managed and utilized in order to give meaning for humanity and sustainability. Services of Forest Ecosystem in Petungkriyono are included such as goods supply, soil-water conservation, climate regulation, purification environment and flora fauna habitats. The approach of this study is the literature review from various studies before perceiving the influenced of economic valuation in determining the measurement conservation strategies of Petungkriyono Natural Forest Ecosystem in Pekalongan Regency. The aims of this study are to analyzing an extended benefit cost of natural forest ecosystems and internalizing them in decision making. The method of quantification and valuation of forest ecosystem is Cost and Benefit Analysis (CBA) which is a standard economic appraisal tools government in development economics. CBA offers the possibility capturing impact of the project. By using productivity subtitution value and extended benefit cost analysis any comodity such as Backwoods,Pine Woods, Puspa woods and Pine Gum. Water value, preventive buildings of landslide and carbon sequestration have total economic value of IDR.163.065.858.080, and the value of Extended Benefit Cost Ratio in Petungkriyono is 281.35 %. However, from the result is expected the local government of Pekalongan to have high motivation in preserve the existence of Petungkriyono forest.

  18. Valuation of Forest Amenities: A Macro Approach

    Treesearch

    Ronald Raunikar; Joseph Buongiorno

    2001-01-01

    A method of estimating forest amenity value based on macroeconomic growth theory is presented. It relies on the assumption that more valuable forest amenities are provided by a forest with a more natural stand structure. We construct a forest naturalness index from stand data that provides a relative measure of the forest amenity provided regionally. This naturalness...

  19. 26 CFR 1.9004-4 - Manner of exercising election.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 26 Internal Revenue 13 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Manner of exercising election. 1.9004-4 Section 1.9004-4 Internal Revenue INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY (CONTINUED) INCOME TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES General Actuarial Valuations § 1.9004-4 Manner of exercising election. (a...

  20. 26 CFR 1.9003-4 - Manner of exercising election.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 26 Internal Revenue 13 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Manner of exercising election. 1.9003-4 Section 1.9003-4 Internal Revenue INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY (CONTINUED) INCOME TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES General Actuarial Valuations § 1.9003-4 Manner of exercising election. (a...

  1. 26 CFR 1.9005-4 - Manner of exercising election.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 26 Internal Revenue 13 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Manner of exercising election. 1.9005-4 Section 1.9005-4 Internal Revenue INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY (CONTINUED) INCOME TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES General Actuarial Valuations § 1.9005-4 Manner of exercising election. (a...

  2. 26 CFR 1.9002-8 - Manner of exercising elections.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 26 Internal Revenue 13 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Manner of exercising elections. 1.9002-8 Section 1.9002-8 Internal Revenue INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY (CONTINUED) INCOME TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES General Actuarial Valuations § 1.9002-8 Manner of exercising elections...

  3. Logging safety in forest management education

    Treesearch

    David Elton Fosbroke; John R. Myers

    1995-01-01

    Forest management degree programs prepare students for careers in forestry by teaching a combination of biological sciences (e.g., silvics and genetics) and business management (e.g., forest policy and timber valuation). During a 4-year degree program, students learn the impact of interest rates, equipment costs, and environmental policies on forest management and...

  4. Forest policy impact assessment in the Ouachita National Forest and the valuation of conserving red-cockaded woodpeckers

    Treesearch

    Difei Zhang; Michael M. Huebschmann; Thomas B. Lynch; James M. Guldin

    2010-01-01

    Problem statement: The Ouachita National Forest received approval in 1996 for an amendment to its Forest Plan that would allocate 10% of the Forest to long-rotation silviculture. The purpose of the new management area is to restore pre-European settlement forest conditions and recreate habitat for the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker. Approach: This study explored...

  5. Social relationships as a major determinant in the valuation of health states.

    PubMed

    Frick, Ulrich; Irving, Hyacinth; Rehm, Jürgen

    2012-03-01

    To empirically determine the impact of the capacity to sustain social relationships on valuing health states. 68 clinical experts conducted a health state valuation exercise in five sites using pairwise comparison, ranking, and person trade-off as elicitation methods. 23,840 pairwise comparisons of a total of 379 health states were analyzed by conditional logistic regression. Social relationships had a clear monotonic association with perceived disability: the more limited the capacity to sustain social relationships, the more disabling the resulting health state valuations. The highest level of limitations with respect to social relationships was associated with slightly lower impact on health state valuations compared to the highest level of limitations in physical functioning. Social relationships showed an independent contribution to health state valuations and should be included in health state measures.

  6. 36 CFR 254.10 - Bargaining; arbitration.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Bargaining; arbitration. 254.10 Section 254.10 Parks, Forests, and Public Property FOREST SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE... determine values. Bargaining or any other process must be based on an objective analysis of the valuation in...

  7. An attribute-based approach to contingent valuation of forest protection programs

    Treesearch

    Christopher C. Moore; Thomas P. Holmes; Kathleen P. Bell

    2011-01-01

    The hemlock woolly adelgid is an invasive insect that is damaging hemlock forests in the eastern United States. Several control methods are available but forest managers are constrained by cost, availability, and environmental concerns. As a result forest managers must decide how to allocate limited conservation resources over heterogeneous landscapes. We develop an...

  8. Ecosystem service valuations of mangrove ecosystems to inform decision making and future valuation exercises.

    PubMed

    Mukherjee, Nibedita; Sutherland, William J; Dicks, Lynn; Hugé, Jean; Koedam, Nico; Dahdouh-Guebas, Farid

    2014-01-01

    The valuation of ecosystem services is a complex process as it includes several dimensions (ecological, socio-cultural and economic) and not all of these can be quantified in monetary units. The aim of this paper is to conduct an ecosystem services valuation study for mangroves ecosystems, the results of which can be used to inform governance and management of mangroves. We used an expert-based participatory approach (the Delphi technique) to identify, categorize and rank the various ecosystem services provided by mangrove ecosystems at a global scale. Subsequently we looked for evidence in the existing ecosystem services literature for monetary valuations of these ecosystem service categories throughout the biogeographic distribution of mangroves. We then compared the relative ranking of ecosystem service categories between the monetary valuations and the expert based analysis. The experts identified 16 ecosystem service categories, six of which are not adequately represented in the literature. There was no significant correlation between the expert based valuation (the Delphi technique) and the economic valuation, indicating that the scope of valuation of ecosystem services needs to be broadened. Acknowledging this diversity in different valuation approaches, and developing methodological frameworks that foster the pluralism of values in ecosystem services research, are crucial for maintaining the credibility of ecosystem services valuation. To conclude, we use the findings of our dual approach to valuation to make recommendations on how to assess and manage the ecosystem services provided by mangrove ecosystems.

  9. Ecosystem Service Valuations of Mangrove Ecosystems to Inform Decision Making and Future Valuation Exercises

    PubMed Central

    Mukherjee, Nibedita; Sutherland, William J.; Dicks, Lynn; Hugé, Jean; Koedam, Nico; Dahdouh-Guebas, Farid

    2014-01-01

    The valuation of ecosystem services is a complex process as it includes several dimensions (ecological, socio-cultural and economic) and not all of these can be quantified in monetary units. The aim of this paper is to conduct an ecosystem services valuation study for mangroves ecosystems, the results of which can be used to inform governance and management of mangroves. We used an expert-based participatory approach (the Delphi technique) to identify, categorize and rank the various ecosystem services provided by mangrove ecosystems at a global scale. Subsequently we looked for evidence in the existing ecosystem services literature for monetary valuations of these ecosystem service categories throughout the biogeographic distribution of mangroves. We then compared the relative ranking of ecosystem service categories between the monetary valuations and the expert based analysis. The experts identified 16 ecosystem service categories, six of which are not adequately represented in the literature. There was no significant correlation between the expert based valuation (the Delphi technique) and the economic valuation, indicating that the scope of valuation of ecosystem services needs to be broadened. Acknowledging this diversity in different valuation approaches, and developing methodological frameworks that foster the pluralism of values in ecosystem services research, are crucial for maintaining the credibility of ecosystem services valuation. To conclude, we use the findings of our dual approach to valuation to make recommendations on how to assess and manage the ecosystem services provided by mangrove ecosystems. PMID:25243852

  10. Addressing Risk in the Valuation of Energy Systems

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Veeramany, Arun; Hammerstrom, Donald J.; Woodward, James T.

    2017-06-26

    Valuation is a mechanism by which potential worth of a transaction between two or more parties can be evaluated. Examples include valuation of transactive energy systems such as electric power system and building energy systems. Uncertainties can manifest while exercising a valuation methodology in the form of lack of knowledge or be inherently embedded in the valuation process. Uncertainty could also exist in the temporal dimension while planning for long-term growth. This paper discusses risk considerations associated with valuation studies in support of decision-making in the presence of such uncertainties. It is often important to have foresight of uncertain entitiesmore » that can impact real-world deployments, such as the comparison or ranking of two valuation studies to determine cost-benefit impacts to multiple stakeholders. The research proposes to address this challenge through simulation and sensitivity analyses to support ‘what-if’ analysis of well-defined future scenarios. This paper describes foundational value of diagrammatic representation techniques such as unified modeling language to understand the implications of not addressing some of the risk elements encountered during the valuation process. The paper includes examples from generation resource adequacy assessment studies (e.g. loss of load) to illustrate the principles of risk in valuation.« less

  11. Valuing the Recreational Benefits from the Creation of Nature Reserves in Irish Forests

    Treesearch

    Riccardo Scarpa; Susan M. Chilton; W. George Hutchinson; Joseph Buongiorno

    2000-01-01

    Data from a large-scale contingent valuation study are used to investigate the effects of forest attribum on willingness to pay for forest recreation in Ireland. In particular, the presence of a nature reserve in the forest is found to significantly increase the visitors' willingness to pay. A random utility model is used to estimate the welfare change associated...

  12. Whole-island carbon stocks in the tropical Pacific: Implications for mangrove conservation and upland restoration

    Treesearch

    D.C. Donato; J.B. Kauffman; R.A. Mackenzie; A. Ainsworth; A.Z. Pfleeger

    2012-01-01

    Management of forest carbon (C) stocks is an increasingly prominent land-use issue. Knowledge of carbon storage in tropical forests is improving, but regional variations are still poorly understood, and this constrains forest management and conservation efforts associated with carbon valuation mechanisms (e.g., carbon markets). This deficiency is especially pronounced...

  13. Recreational benefits of urban forests: explaining visitors' willingness to pay in the context of the theory of planned behavior.

    PubMed

    Bernath, Katrin; Roschewitz, Anna

    2008-11-01

    The extension of contingent valuation models with an attitude-behavior based framework has been proposed in order to improve the descriptive and predictive ability of the models. This study examines the potential of the theory of planned behavior to explain willingness to pay (WTP) in a contingent valuation survey of the recreational benefits of the Zurich city forests. Two aspects of WTP responses, protest votes and bid levels, were analyzed separately. In both steps, models with and without the psychological predictors proposed by the theory of planned behavior were compared. Whereas the inclusion of the psychological predictors significantly improved explanations of protest votes, their ability to improve the performance of the model explaining bid levels was limited. The results indicate that the interpretation of bid levels as behavioral intention may not be appropriate and that the potential of the theory of planned behavior to improve contingent valuation models depends on which aspect of WTP responses is examined.

  14. Compensatory value of an urban forest: an application of the tree-value formula

    Treesearch

    David J. Nowak

    1993-01-01

    Understanding the value of an urban forest can give decisionmakers a better foundation for urban tree management. According to the tree-valuation formula of the Council of Tree and Landscape Appraisers, the estimated compensatory value of the urban forest in Oakland, California, (21% tree cover) is $385.7 million, with residential trees accounting for 58.6% of the...

  15. Recreational demand for Tuskegee National Forest, a non-market valuation

    Treesearch

    Ellene Kebede; Mudiayi Ngandu; John Schelhas; Doris Batalia

    2006-01-01

    The demand for outdoor recreational activities has been increasing in the United States and is a significant part of the lifestyle in the South over the last few years. Forest recreational opportunities are available on public owned forests. and some provide amenities such as. drinking water, electricity, flush toilets. and sewer at each campsite. Some charge a form of...

  16. Heterogeneous nonmarket benefits of managing white pine bluster rust in high-elevation pine forests

    Treesearch

    James R. Meldrum; Patricia A. Champ; Craig A. Bond

    2013-01-01

    This article describes a nonmarket valuation study about benefits of managing the invasive disease white pine blister rust in highelevation forests in the Western United States. Results demonstrate that, on average, households in the Western United States are willing to pay $154 to improve the resiliency of these forests. Factor analysis shows that long-run protection...

  17. Valuing Tropical Rainforest Protection Using the Contingent Valuation Method

    Treesearch

    Randall A. Kramer; D. Evan Mercer; Narendra Sharma

    1996-01-01

    In the last several decades, the intensity and scale of forest exploitation have increased significantly. A large number of developing countries experiencing increasing deforestation trends are also facing acute shortages of fuelwood, fodder, industrial timber, and other forest products for domestic USC. Besides potential environmental degradation, depletion of...

  18. Effects of site preparation on timber and non-timber values of loblolly pine plantations

    Treesearch

    Jianbang Gan; Stephen H. Kolison; James H. Miller; Tasha M. Hargrove

    1998-01-01

    This study evaluated the timber and non-timber values of the forest stands generated by four site preparation methods tested in the Tuskegee National Forest 15 yr earlier. The timber values of the forest stands were assessed with the timber yields predicted by the SE TWIGS model. Non-timber benefits were evaluated through the Contingent Valuation Method. Two hundred...

  19. Bootstrap simulation, Markov decision process models, and role of discounting in the valuation of ecological criteria in uneven-aged forest management

    Treesearch

    Mo Zhou; Joseph Buongiorno; Jingjing Liang

    2012-01-01

    Besides the market value of timber, forests provide substantial nonmarket benefits, especially with continuous-cover silviculture, which have long been acknowledged by forest managers. They include wildlife habitat (e.g. Bevers and Hof 1999), carbon sequestration (e.g. Dewar and Cannell 1992), biodiversity (e.g. Kangas and Kuusipalo 1993; Austin and Meyers 1999),...

  20. [Ecological regulation services of Hainan Island ecosystem and their valuation].

    PubMed

    Ouyang, Zhiyun; Zhao, Tongqian; Zhao, Jingzhu; Xiao, Han; Wang, Xiaoke

    2004-08-01

    Ecosystem services imply the natural environmental conditions on which human life relies for existence, and their effectiveness formed and sustained by ecosystem and its ecological processes. In newly research reports, they were divided into four groups, i. e., provisioning services, regulation services, cultural services, and supporting services. To assess and valuate ecosystem services is the foundation of regional environmental reserve and development. Taking Hainan Island as an example and based on the structure and processes of natural ecosystem, this paper discussed the proper methods for regulation services assessment. The ecosystems were classified into 13 types including valley rain forest, mountainous rain forest, tropical monsoon forest, mountainous coppice forest, mountainous evergreen forest, tropical coniferous forest, shrubs, plantation, timber forest, windbreak forest, mangrove, savanna, and cropland, and then, the regulation services and their economic values of Hainan Island ecosystem were assessed and evaluated by terms of water-holding, soil conservancy, nutrient cycle, C fixation, and windbreak function. The economic value of the regulation services of Hainan Island ecosystem was estimated as 2035.88 x 10(8)-2153.39 x 10(8) RMB yuan, 8 times higher to its provisioning services (wood and agricultural products) which were estimated as only 254.06 x 10(8) RMB yuan. The result implied that ecosystem regulation services played an even more important role in the sustainable development of society and economy in Hainan Island.

  1. Willingness to pay function for two fuel treatments to reduce wildfire acreage burned: A scope test and comparison of White and Hispanic households

    Treesearch

    John B. Loomis; Le Trong Hung; Armando Gonzalez-Caban

    2009-01-01

    This research uses the Contingent Valuation Method to test whether willingness to pay increases for larger reductions in acres of forests burned by wildfires across the states of California. Florida and Montana. This is known as a test of scope, a measure of internal validity of the contingent valuation method (CVM). The scope test is conducted separately for White...

  2. To what extent can we explain time trade-off values from other information about respondents?

    PubMed

    Dolan, Paul; Roberts, Jennifer

    2002-03-01

    The time trade-off (TTO) is one of the most widely used health state valuation methods and was recently used to develop a set of values for the EQ-5D descriptive system from 3000 members of the UK general population. However, there is currently very little understanding of precisely what determines responses to TTO questions. The data that were used to generate this set of values are ideal for addressing this question since they contain a plethora of information relating to the respondents and their cognition during the TTO exercise. A particularly useful characteristic of this dataset is the existence of visual analogue scale (VAS) valuations on the same states for the same respondents. The results suggest that age, sex and marital status are the most important respondent characteristics determining health state valuations. The VAS valuations were found to add very little to the explanatory power of the models.

  3. Hydro-economic modeling of the role of forests on water resources production in Andalusia, Spain

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Beguería, Santiago; Serrano-Notivoli, Roberto; Álvarez-Palomino, Alejandro; Campos, Pablo

    2014-05-01

    The development of more refined information tools is a pre-requisite for supporting decision making in the context of integrated water resources management. Among these tools, hydro-economic models are favoured because they allow integrating the ecological, hydrological, infrastructure and economic aspects into a coherent, scientifically-informed framework. We present a case study that assesses physically the water resources of forest lands of the Andalusia region in Spain and conducts an economic environmental income and asset valuation of the forest surface water yield. We show how, based on available hydrologic and economic data, we can develop a comprehensive water account for all the forest lands at the regional scale. This forest water environmental valuation is part of the larger RECAMAN project, which aims at providing a robust and easily replicable accounting tool to evaluate yearly the total income an capital generated by the forest land, encompassing all measurable sources of private and public incomes (timber and cork production, auto-consumption, recreational activities, biodiversity conservation, carbon sequestration, water production, etc.). Only a comprehensive integrated tool such as the one built within the RECAMAN project may serve as a basis for the development of integrated policies such as those internationally agreed and recommended for the management of water resources.

  4. Timing effects in health valuations.

    PubMed

    Leiter, Andrea M; Pruckner, Gerald J

    2014-06-01

    This paper analyzes the impact of external sources of information, conveyed by the frequency of risky events that vary across time, on the individual willingness to pay (WTP) for a reduction of mortality risk. We collected data from a contingent valuation (CV) exercise conducted in two waves (fall and winter) to examine whether individual WTP varied across periods that differed in the predominance of fatal accidents. Risk valuations were based on fatal snow avalanche accidents, that is, a type of risk with seasonal differences in occurrence. We found slightly lower but statistically significant mean WTP figures in the winter than in the fall sample because of time-varying individual risk attitudes and, therefore, recommend controlling for these factors in risk assessment CV surveys. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  5. Nonmarket economic values of forest insect pests: An updated literature review

    Treesearch

    Randall S. Rosenberger; Lauren A. Bell; Patricia A. Champ; Eric. L. Smith

    2012-01-01

    This report updates the literature review and synthesis of economic valuation studies on the impacts of forest insect pests by Rosenberger and Smith (1997). A conceptual framework is presented to establish context for the studies. This report also discusses the concept of ecosystem services; identifies key elements of each study; examines areas of future research; and...

  6. Protecting Oregon old-growth forests from fires: how much is it worth?

    Treesearch

    Armando González-Cabán; John Loomis; Robin Gregory

    1995-01-01

    Current fire management policies in the USDA Forest Service includes traditional multiple uses, but these policies do not adequately incorporate non-traditional uses such as preservation of biodiversity and related nongame and endangered animals. A contingent valuation methodology was used for valuing the general public's desire to know that rare and unique...

  7. Methods for assessing the impact of fire on forest recreation

    Treesearch

    Henry J. Vaux; Philip D. Gardner; Thomas J. Mills

    1984-01-01

    Methods for assessing the impact of fire on forest recreation were studied in a literature search and an experiment. Contingent market valuation appeared the most promising. This direct, economic approach uses personal interviews and sets up a hypothetical market transaction in which values are estimated. In an illustrative application of this method, respondents were...

  8. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Klimsiak, Tomasz, E-mail: tomas@mat.umk.pl; Rozkosz, Andrzej, E-mail: rozkosz@mat.umk.pl

    In the paper we consider the problem of valuation of American options written on dividend-paying assets whose price dynamics follow the classical multidimensional Black and Scholes model. We provide a general early exercise premium representation formula for options with payoff functions which are convex or satisfy mild regularity assumptions. Examples include index options, spread options, call on max options, put on min options, multiply strike options and power-product options. In the proof of the formula we exploit close connections between the optimal stopping problems associated with valuation of American options, obstacle problems and reflected backward stochastic differential equations.

  9. Multiple good valuation [Chapter 7

    Treesearch

    Thomas C. Brown; George L. Peterson

    2003-01-01

    Assume for the moment that you are the supervisor of the Roosevelt National Forest (it’s located near our town of Fort Collins, Colorado). You have been asked by the Chief of the Forest Service how you would spend a specified increase in your budget. You could spend the increase on such projects as improved campgrounds, better roads for reaching the backcountry,...

  10. Visitor perceptions and valuation of visibility in the Great Gulf Wilderness, New Hampshire

    Treesearch

    L. Bruce Hill; Wendy Harper; John M. Halstead; Thomas H. Stevens; Ina Porras; Kenneth D. Kimball

    2000-01-01

    New Hampshire’s White Mountain National Forest is well known for its mountain scenery and its diverse outdoor recreational opportunities. Within The Forest are two federally protected Class I wilderness areas, the Great Gulf Wilderness, and the Presidential Dry-River Wilderness. The expansive scenic vistas from these two wilderness areas are commonly impaired by...

  11. Rain Forest Tourism - Estimating the Benefits of Tourism Development in a New National Park in Madagascar

    Treesearch

    D. Evan Mercer; R. Kramer; N. Sharma

    1995-01-01

    Travel cost and contingent valuation methods are applied to the problem of estimating the potential consumer surplus available to international nature tourists from a rain forest conservation project in Madagascar. Data are derived from surveys of nature tourists in Madagascar and international, nature tourism professionals in the U.S. and Europe. Typical trip travel...

  12. Growth projection and valuation of restoration of the shortleaf pine-bluestem grass ecosystem

    Treesearch

    Difei Zhang; Michael M. Huebschmann; Thomas B. Lynch; James M. Guldin

    2012-01-01

    The fire-dependent shortleaf pine–bluestem grass ecosystem that existed prior to European settlement is being restored on approximately 62,700 ha in the Ouachita National Forest. The restoration effort's economic effects are not completely understood. This study will provide the Forest Service with a framework for better communicating the biological and economic...

  13. Should Cost-Effectiveness Analysis Include the Cost of Consumption Activities? AN Empirical Investigation.

    PubMed

    Adarkwah, Charles Christian; Sadoghi, Amirhossein; Gandjour, Afschin

    2016-02-01

    There has been a debate on whether cost-effectiveness analysis should consider the cost of consumption and leisure time activities when using the quality-adjusted life year as a measure of health outcome under a societal perspective. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the effects of ill health on consumptive activities are spontaneously considered in a health state valuation exercise and how much this matters. The survey enrolled patients with inflammatory bowel disease in Germany (n = 104). Patients were randomized to explicit and no explicit instruction for the consideration of consumption and leisure effects in a time trade-off (TTO) exercise. Explicit instruction to consider non-health-related utility in TTO exercises did not influence TTO scores. However, spontaneous consideration of non-health-related utility in patients without explicit instruction (60% of respondents) led to significantly lower TTO scores. Results suggest an inclusion of consumption costs in the numerator of the cost-effectiveness ratio, at least for those respondents who spontaneously consider non-health-related utility from treatment. Results also suggest that exercises eliciting health valuations from the general public may include a description of the impact of disease on consumptive activities. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  14. 36 CFR 213.3 - Protection, occupancy, use, administration, and exercise of reservations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ..., administration, and exercise of reservations. 213.3 Section 213.3 Parks, Forests, and Public Property FOREST... TENANT ACT BY THE FOREST SERVICE § 213.3 Protection, occupancy, use, administration, and exercise of... the rules and regulations to govern the exercise of reservations in conveyances to the United States...

  15. 36 CFR 213.3 - Protection, occupancy, use, administration, and exercise of reservations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ..., administration, and exercise of reservations. 213.3 Section 213.3 Parks, Forests, and Public Property FOREST... TENANT ACT BY THE FOREST SERVICE § 213.3 Protection, occupancy, use, administration, and exercise of... the rules and regulations to govern the exercise of reservations in conveyances to the United States...

  16. 36 CFR 213.3 - Protection, occupancy, use, administration, and exercise of reservations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ..., administration, and exercise of reservations. 213.3 Section 213.3 Parks, Forests, and Public Property FOREST... TENANT ACT BY THE FOREST SERVICE § 213.3 Protection, occupancy, use, administration, and exercise of... the rules and regulations to govern the exercise of reservations in conveyances to the United States...

  17. 36 CFR 213.3 - Protection, occupancy, use, administration, and exercise of reservations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ..., administration, and exercise of reservations. 213.3 Section 213.3 Parks, Forests, and Public Property FOREST... TENANT ACT BY THE FOREST SERVICE § 213.3 Protection, occupancy, use, administration, and exercise of... the rules and regulations to govern the exercise of reservations in conveyances to the United States...

  18. 36 CFR 213.3 - Protection, occupancy, use, administration, and exercise of reservations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ..., administration, and exercise of reservations. 213.3 Section 213.3 Parks, Forests, and Public Property FOREST... TENANT ACT BY THE FOREST SERVICE § 213.3 Protection, occupancy, use, administration, and exercise of... the rules and regulations to govern the exercise of reservations in conveyances to the United States...

  19. Integrating geographic information systems and remote sensing with spatial econometric and mixed logit models for environmental valuation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wells, Aaron Raymond

    This research focuses on the Emory and Obed Watersheds in the Cumberland Plateau in Central Tennessee and the Lower Hatchie River Watershed in West Tennessee. A framework based on market and nonmarket valuation techniques was used to empirically estimate economic values for environmental amenities and negative externalities in these areas. The specific techniques employed include a variation of hedonic pricing and discrete choice conjoint analysis (i.e., choice modeling), in addition to geographic information systems (GIS) and remote sensing. Microeconomic models of agent behavior, including random utility theory and profit maximization, provide the principal theoretical foundation linking valuation techniques and econometric models. The generalized method of moments estimator for a first-order spatial autoregressive function and mixed logit models are the principal econometric methods applied within the framework. The dissertation is subdivided into three separate chapters written in a manuscript format. The first chapter provides the necessary theoretical and mathematical conditions that must be satisfied in order for a forest amenity enhancement program to be implemented. These conditions include utility, value, and profit maximization. The second chapter evaluates the effect of forest land cover and information about future land use change on respondent preferences and willingness to pay for alternative hypothetical forest amenity enhancement options. Land use change information and the amount of forest land cover significantly influenced respondent preferences, choices, and stated willingness to pay. Hicksian welfare estimates for proposed enhancement options ranged from 57.42 to 25.53, depending on the policy specification, information level, and econometric model. The third chapter presents economic values for negative externalities associated with channelization that affect the productivity and overall market value of forested wetlands. Results of robust, generalized moments estimation of a double logarithmic first-order spatial autoregressive error model (inverse distance weights with spatial dependence up to 1500m) indicate that the implicit cost of damages to forested wetlands caused by channelization equaled -$5,438 ha-1. Collectively, the results of this dissertation provide economic measures of the damages to and benefits of environmental assets, help private landowners and policy makers identify the amenity attributes preferred by the public, and improve the management of natural resources.

  20. Ecosystem Service Valuation Assessments for Protected Area Management: A Case Study Comparing Methods Using Different Land Cover Classification and Valuation Approaches

    PubMed Central

    Whitham, Charlotte E. L.

    2015-01-01

    Accurate and spatially-appropriate ecosystem service valuations are vital for decision-makers and land managers. Many approaches for estimating ecosystem service value (ESV) exist, but their appropriateness under specific conditions or logistical limitations is not uniform. The most accurate techniques are therefore not always adopted. Six different assessment approaches were used to estimate ESV for a National Nature Reserve in southwest China, across different management zones. These approaches incorporated two different land-use land cover (LULC) maps and development of three economic valuation techniques, using globally or locally-derived data. The differences in ESV across management zones for the six approaches were largely influenced by the classifications of forest and farmland and how they corresponded with valuation coefficients. With realistic limits on access to time, data, skills and resources, and using acquired estimates from globally-relevant sources, the Buffer zone was estimated as the most valuable (2.494 million ± 1.371 million CNY yr-1 km-2) and the Non-protected zone as the least valuable (770,000 ± 4,600 CNY yr-1 km-2). However, for both LULC maps, when using the locally-based and more time and skill-intensive valuation approaches, this pattern was generally reversed. This paper provides a detailed practical example of how ESV can differ widely depending on the availability and appropriateness of LULC maps and valuation approaches used, highlighting pitfalls for the managers of protected areas. PMID:26086191

  1. Exercise SHERWOOD FOREST. General Plan

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1962-05-28

    HEADQUARTKLS; EXERCISE SHERWOOD FOREST Fort Lewis, Washington ’y 28 May i962 SUBJECT: General Plan,| Exercise SHERWOOD FOREST, / TO...Commanding General United States Continertal Army Command ATTN: Assistant Chief of Staff, G3 Fort Monroe, Virginia Enclosed is the General Plan, Exercise ...WILLIAM G KÄSTNER Colonel, Infantry CO, 1st BG, 128th Infantry 32d Infantry Division Exercise Director •VTv’V— (hi* ^ ’ (■ ’• • f\\ \\ f- \\ i r

  2. Valuing setting-based recreation for selected visitors to national forests in the southern United States

    Treesearch

    Kavita Sardana; John C. Bergstrom; J. M.  Bowker

    2016-01-01

    In this study we estimate selected visitors’ demand and value for recreational trips to settings such as developed vs. undeveloped sites in U.S. national forests in the Southern United States using the travel cost method. The setting-based approach allows for valuation of multi-activity trips to particular settings. The results from an adjusted Poisson lognormal...

  3. How dead is dead? Qualitative findings from participants of combined traditional and lead-time time trade-off valuations.

    PubMed

    Al Sayah, Fatima; Mladenovic, Ana; Gaebel, Kathryn; Xie, Feng; Johnson, Jeffrey A

    2016-01-01

    The EuroQol Valuation Technology (EQ-VT) uses traditional time trade-off (tTTO) for health states better than dead and lead-time TTO (LT-TTO) for states worse than dead to elicit a value (-1.0 to +1.0) for each health state. In the Canadian EQ-5D-5L Valuation study which used the EQVT platform, we observed an unexpected peak in frequency of "0" values and few negative values, particularly in the range of 0 to -0.5. To better understand this finding, we sought to explore respondents' thought processes while valuing a health state, and their understanding of the tTTO and LT-TTO exercises. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with EQVT task respondents. Questions focused on valuations of health states as: (a) Same as dead in tTTO, (b) Worse than dead in tTTO but changed to same as dead in LT-TTO, (c) Worse than dead in LT-TTO, and (d) Worse than dead in LT-TTO with trading off all 10 years. Data were analyzed using content and thematic analysis. Mean age of participants (N = 70) was 40 ± 18.1 years, 60% female, and 76% Caucasian. Participants provided similar reasons for valuing a health state same as or worse than dead. Many participants expressed confusion about worse than dead valuations, distinction between same as and worse than dead, and the transition from tTTO to LT-TTO. A few indicated that the addition of 10 years of full health in the LT-TTO influenced their valuations. The transition from tTTO to LT-TTO in the EQVT was confusing to participants, whereby some health state valuations around this transition appeared to be arbitrary.

  4. Mapping benefits as a tool for natural resource management in estuarine watersheds

    EPA Science Inventory

    Natural resource managers are often called upon to justify the value of protecting or restoring natural capital based on its perceived benefit to stakeholders. This usually takes the form of formal valuation exercises (i.e., ancillary costs) of a resource without consideration f...

  5. Application of economic techniques to fire management - A status review and evaluation

    Treesearch

    Julie K. Gorte; Ross W. Gorte

    1979-01-01

    Discusses both the historic and contemporary influences of economic in formulating USDA, Forest Service fire management policy in allocating money for fire management and in appraising fire effects. Includes a partial listing of publications that deal with resource valuation.

  6. The Development of Even-Aged Plantation Forests: An Exercise in Forest Stand Dynamics

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wilson, E. R.; Leslie, A. D.

    2008-01-01

    In this paper we present a field-based practical exercise that allows students in forestry, ecology and natural resources to develop their understanding of forest stand dynamics. The exercise involves measurement of key tree growth parameters in four even-aged, single-species plantation stands of different age but occupying sites with similar soil…

  7. Organic Process Technology Valuation: Cyclohexanone Oxime Syntheses

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cannon, Kevin C.; Breen, Maureen P.

    2010-01-01

    Three contemporary processes for cyclohexanone oxime synthesis are evaluated in a case study. The case study introduces organic chemistry students to basic cost accounting to determine the most economical technology. Technical and financial aspects of these processes are evaluated with problem-based exercises that may be completed by students…

  8. Reconsidering the use of rankings in the valuation of health states: a model for estimating cardinal values from ordinal data

    PubMed Central

    Salomon, Joshua A

    2003-01-01

    Background In survey studies on health-state valuations, ordinal ranking exercises often are used as precursors to other elicitation methods such as the time trade-off (TTO) or standard gamble, but the ranking data have not been used in deriving cardinal valuations. This study reconsiders the role of ordinal ranks in valuing health and introduces a new approach to estimate interval-scaled valuations based on aggregate ranking data. Methods Analyses were undertaken on data from a previously published general population survey study in the United Kingdom that included rankings and TTO values for hypothetical states described using the EQ-5D classification system. The EQ-5D includes five domains (mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort and anxiety/depression) with three possible levels on each. Rank data were analysed using a random utility model, operationalized through conditional logit regression. In the statistical model, probabilities of observed rankings were related to the latent utilities of different health states, modeled as a linear function of EQ-5D domain scores, as in previously reported EQ-5D valuation functions. Predicted valuations based on the conditional logit model were compared to observed TTO values for the 42 states in the study and to predictions based on a model estimated directly from the TTO values. Models were evaluated using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) between predictions and mean observations, and the root mean squared error of predictions at the individual level. Results Agreement between predicted valuations from the rank model and observed TTO values was very high, with an ICC of 0.97, only marginally lower than for predictions based on the model estimated directly from TTO values (ICC = 0.99). Individual-level errors were also comparable in the two models, with root mean squared errors of 0.503 and 0.496 for the rank-based and TTO-based predictions, respectively. Conclusions Modeling health-state valuations based on ordinal ranks can provide results that are similar to those obtained from more widely analyzed valuation techniques such as the TTO. The information content in aggregate ranking data is not currently exploited to full advantage. The possibility of estimating cardinal valuations from ordinal ranks could also simplify future data collection dramatically and facilitate wider empirical study of health-state valuations in diverse settings and population groups. PMID:14687419

  9. 36 CFR 251.19 - Exercise of water rights reserved by the grantor of lands conveyed to the United States.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 2 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Exercise of water rights reserved by the grantor of lands conveyed to the United States. 251.19 Section 251.19 Parks, Forests, and Public Property FOREST SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE LAND USES Miscellaneous Land Uses Rights of Grantors § 251.19 Exercise of water rights...

  10. 36 CFR 251.19 - Exercise of water rights reserved by the grantor of lands conveyed to the United States.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 2 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Exercise of water rights reserved by the grantor of lands conveyed to the United States. 251.19 Section 251.19 Parks, Forests, and Public Property FOREST SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE LAND USES Miscellaneous Land Uses Rights of Grantors § 251.19 Exercise of water rights...

  11. Ecosystem services: a new NRS-FIA analytical science initiative

    Treesearch

    Brian G. Tavernia; Mark D. Nelson; James D. Garner

    2015-01-01

    Forest ecosystem services (ES) are linked to sustaining human well-being. Recognizing an inappropriate economic valuation of ecosystem properties and processes, many ecologists, economists, and political scientists have pushed for an increasing awareness and appreciation of ES. Many definitions of ES include both direct and indirect benefits humans derive from...

  12. Spatial allocation of forest recreation value

    Treesearch

    Kenneth A. Baerenklau; Armando Gonzalez-Caban; Catrina Paez; Edgard Chavez

    2009-01-01

    Non-market valuation methods and geographic information systems are useful planning and management tools for public land managers. Recent attention has been given to investigation and demonstration of methods for combining these tools to provide spatially-explicit representations of non-market value. Most of these efforts have focused on spatial allocation of...

  13. Singapore’s willingness to pay for mitigation of transboundary forest-fire haze from Indonesia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lin, Yuan; Wijedasa, Lahiru S.; Chisholm, Ryan A.

    2017-02-01

    Haze pollution over the past four decades in Southeast Asia is mainly a result of forest and peatland fires in Indonesia. The economic impacts of haze include adverse health effects and disruption to transport and tourism. Previous studies have used a variety of approaches to assess the economic impacts of haze and the forest fires more generally. But no study has used contingent valuation to assess non-market impacts of haze on individuals. Here we apply contingent valuation to estimate impacts of haze on Singapore, one of most severely affected countries. We used a double-bounded dichotomous-choice survey design and the Kaplan-Meier-Turnbull method to infer the distribution of Singaporeans’ willingness to pay (WTP) for haze mitigation. Our estimate of mean individual WTP was 0.97% of annual income (n = 390). To calculate total national WTP, we stratified by income, the demographic variable most strongly related to individual WTP. The total WTP estimate was 643.5 million per year (95% CI [527.7 million, 765.0 million]). This estimate is comparable in magnitude to previously estimated impacts of Indonesia’s fires and also to the estimated costs of peatland protection and restoration. We recommend that our results be incorporated into future cost-benefit analyses of the fires and mitigation strategies.

  14. External benefits of biomass-e in Spain: an economic valuation.

    PubMed

    Soliño, Mario

    2010-03-01

    This article analyses the willingness to pay for a program that promotes the production of electricity from forest biomass, instead of that based on fossil fuels. The program decreases greenhouse gas emissions, reduces the pressure on non-renewable resources, lowers the risk of summer forest fires, creates employment in rural areas. Results from a choice experiment show that consumers are willing to pay a higher price for electricity in order to obtain the external benefits of the substitution. Respondents attach a higher value to programs that decrease the pressure of non-renewable resources and the risk of forest fires. Copyright (c) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. Reconstructing Fire History: An Exercise in Dendrochronology

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lafon, Charles W.

    2005-01-01

    Dendrochronology is used widely to reconstruct the history of forest disturbances. I created an exercise that introduces the use of dendrochronology to investigate fire history and forest dynamics. The exercise also demonstrates how the dendrochronological technique of crossdating is employed to age dead trees and identify missing rings. I…

  16. 26 CFR 1.1504-0 - Outline of provisions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... §§ 1.1504-1 through 1.1504-4. § 1.1504-1 Definitions. §§ 1.1504-2—1.1504-3 [Reserved] § 1.1504-4..., or similar interests. (iv) Valuation. (3) Example. (c) Definitions. (1) Issuing corporation. (2... exercise. (iv) Measurement date for options issued pursuant to a plan. (v) Measurement date for related or...

  17. The Contribution of Scenic Beauty Indicators in Estimating Environmental Welfare Measures: A Case Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fanariotu, Ioanna; Skuras, Dimitris

    2004-01-01

    Aesthetic indicators of landscapes, expressed as individual scenic beauty estimates, may be used as proxies of individuals' specific aesthetic values, and improve the properties of welfare estimates produced by contingent valuation models. This work presents results from an interdisciplinary study where forest scenic beauty indicators are utilized…

  18. Non-Market Valuation

    Treesearch

    Thomas P. Holmes

    2003-01-01

    In addition to commodities such as timber, forest ecosystems provide an array of goods and services that are not priced in markets but maintain, to a large degree, the characteristics of public goods (non-rivalry and non-excludability). Markets do not recognize scarcity of non-market resources and cannot be relied upon to allocate these resources to their highest and...

  19. Uncertainty of Monetary Valued Ecosystem Services – Value Transfer Functions for Global Mapping

    PubMed Central

    Schmidt, Stefan; Manceur, Ameur M.; Seppelt, Ralf

    2016-01-01

    Growing demand of resources increases pressure on ecosystem services (ES) and biodiversity. Monetary valuation of ES is frequently seen as a decision-support tool by providing explicit values for unconsidered, non-market goods and services. Here we present global value transfer functions by using a meta-analytic framework for the synthesis of 194 case studies capturing 839 monetary values of ES. For 12 ES the variance of monetary values could be explained with a subset of 93 study- and site-specific variables by utilizing boosted regression trees. This provides the first global quantification of uncertainties and transferability of monetary valuations. Models explain from 18% (water provision) to 44% (food provision) of variance and provide statistically reliable extrapolations for 70% (water provision) to 91% (food provision) of the terrestrial earth surface. Although the application of different valuation methods is a source of uncertainty, we found evidence that assuming homogeneity of ecosystems is a major error in value transfer function models. Food provision is positively correlated with better life domains and variables indicating positive conditions for human well-being. Water provision and recreation service show that weak ownerships affect valuation of other common goods negatively (e.g. non-privately owned forests). Furthermore, we found support for the shifting baseline hypothesis in valuing climate regulation. Ecological conditions and societal vulnerability determine valuation of extreme event prevention. Valuation of habitat services is negatively correlated with indicators characterizing less favorable areas. Our analysis represents a stepping stone to establish a standardized integration of and reporting on uncertainties for reliable and valid benefit transfer as an important component for decision support. PMID:26938447

  20. Environmental value transfer: an application for the South East Queensland waterways.

    PubMed

    Robinson, J J

    2002-01-01

    Economic valuations of the environmental resources provided by the waterways of South East Queensland are required for the evaluation of proposed environmental management strategies. Due to time and funding constraints it is unlikely that the environmental resources for each tributary of the river system will be subject to individual and explicit valuation. This paper reviews the literature about the validity of environmental benefit transfer, identifying the protocol for undertaking such a study. It then describes a study designed to transfer the estimated value of water quality improvements for the Bremer River to other waterways in South East Queensland. The study addresses some of the shortcomings of stated preference techniques to value the environment, including improving the quality of the information provided to survey respondents and the reliability of their responses by adopting a citizens' jury approach to the valuation exercise. In addition, the study is expected to provide the results in a form that will facilitate the estimation of a demand function for water quality improvements that will be meaningful for environmental value transfer to other sites with similar water quality issues.

  1. Coherent activity between brain regions that code for value is linked to the malleability of human behavior

    PubMed Central

    Cooper, Nicole; Bassett, Danielle S.; Falk, Emily B.

    2017-01-01

    Brain activity in medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) during exposure to persuasive messages can predict health behavior change. This brain-behavior relationship has been linked to areas of MPFC previously associated with self-related processing; however, the mechanism underlying this relationship is unclear. We explore two components of self-related processing – self-reflection and subjective valuation – and examine coherent activity between relevant networks of brain regions during exposure to health messages encouraging exercise and discouraging sedentary behaviors. We find that objectively logged reductions in sedentary behavior in the following month are linked to functional connectivity within brain regions associated with positive valuation, but not within regions associated with self-reflection on personality traits. Furthermore, functional connectivity between valuation regions contributes additional information compared to average brain activation within single brain regions. These data support an account in which MPFC integrates the value of messages to the self during persuasive health messaging and speak to broader questions of how humans make decisions about how to behave. PMID:28240271

  2. Understanding the value of plant diversity for ecosystem functioning through niche theory

    PubMed Central

    Isbell, Forest; Purves, Drew W.; Loreau, Michel

    2016-01-01

    Biodiversity experiments have generated robust empirical results supporting the hypothesis that ecosystems function better when they contain more species. Given that ecosystems provide services that are valued by humans, this inevitably suggests that the loss of species from natural ecosystems could diminish their value. This raises two important questions. First, will experimental results translate into the real world, where species are being lost at an alarming rate? And second, what are the benefits and pitfalls of such valuation exercises? We argue that the empirical results obtained in experiments are entirely consistent with well-established theories of species coexistence. We then examine the current body of work through the lens of niche theory and highlight where closer links with theory could open up opportunities for future research. We argue that niche theory predicts that diversity–functioning relationships are likely to be stronger (and require more species) in the field than in simplified experimental settings. However, we caution that while many of the biological processes that promote coexistence can also generate diversity–function relationships, there is no simple mapping between the two. This implies that valuation exercises need to proceed with care. PMID:27928043

  3. Understanding the value of plant diversity for ecosystem functioning through niche theory.

    PubMed

    Turnbull, Lindsay A; Isbell, Forest; Purves, Drew W; Loreau, Michel; Hector, Andy

    2016-12-14

    Biodiversity experiments have generated robust empirical results supporting the hypothesis that ecosystems function better when they contain more species. Given that ecosystems provide services that are valued by humans, this inevitably suggests that the loss of species from natural ecosystems could diminish their value. This raises two important questions. First, will experimental results translate into the real world, where species are being lost at an alarming rate? And second, what are the benefits and pitfalls of such valuation exercises? We argue that the empirical results obtained in experiments are entirely consistent with well-established theories of species coexistence. We then examine the current body of work through the lens of niche theory and highlight where closer links with theory could open up opportunities for future research. We argue that niche theory predicts that diversity-functioning relationships are likely to be stronger (and require more species) in the field than in simplified experimental settings. However, we caution that while many of the biological processes that promote coexistence can also generate diversity-function relationships, there is no simple mapping between the two. This implies that valuation exercises need to proceed with care. © 2016 The Author(s).

  4. The Economic Value of Mangroves: A Meta-Analysis

    Treesearch

    Marwa Salem; D. Evan Mercer

    2012-01-01

    This paper presents a synthesis of the mangrove ecosystem valuation literature through a meta-regression analysis. The main contribution of this study is that it is the first meta-analysis focusing solely on mangrove forests, whereas previous studies have included different types of wetlands. The number of studies included in the regression analysis is 44 for a total...

  5. Positive biodiversity-productivity relationship predominant in global forests.

    PubMed

    Liang, Jingjing; Crowther, Thomas W; Picard, Nicolas; Wiser, Susan; Zhou, Mo; Alberti, Giorgio; Schulze, Ernst-Detlef; McGuire, A David; Bozzato, Fabio; Pretzsch, Hans; de-Miguel, Sergio; Paquette, Alain; Hérault, Bruno; Scherer-Lorenzen, Michael; Barrett, Christopher B; Glick, Henry B; Hengeveld, Geerten M; Nabuurs, Gert-Jan; Pfautsch, Sebastian; Viana, Helder; Vibrans, Alexander C; Ammer, Christian; Schall, Peter; Verbyla, David; Tchebakova, Nadja; Fischer, Markus; Watson, James V; Chen, Han Y H; Lei, Xiangdong; Schelhaas, Mart-Jan; Lu, Huicui; Gianelle, Damiano; Parfenova, Elena I; Salas, Christian; Lee, Eungul; Lee, Boknam; Kim, Hyun Seok; Bruelheide, Helge; Coomes, David A; Piotto, Daniel; Sunderland, Terry; Schmid, Bernhard; Gourlet-Fleury, Sylvie; Sonké, Bonaventure; Tavani, Rebecca; Zhu, Jun; Brandl, Susanne; Vayreda, Jordi; Kitahara, Fumiaki; Searle, Eric B; Neldner, Victor J; Ngugi, Michael R; Baraloto, Christopher; Frizzera, Lorenzo; Bałazy, Radomir; Oleksyn, Jacek; Zawiła-Niedźwiecki, Tomasz; Bouriaud, Olivier; Bussotti, Filippo; Finér, Leena; Jaroszewicz, Bogdan; Jucker, Tommaso; Valladares, Fernando; Jagodzinski, Andrzej M; Peri, Pablo L; Gonmadje, Christelle; Marthy, William; O'Brien, Timothy; Martin, Emanuel H; Marshall, Andrew R; Rovero, Francesco; Bitariho, Robert; Niklaus, Pascal A; Alvarez-Loayza, Patricia; Chamuya, Nurdin; Valencia, Renato; Mortier, Frédéric; Wortel, Verginia; Engone-Obiang, Nestor L; Ferreira, Leandro V; Odeke, David E; Vasquez, Rodolfo M; Lewis, Simon L; Reich, Peter B

    2016-10-14

    The biodiversity-productivity relationship (BPR) is foundational to our understanding of the global extinction crisis and its impacts on ecosystem functioning. Understanding BPR is critical for the accurate valuation and effective conservation of biodiversity. Using ground-sourced data from 777,126 permanent plots, spanning 44 countries and most terrestrial biomes, we reveal a globally consistent positive concave-down BPR, showing that continued biodiversity loss would result in an accelerating decline in forest productivity worldwide. The value of biodiversity in maintaining commercial forest productivity alone-US$166 billion to 490 billion per year according to our estimation-is more than twice what it would cost to implement effective global conservation. This highlights the need for a worldwide reassessment of biodiversity values, forest management strategies, and conservation priorities. Copyright © 2016, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

  6. Ecosystem's Modeling of Bhoj Wetland - A Base For Economic Valuation and Sustainable Management

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Verma, M.; Bakshi, N.; Nair, R.

    The Bhoj wetland located in the heart of the Bhopal city, India originated as manmade lake primarily to supply drinking water to the citySs population and over the years it attained features of wetland and started providing multiple functions like commer- cial fishing, waste assimilation, microclimate regulation and recreation etc. to multiple users. It has so happened that multiple benefits have been extracted but little attention has been paid on the maintenance of this wetlands. In this context it becomes imper- ative to generate quantitative information on the economic benefits from the wetland, which could serve as a powerful tool to influence decision-making. Bhoj wetland is a Lacustrine wetland which is the highly diminished remains of the vast lake created in the 11th century by the then ruler of princely state of Bhopal The wetland has wa- ter spread area of 32 square kilometers and catchment area of 370 square kilometers. It is an important source of drinking water for the 40% of citySs total population of 1.5 millions. Multiple stakeholders use it for multiple uses. 17 municipal wards (ad- ministrative division of the city) around the lake directly drain into it. Over the years because of indiscriminate and unsustainable use of lake, its water quality has degraded from SAS quality to SCS quality along with prolific growth of weeds on account of ´ ´ which benefits from the lake have reduced and all the stakeholders are paying heavy direct and indirect costs including the government agencies which are engaged in its restoration and management activities The goal of the management is essentially to balance the use of lake with conserva- tion measures to sustain ecosystem services overtime. The paper tries to analyze the factors causing Bhoj Wetland degradation; nature and extent of injury to the wetland; how does this degradation impact on the uses those citizens of Bhopal extract out of it? What cost is borne by the users on account of degradation in terms of productivity losses and health impacts? How feedback can be taken from these impacts to revise or develop management policies and to seek participation of stakeholders to check wet- land degradation or losses? What type of benefits accrues to people from this wetland? What is the willingness of the people to pay to conserve this important water body? Lake degradation is due to multiple causes hence lakeSs restoration requires multi- ple interventions. To suggest such interventions and above all their prioritizations, an 1 ecosystem model for the lake has been developed following the systemSs dynamics approach. The main objective of the Ecosystem Modeling of the wetland was to under- stand the changes in the hydrology of the wetland first on account of certain changes in the conditions of the surroundings such that valuation process can be followed with current and future scenarios of the lakes hydrology in hand. A sophisticated computer software called as STELLA was used for the modeling exercise. The model used wa- ter quality parameters to show the impact of flow of sewage on dissolved oxygen, bio-chemical oxygen demand, pH, total hardness, total alkalinity, bacterial count and growth of weeds. A base scenario has been created and various simulation runs have been performed for the pre and ongoing restoration activities for next 25 years so as to represent the health of the wetlandSs ecosystem. These scenarios have then been used in the valuation exercise to estimate the conservation value of the lake. Various valuation techniques like contingent valuation, production function approach, hedonic pricing and supply cost have been used to capture the economic values as perceived by different stakeholders. These scenarios and the valuation exercises further throw light on the prioritization of future policy intervention for sustainable management of this urban wetland. Key words: Ecosystem Services, Water Quality Parameters, EcosystemSs Modeling, Economic Valuation, and Sustainable Management, Urban Wetland 2

  7. Partitioning Stakeholders for the Economic Valuation of Ecosystem Services: Examples of a Mangrove System

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Micheletti, Tatiane, E-mail: micheletti@forst.tu-dresden.de; Jost, François; Berger, Uta

    Although the importance of ecosystem services provided by natural forests, especially mangroves, is well known, the destruction of these environments is still ubiquitous and therefore protection measures are urgently needed. The present study compares the current approach of economic valuation of ecosystem services to a proposed one, using a study case of a mangrove system as an example. We suggest that a cost-benefit analysis for economically valuing environmental services should be performed with three additional modifications consisting of (i) a categorization of local stakeholders as demanders of particular ecosystem services, (ii) acknowledgement of the government as one of these demandermore » groups, and (iii) the inclusion of opportunity costs in the valuation. The application of this approach to the mangrove area in the east portion of Great Abaco Island, the Bahamas, reveals that not only the ecosystem services received differ between demander groups, but the monetary benefits and costs are also specific to each of these groups. We show that the economic valuation of the ecosystem should be differentiated for each category, instead of being calculated as a net ‘societal value’ as it is currently. Applying this categorization of demanders enables a better understanding of the cost and benefit structure of the protection of a natural area. The present paper aims to facilitate discussions regarding benefit and cost sharing related to the protection of natural areas.« less

  8. The economics of amenities and migration in the Pacific Northwest: review of selected literature with implications for national forest management.

    Treesearch

    Brian E. Garber-Yonts

    2004-01-01

    This paper reviews literature on the influence of nonmarket amenity resources on population migration. Literature reviewed includes migration and demographic studies; urban and regional economics studies of amenities in labor markets, retirement migration, and firm location decisions; nonmarket valuation studies using hedonic price analysis of amenity resource values;...

  9. Effect of Current-Use Valuation on Forestry Investment Returns in Selected Virginia Counties

    Treesearch

    Peter D. Gayer; Harry L. Haney; Clifford A. Hickman

    1987-01-01

    Results from three Virginia counties indicate that if forest properties are taxed on the basis of their value for continued timber growing as opposed to their fair market value, forestry investment returns will be increased. Where development pressures were insignificant, real returns roseby less than $40 per acre when measured in terms of Net Present Value (NPV) and...

  10. NDE of logs and standing trees using new acoustic tools : technical application and results

    Treesearch

    Peter Carter; Xiping Wang; Robert J. Ross; David Briggs

    2005-01-01

    The new Director ST300 provides a means to efficiently assess stands for stiffness and related wood properties based on standing tree acoustic velocily measures, and can be easily integrated with pre-harvest and earlier stand assessments. This provides for effective valuation for forest sale, stumpage purchase, harvest planning, and ranking of progeny or clones in tree...

  11. Uses of Single Photon Lidar (SPL) in the Monitoring Reporting and Verification of afforestation and carbon offset projects

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dolan, K. A.; DeCola, P.; Dubayah, R.; Huang, W.; Hurtt, G. C.; Tang, H.; Whitehurst, A.

    2017-12-01

    As societies move towards increased valuation of carbon through markets, regulations, and voluntary agreements the need to develop comprehensive, traceable and continuous, carbon monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) systems has risen in priority locally to globally. Future landuse decisions, to conserve, develop or reforest, rests on the perceived valuation of anthropogenic and ecological benefits, as well as our ability to measure, report, verify, and "project" those benefits. Two carbon markets in the US, the Regional Green House Gas Initiative (RGGI) and the California Cap and Trade, accept carbon credits or offsets from the forestry sector from avoided emissions through forest conservation, by the enhancement land carbon sequestration through improved forest management and through reforestation projects. These investments often go beyond state, and national boundaries. For example, Blue Source a leading investment firm in forest carbon credits invested in over 20,000 acres of Pennsylvania forests in collaboration with The Nature Conservatory (TNC) Forest Conservation Program. Further local to national governments are writing their own climate policies and regulations and are setting targets for forest carbon storage and sequestration as part of their climate action portfolios. Yet, often little resources or effort is left for monitoring the success of projects such as afforestation initiatives once they have been completed. While field data is critical to monitoring efforts, covering the vast areas needed and getting accurate structural information from field campaigns alone can be difficult and costly. The use of Lidar as a supplement to other developed forest monitoring techniques has advanced significantly over the last decade. Here we evaluate the use of single photon lidar (SPL) collected in the summer of 2015, developed for rapidly collecting high-density, three-dimensional data over a variety of terrain targets, to aid in carbon offset MRV on an 8 ha site reforested in 2002 in central Maryland, USA. With two previous comprehensive field inventories measuring every tree in 2004 and 2013, as well as two county-wide leaf off small footprint lidar campaigns (1pt/m2) in 2004 and 2011, this site represents an ideal candidate to research afforestation MRV capabilities and requirements.

  12. Economic analysis of emerald ash borer (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) management options.

    PubMed

    Vannatta, A R; Hauer, R H; Schuettpelz, N M

    2012-02-01

    Emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis (Fairmaire) (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), plays a significant role in the health and extent of management of native North American ash species in urban forests. An economic analysis of management options was performed to aid decision makers in preparing for likely future infestations. Separate ash tree population valuations were derived from the i-Tree Streets program and the Council of Tree and Landscape Appraisers (CTLA) methodology. A relative economic analysis was used to compare a control option (do-nothing approach, only removing ash trees as they die) to three distinct management options: 1) preemptive removal of all ash trees over a 5 yr period, 2) preemptive removal of all ash trees and replacement with comparable nonash trees, or 3) treating the entire population of ash trees with insecticides to minimize mortality. For each valuation and management option, an annual analysis was performed for both the remaining ash tree population and those lost to emerald ash borer. Retention of ash trees using insecticide treatments typically retained greater urban forest value, followed by doing nothing (control), which was better than preemptive removal and replacement. Preemptive removal without tree replacement, which was the least expensive management option, also provided the lowest net urban forest value over the 20-yr simulation. A "no emerald ash borer" scenario was modeled to further serve as a benchmark for each management option and provide a level of economic justification for regulatory programs aimed at slowing the movement of emerald ash borer.

  13. Nonmarket benefits of reducing environmental effects of potential wildfires in beetle-killed trees: A contingent valuation study

    Treesearch

    Maryam Tabatabaei; John B. Loomis; Daniel W. McCollum

    2015-01-01

    We estimated Colorado households’ nonmarket values for two forest management options for reducing intensity of future wildfires and associated nonmarket environmental effects wildfires. The first policy is the traditional harvesting of pine beetle-killed trees and burning of the slash piles of residual materials on-site. The second involves harvesting but moving the...

  14. Compensatory value of urban trees in the United States

    Treesearch

    David J. Nowak; Daniel E. Crane; John F. Dwyer

    2002-01-01

    Understanding the value of an urban forest can give decision makers a better foundation for urban tree namagement. Based on tree-valuation methods of the Council of Tree and Landscape Appraisers and field data from eight cities, total compensatory value of tree populations in U.S. cities ranges from $101 million in Jersey City, New Jersey, to $6.2 billion in New York,...

  15. Strong is the new skinny: A content analysis of fitspiration websites.

    PubMed

    Boepple, Leah; Ata, Rheanna N; Rum, Ruba; Thompson, J Kevin

    2016-06-01

    "Fitspiration" websites are media that aim to inspire people to live healthy and fit lifestyles through motivating images and text related to exercise and diet. Given the link between similar Internet content (i.e., healthy living blogs) and problematic messages, we hypothesized that content on these sites would over-emphasize appearance and promote problematic messages regarding exercise and diet. Keywords "fitspo" and "fitspiration" were entered into search engines. The first 10 images and text from 51 individual websites were rated on a variety of characteristics. Results indicated that a majority of messages found on fitspiration websites focused on appearance. Other common themes included content promoting exercise for appearance-motivated reasons and content promoting dietary restraint. "Fitspiration" websites are a source of messages that reinforce over-valuation of physical appearance, eating concerns, and excessive exercise. Further research is needed to examine the impact viewing such content has on participants' psychological health. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Mapping regional patterns of large forest fires in Wildland-Urban Interface areas in Europe.

    PubMed

    Modugno, Sirio; Balzter, Heiko; Cole, Beth; Borrelli, Pasquale

    2016-05-01

    Over recent decades, Land Use and Cover Change (LUCC) trends in many regions of Europe have reconfigured the landscape structures around many urban areas. In these areas, the proximity to landscape elements with high forest fuels has increased the fire risk to people and property. These Wildland-Urban Interface areas (WUI) can be defined as landscapes where anthropogenic urban land use and forest fuel mass come into contact. Mapping their extent is needed to prioritize fire risk control and inform local forest fire risk management strategies. This study proposes a method to map the extent and spatial patterns of the European WUI areas at continental scale. Using the European map of WUI areas, the hypothesis is tested that the distance from the nearest WUI area is related to the forest fire probability. Statistical relationships between the distance from the nearest WUI area, and large forest fire incidents from satellite remote sensing were subsequently modelled by logistic regression analysis. The first European scale map of the WUI extent and locations is presented. Country-specific positive and negative relationships of large fires and the proximity to the nearest WUI area are found. A regional-scale analysis shows a strong influence of the WUI zones on large fires in parts of the Mediterranean regions. Results indicate that the probability of large burned surfaces increases with diminishing WUI distance in touristic regions like Sardinia, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, or in regions with a strong peri-urban component as Catalunya, Comunidad de Madrid, Comunidad Valenciana. For the above regions, probability curves of large burned surfaces show statistical relationships (ROC value > 0.5) inside a 5000 m buffer of the nearest WUI. Wise land management can provide a valuable ecosystem service of fire risk reduction that is currently not explicitly included in ecosystem service valuations. The results re-emphasise the importance of including this ecosystem service in landscape valuations to account for the significant landscape function of reducing the risk of catastrophic large fires. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  17. A privilege and a challenge: valuation of heirs' property by African American landowners and implications for forest management in the southeastern U.S

    Treesearch

    Sarah Hitchner; John Schelhas; Cassandra Johnson Gaither

    2017-01-01

    African Americans have historically struggled to retain land that has been held in their families for generations as heirs’ property, or land held collectively by heirs of the original owners without clear title. Ethnographic interviews with sixty landholding African American families in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Alabama reveal the cultural meanings...

  18. Sense of Well-Being in Patients with Fibromyalgia: Aerobic Exercise Program in a Mature Forest—A Pilot Study

    PubMed Central

    López-Pousa, Secundino; Bassets Pagès, Glòria; Monserrat-Vila, Sílvia; de Gracia Blanco, Manuel; Hidalgo Colomé, Jaume; Garre-Olmo, Josep

    2015-01-01

    Background and Objective. Most patients with fibromyalgia benefit from different forms of physical exercise. Studies show that exercise can help restore the body's neurochemical balance and that it triggers a positive emotional state. So, regular exercise can help reduce anxiety, stress, and depression. The aim of this study was to analyze the benefits of moderate aerobic exercise when walking in two types of forests, young and mature, and to assess anxiety, sleep, pain, and well-being in patients with fibromyalgia. Secondary objectives included assessing (i) whether there were differences in temperature, sound, and moisture, (ii) whether there was an improvement in emotional control, and (iii) whether there was an improvement in health (reduction in pain) and in physical and mental relaxation. Patients and Methods. A study involving walking through two types of forests (mature and young) was performed. A total of 30 patients were randomly assigned to two groups, mature and young forests. The participants were administered the following tests: the Spanish version of the Revised Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQR) at baseline and the end-point of the study, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) after each walk, and a series of questions regarding symptomatic evolution. Several physiological parameters were registered. Results. FIQR baseline and end-point scores indicated a significant decrease in the symptomatic subscale of the FIQ (SD = 21.7; z = −2.4; p = 0.041). The within-group analysis revealed that differences were significant with respect to days of intense pain, insomnia, and days of well-being only in the group assigned to the mature forest, not in the group assigned to the young forest. No differences were found with respect to anxiety. Conclusions. Although the main aim of this research was not achieved, as the results revealed no differences between the groups in the two forest types, authors could confirm that an aerobic exercise program consisting of walking through a mature forest can provide the subjective perception of having less days of pain and insomnia and more days of wellness, in patients with fibromyalgia. PMID:26557151

  19. Preparatory study for the revaluation of the EQ-5D tariff: methodology report.

    PubMed

    Mulhern, Brendan; Bansback, Nick; Brazier, John; Buckingham, Ken; Cairns, John; Devlin, Nancy; Dolan, Paul; Hole, Arne Risa; Kavetsos, Georgios; Longworth, Louise; Rowen, Donna; Tsuchiya, Aki

    2014-02-01

    EQ-5D is a widely used generic measure of health with a 'tariff', or preference weights, obtained from the general population, using time trade-off (TTO). PRET (Preparatory study for the Re-valuation of the EQ-5D Tariff project) contributes towards the methodology for its revaluation. Stage 1 examined key assumptions typically involved in health-state valuations through a series of binary choice exercises, namely that health-state preferences are independent of (1) duration of the state; (2) whose health it is (i.e. perspective); (3) length of 'lead time' (a mechanism to value all states on the same scale, including those who are worse than being dead); (4) when health events take place (time preference); and (5) satisfaction associated with the state. Further topics addressed were (6) exhaustion of lead time in the worst state; (7) health-state valuation using discrete choice experiments (DCEs) with a duration attribute; and (8) binary choice administration of lead time - time trade-off (LT-TTO). Stage 1 consisted of an online survey with 6000 respondents. Stage 2 compared the results above to those of an identical survey conducted in 200 face-to-face computer-assisted personal interviews (CAPIs), covering topics (1) to (7). Stages 3 and 4 examined - in more detail and depth - issues taken from stage 1. Stage 3 consisted of CAPI surveys of a representative UK sample of 300, using examples of TTO, LT-TTO, and DCE with duration, each followed by extensive feedback questions. Stage 4 was a more intensive exercise involving a qualitative analysis of people's thought processes during both binary choice and iterative health-state valuation exercises. Data were collected through 'think-aloud' methods in 30 interviews of a convenience sample. Stage 1 found that health-state values are not independent of (1) duration of the state but there is no clear pattern; (2) whose health it is; (3) the duration of 'lead time' but there was no clear pattern; (4) when health events take place; or (5) satisfaction associated with the state. Furthermore, (6) exhaustion of lead time in the worst state was subject to substantial framing effects; (7) the five-level version of the EQ-5D (EQ-5D-5L) can be valued using DCE with duration as an attribute; and (8) binary choice LT-TTO can be administered in an online environment. Stage 2 found that although online surveys and CAPI surveys resulted in different compositions of respondents, at the aggregate, their responses to the experimental questions covering (1) to (7) above were not statistically significantly different from each other. Stages 3 and 4 found that TTO and LT-TTO were easier than DCE with duration; respondents did not necessarily trade across all attributes of EQ-5D; some respondents found it difficult to distinguish between the two worst levels of EQ-5D-5L, and some respondents may be thinking about the impact of their ill health on their family. In order for the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence to make the most appropriate decisions, the EQ-5D tariff needs to incorporate the latest understanding of health-state preferences. PRET contributed to the knowledge base on the conduct of health-state valuation studies. The Medical Research Council (MRC)-National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Methodology Research Programme funded the PRET project (MRC ref. G0901500), and the EuroQol Group funded the PRET-AS project (Preparatory study for the Re-valuation of the EQ-5D Tariff project - Additional Sample) as an extension to the PRET project with formal agreement from the MRC.

  20. Cost-benefit analysis involving addictive goods: contingent valuation to estimate willingness-to-pay for smoking cessation.

    PubMed

    Weimer, David L; Vining, Aidan R; Thomas, Randall K

    2009-02-01

    The valuation of changes in consumption of addictive goods resulting from policy interventions presents a challenge for cost-benefit analysts. Consumer surplus losses from reduced consumption of addictive goods that are measured relative to market demand schedules overestimate the social cost of cessation interventions. This article seeks to show that consumer surplus losses measured using a non-addicted demand schedule provide a better assessment of social cost. Specifically, (1) it develops an addiction model that permits an estimate of the smoker's compensating variation for the elimination of addiction; (2) it employs a contingent valuation survey of current smokers to estimate their willingness-to-pay (WTP) for a treatment that would eliminate addiction; (3) it uses the estimate of WTP from the survey to calculate the fraction of consumer surplus that should be viewed as consumer value; and (4) it provides an estimate of this fraction. The exercise suggests that, as a tentative first and rough rule-of-thumb, only about 75% of the loss of the conventionally measured consumer surplus should be counted as social cost for policies that reduce the consumption of cigarettes. Additional research to estimate this important rule-of-thumb is desirable to address the various caveats relevant to this study. Copyright (c) 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  1. Validity and sensitivity of a model for assessment of impacts of river floodplain reconstruction on protected and endangered species

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Nooij, R.J.W. de; Lotterman, K.M.; Sande, P.H.J. van de

    Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) must account for legally protected and endangered species. Uncertainties relating to the validity and sensitivity of EIA arise from predictions and valuation of effects on these species. This paper presents a validity and sensitivity analysis of a model (BIO-SAFE) for assessment of impacts of land use changes and physical reconstruction measures on legally protected and endangered river species. The assessment is based on links between species (higher plants, birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians, butterflies and dragon- and damselflies) and ecotopes (landscape ecological units, e.g., river dune, soft wood alluvial forests), and on value assignment to protectedmore » and endangered species using different valuation criteria (i.e., EU Habitats and Birds directive, Conventions of Bern and Bonn and Red Lists). The validity of BIO-SAFE has been tested by comparing predicted effects of landscape changes on the diversity of protected and endangered species with observed changes in biodiversity in five reconstructed floodplains. The sensitivity of BIO-SAFE to value assignment has been analysed using data of a Strategic Environmental Assessment concerning the Spatial Planning Key Decision for reconstruction of the Dutch floodplains of the river Rhine, aimed at flood defence and ecological rehabilitation. The weights given to the valuation criteria for protected and endangered species were varied and the effects on ranking of alternatives were quantified. A statistically significant correlation (p < 0.01) between predicted and observed values for protected and endangered species was found. The sensitivity of the model to value assignment proved to be low. Comparison of five realistic valuation options showed that different rankings of scenarios predominantly occur when valuation criteria are left out of the assessment. Based on these results we conclude that linking species to ecotopes can be used for adequate impact assessments. Quantification of sensitivity of impact assessment to value assignment shows that a model like BIO-SAFE is relatively insensitive to assignment of values to different policy and legislation based criteria. Arbitrariness of the value assignment therefore has a very limited effect on assessment outcomes. However, the decision to include valuation criteria or not is very important.« less

  2. National Economic Development Procedures Manual. Recreation. Volume 3. A Case Study Application of the Contingent Valuation Method for Estimating Urban Recreation Use and Benefits

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1990-11-01

    rivers or lakes? YES NO YES NO Went fishing? YES NO YES NO Went skateboarding ? YES NO YES NO Visited outdoor scenic places? YES NO YES NO Used undeveloped...VN SN N SU VU Playground equipment VN SN N SU VU Concessions VN SN N SU VU Bicycle trails VN SN N SU VU Skateboard paths VN SN N SU VU Exercise/fitness

  3. Writing: National Results--Writing Mechanics.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Education Commission of the States, Denver, CO.

    This is the third National Assessment report on the writing of children aged 9, 13, and 17, and young adults. The three exercises used in the writing assessment were: Age 9: The Forest Fire Exercise; Age 13: The Famous Person Exercise; and Age 17: The Famous Person Exercise. An exercise for young adults (Adults: The Commissioner Stroud Letter)…

  4. Valuing fire planning alternatives in forest restoration: using derived demand to integrate economics with ecological restoration.

    PubMed

    Rideout, Douglas B; Ziesler, Pamela S; Kernohan, Nicole J

    2014-08-01

    Assessing the value of fire planning alternatives is challenging because fire affects a wide array of ecosystem, market, and social values. Wildland fire management is increasingly used to address forest restoration while pragmatic approaches to assessing the value of fire management have yet to be developed. Earlier approaches to assessing the value of forest management relied on connecting site valuation with management variables. While sound, such analysis is too narrow to account for a broad range of ecosystem services. The metric fire regime condition class (FRCC) was developed from ecosystem management philosophy, but it is entirely biophysical. Its lack of economic information cripples its utility to support decision-making. We present a means of defining and assessing the deviation of a landscape from its desired fire management condition by re-framing the fire management problem as one of derived demand. This valued deviation establishes a performance metric for wildland fire management. Using a case study, we display the deviation across a landscape and sum the deviations to produce a summary metric. This summary metric is used to assess the value of alternative fire management strategies on improving the fire management condition toward its desired state. It enables us to identify which sites are most valuable to restore, even when they are in the same fire regime condition class. The case study site exemplifies how a wide range of disparate values, such as watershed, wildlife, property and timber, can be incorporated into a single landscape assessment. The analysis presented here leverages previous research on environmental capital value and non-market valuation by integrating ecosystem management, restoration, and microeconomics. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Determinants of time trade-off valuations for EQ-5D-5L health states: data from the Canadian EQ-5D-5L valuation study.

    PubMed

    Sayah, Fatima Al; Bansback, Nick; Bryan, Stirling; Ohinmaa, Arto; Poissant, Lise; Pullenayegum, Eleanor; Xie, Feng; Johnson, Jeffrey A

    2016-07-01

    Previous studies suggest that population subgroups have different perceptions of health, as well as different preferences for hypothetical health states. To identify determinants of health states preferences elicited using time trade-off (TTO) for the 5-level EQ-5D questionnaire (EQ-5D-5L) in Canada. Data were from the Canadian EQ-5D-5L Valuation Study, which took place in Edmonton, Hamilton, Montreal, and Vancouver. Each respondent valued 10 of 86 hypothetical health states during an in-person interview using a computer-based TTO exercise. The TTO scores were the dependent variable and explanatory variables including age, sex, marital status, education, employment, annual household income, ethnicity, country of birth, dwelling, study site, health literacy, number of chronic conditions, previous experience with illness, and self-rated health. Average [standard deviation (SD)] age of respondents (N = 1209) was 48 (17) years, and 45 % were male. In multivariable linear regression models with random effects, adjusted for severity of health states and inconsistencies in valuations, older age [unstandardized regression coefficient (β) = -0.077], male sex (β = 0.042), being married (β = 0.069), and urban dwelling (β = -0.055) were significantly associated with health states scores. Additionally, participants from Edmonton (β = -0.124) and Vancouver (β = -0.156), but not those from Hamilton, had significantly lower TTO scores than those from Montreal. Socio-demographic characteristics were the main determinants of preferences for EQ-5D-5L health states in this study. Interestingly, preferences were significantly lower in western Canadian cities compared to eastern ones, bringing into question whether a single preference algorithm is suitable for use in all parts of Canada.

  6. 36 CFR 251.15 - Conditions, rules and regulations to govern exercise of mineral rights reserved in conveyances to...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... obedience thereto: (1) Whoever undertakes to exercise the reserved rights shall give prior written notice to the Forest Service and shall submit satisfactory evidence of authority to exercise such rights. Only... States and the reservation shall be exercised thereunder and in obedience thereto. All regulations...

  7. 36 CFR 251.15 - Conditions, rules and regulations to govern exercise of mineral rights reserved in conveyances to...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... obedience thereto: (1) Whoever undertakes to exercise the reserved rights shall give prior written notice to the Forest Service and shall submit satisfactory evidence of authority to exercise such rights. Only... States and the reservation shall be exercised thereunder and in obedience thereto. All regulations...

  8. 36 CFR 251.15 - Conditions, rules and regulations to govern exercise of mineral rights reserved in conveyances to...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... obedience thereto: (1) Whoever undertakes to exercise the reserved rights shall give prior written notice to the Forest Service and shall submit satisfactory evidence of authority to exercise such rights. Only... States and the reservation shall be exercised thereunder and in obedience thereto. All regulations...

  9. 36 CFR 251.15 - Conditions, rules and regulations to govern exercise of mineral rights reserved in conveyances to...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... obedience thereto: (1) Whoever undertakes to exercise the reserved rights shall give prior written notice to the Forest Service and shall submit satisfactory evidence of authority to exercise such rights. Only... States and the reservation shall be exercised thereunder and in obedience thereto. All regulations...

  10. 36 CFR 251.15 - Conditions, rules and regulations to govern exercise of mineral rights reserved in conveyances to...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... obedience thereto: (1) Whoever undertakes to exercise the reserved rights shall give prior written notice to the Forest Service and shall submit satisfactory evidence of authority to exercise such rights. Only... States and the reservation shall be exercised thereunder and in obedience thereto. All regulations...

  11. Dynamics of ecosystem services provided by subtropical ...

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    The trends in the provision of ecosystem services during restoration and succession of subtropical forests and plantations were quantified, in terms of both receiver and donor values, based on a case study of a 3-step secondary succession series that included a 400-year-old subtropical forest and a 23-year history of growth on 3 subtropical forest plantations in Southeastern China. The ‘People's Republic of China Forestry Standard: Forest Ecosystem Service Valuation Norms’ was revised and applied to quantify the receiver values of ecosystem services, which were then compared with the emergy-based, donor values of the services. The results revealed that the efficiencies of subtropical forests and plantations in providing ecosystem services were 2 orders of magnitude higher than similar services provided by the current China economic system, and these efficiencieskept increasing over the course of succession. As a result, we conclude that afforestation is an efficient way to accelerate both the ability and efficiency of subtropical forests to provide ecosystem services. This paper is significant because it examines the dynamics of the provision of ecosystem services by forests over a succession series that spans 400 years. The paper also examines the rate of increase of services during forest restoration over a period of 23 years. The emergy used in ecosystem services provision is compared to the provision of similar services by economic means in the Chinese e

  12. Forest carbon in lowland Papua New Guinea: Local variation and the importance of small trees

    PubMed Central

    Vincent, John B; Henning, Bridget; Saulei, Simon; Sosanika, Gibson; Weiblen, George D

    2015-01-01

    Efforts to incentivize the reduction of carbon emissions from deforestation and forest degradation require accurate carbon accounting. The extensive tropical forest of Papua New Guinea (PNG) is a target for such efforts and yet local carbon estimates are few. Previous estimates, based on models of neotropical vegetation applied to PNG forest plots, did not consider such factors as the unique species composition of New Guinea vegetation, local variation in forest biomass, or the contribution of small trees. We analysed all trees >1 cm in diameter at breast height (DBH) in Melanesia's largest forest plot (Wanang) to assess local spatial variation and the role of small trees in carbon storage. Above-ground living biomass (AGLB) of trees averaged 210.72 Mg  ha−1 at Wanang. Carbon storage at Wanang was somewhat lower than in other lowland tropical forests, whereas local variation among 1-ha subplots and the contribution of small trees to total AGLB were substantially higher. We speculate that these differences may be attributed to the dynamics of Wanang forest where erosion of a recently uplifted and unstable terrain appears to be a major source of natural disturbance. These findings emphasize the need for locally calibrated forest carbon estimates if accurate landscape level valuation and monetization of carbon is to be achieved. Such estimates aim to situate PNG forests in the global carbon context and provide baseline information needed to improve the accuracy of PNG carbon monitoring schemes. PMID:26074730

  13. Forest Ecosystem Services and Eco-Compensation Mechanisms in China

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Deng, Hongbing; Zheng, Peng; Liu, Tianxing; Liu, Xin

    2011-12-01

    Forests are a major terrestrial ecosystem providing multiple ecosystem services. However, the importance of forests is frequently underestimated from an economic perspective because of the externalities and public good properties of these services. Forest eco-compensation is a transfer mechanism that serves to internalize the externalities of forest ecosystem services by compensating individuals or companies for the losses or costs resulting from the provision of these services. China's current forest eco-compensation system is centered mainly on noncommercial forest. The primary measures associated with ecosystem services are (1) a charge on destructive activities, such as indiscriminate logging, and (2) compensation for individual or local activities and investments in forest conservation. The Compensation Fund System for Forest Ecological Benefits was first listed in the Forest Law of the People's Republic of China in 1998. In 2004, the Central Government Financial Compensation Fund, an important source for the Compensation Fund for Forest Ecological Benefits, was formally established. To improve the forest eco-compensation system, it is crucial to design and establish compensation criteria for noncommercial forests. These criteria should take both theoretical and practical concerns into account, and they should be based on the quantitative valuation of ecosystem services. Although some initial headway has been made on this task, the implementation of an effective forest eco-compensation system in China still has deficiencies and still faces problems. Implementing classification-based and dynamic management for key noncommercial forests and establishing an eco-compensation mechanism with multiple funding sources in the market economy are the key measures needed to conquer these problems and improve the forest eco-compensation system and China's forestry development in sequence.

  14. Forest in My Neighborhood: An Exercise Using Aerial Photos to Engage Students in Forest Ecology & Land Use History

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Matlack, Glenn R.; McEwan, Ryan W.

    2008-01-01

    Human activity has profoundly altered the deciduous forest of the eastern United States. Modern forest is a patchwork of stands of varying ages, sizes, and shapes reflecting a complex history of land use. Much modern forest is nestled in and around human communities, and faces the threat of imminent clearance for residential and commercial…

  15. [Valuation of forest damage cost from SO2 emission: a case study in Hunan Province].

    PubMed

    Hao, Jiming; Li, Ji; Duan, Lei; He, Kebin; Dai, Wennan

    2002-11-01

    Large amount SO2 emission caused serious damage of forest ecosystem in China and calculation of the damage cost is an important issue for policy-making. However, no applicable method was developed to estimate forest damage under different SO2 emission scenarios. Basing on previous field researches on sulfur-related forest impact in China and recent critical load mapping research, this paper presented a model for forest damage calculation by developing a dose-response function that related the damage to cumulative sulfur critical loads. This model was applied to the forests in Hunan, a province in acid rain control zone in China. Results showed that in the business-as-usual case, SO2 emission in Hunan will increase by 120% from 1995 (8.82 mil. ton) to 2020 (19.56 mil. ton), but damage cost will increase by 4.3 times, reaching 6.19 billion RMB in 2020. Results also showed the measures for SO2 control were cost-effective because the marginal damage cost will be about 6000 RMB per ton SO2 in 2020 in BAU case. At current SO2 emission level, marginal benefit will be about 1500 RMB per ton. Uncertainty analysis demonstrated that this model provides reasonable damage estimates and would therefore be applicable in a broad range of policy settings.

  16. 36 CFR 51.30 - What must a preferred offeror do before it may exercise a right of preference?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... do before it may exercise a right of preference? 51.30 Section 51.30 Parks, Forests, and Public... New Concession Contract § 51.30 What must a preferred offeror do before it may exercise a right of... prospectus for a qualified concession contract if the preferred offeror wishes to exercise a right of...

  17. 36 CFR 51.30 - What must a preferred offeror do before it may exercise a right of preference?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... do before it may exercise a right of preference? 51.30 Section 51.30 Parks, Forests, and Public... New Concession Contract § 51.30 What must a preferred offeror do before it may exercise a right of... prospectus for a qualified concession contract if the preferred offeror wishes to exercise a right of...

  18. 36 CFR 51.30 - What must a preferred offeror do before it may exercise a right of preference?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... do before it may exercise a right of preference? 51.30 Section 51.30 Parks, Forests, and Public... New Concession Contract § 51.30 What must a preferred offeror do before it may exercise a right of... prospectus for a qualified concession contract if the preferred offeror wishes to exercise a right of...

  19. 36 CFR 51.30 - What must a preferred offeror do before it may exercise a right of preference?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... do before it may exercise a right of preference? 51.30 Section 51.30 Parks, Forests, and Public... New Concession Contract § 51.30 What must a preferred offeror do before it may exercise a right of... prospectus for a qualified concession contract if the preferred offeror wishes to exercise a right of...

  20. 36 CFR 51.30 - What must a preferred offeror do before it may exercise a right of preference?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... do before it may exercise a right of preference? 51.30 Section 51.30 Parks, Forests, and Public... New Concession Contract § 51.30 What must a preferred offeror do before it may exercise a right of... prospectus for a qualified concession contract if the preferred offeror wishes to exercise a right of...

  1. A Measure of the Forest Protected Areas Benefits for the Surrounding Population: A Case Study of the Bouaflé Protected Forest (CÔTE D'IVOIRE)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kouame, B. N. P.

    2015-12-01

    Côte d'Ivoire located in West Africa, registers high level of biodiversity which occurs mainly in forest land. The country has suffered severe deforestation. However, deforestation and forest degradation release Greenhouse Gases into the atmosphere which contributes to Climate Change. In order to address the deforestation, many actions are taken, one of which is the implementation of protected areas within countries. These measures put restrictions on the access of local communities to forest services. However, local communities supplement their daily livelihood from forests, especially from timber and non-timber forest products. What are the effects of forests conservation in protected areas on surrounding population? This study focuses on the Bouaflé protected forest (foret classée de Bouaflé) in the western part of Côte d'Ivoire. The forest is 20350 ha and was made a protected forest in 1974. It is one of the most deforested protected areas in the country. Firstly, we described the perception of forest benefits by the population. Secondly, we estimated the benefits of forest conservation using a contingent valuation approach, particularly the Willingness to Pay (WTP) methodology. From our sample size of 156 households, it appears that most of the individuals are aware of the importance of the forest (94 % against 6%). According to the estimate of the benefits, it results on average, people are willing to pay 1658.491F CFA (2.53 Euros). The median WTP is 1000 FCFA. This study will be helpful by adding to the scientific literature and for inducing local people implication in conservation.

  2. Forest Resource Management Plans: A Sustainability Approach

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pile, Lauren S.; Watts, Christine M.; Straka, Thomas J.

    2012-01-01

    Forest Resource Management Plans is the capstone course in many forestry and natural resource management curricula. The management plans are developed by senior forestry students. Early management plans courses were commonly technical exercises, often performed on contrived forest "tracts" on university-owned or other public lands, with a goal of…

  3. 36 CFR 251.19 - Exercise of water rights reserved by the grantor of lands conveyed to the United States.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 2 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Exercise of water rights... Grantors § 251.19 Exercise of water rights reserved by the grantor of lands conveyed to the United States. This section governs the exercise of water and related rights reserved by the grantor of lands conveyed...

  4. 36 CFR 251.19 - Exercise of water rights reserved by the grantor of lands conveyed to the United States.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 2 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Exercise of water rights... Grantors § 251.19 Exercise of water rights reserved by the grantor of lands conveyed to the United States. This section governs the exercise of water and related rights reserved by the grantor of lands conveyed...

  5. 36 CFR 251.19 - Exercise of water rights reserved by the grantor of lands conveyed to the United States.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Exercise of water rights... Grantors § 251.19 Exercise of water rights reserved by the grantor of lands conveyed to the United States. This section governs the exercise of water and related rights reserved by the grantor of lands conveyed...

  6. Time savings--realized and potential--and fair compensation for community health workers in Kenyan health facilities: a mixed-methods approach.

    PubMed

    Sander, Laura D; Holtzman, David; Pauly, Mark; Cohn, Jennifer

    2015-01-30

    Sub-Saharan Africa faces a severe health worker shortage, which community health workers (CHWs) may fill. This study describes tasks shifted from clinicians to CHWs in Kenya, places monetary valuations on CHWs' efforts, and models effects of further task shifting on time demands of clinicians and CHWs. Mixed methods were used for this study. Interviews were conducted with 28 CHWs and 19 clinicians in 17 health facilities throughout Kenya focusing on task shifting involving CHWs, time savings for clinicians as a result of task shifting, barriers and enabling factors to CHWs' work, and appropriate CHW compensation. Twenty CHWs completed task diaries over a 14-day period to examine current CHW tasks and the amount of time spent performing them. A modeling exercise was conducted examining a current task-shifting example and another scenario in which additional task shifting to CHWs has occurred. CHWs worked an average of 5.3 hours per day and spent 36% of their time performing tasks shifted from clinicians. We estimated a monthly valuation of US$ 117 per CHW. The modeling exercise demonstrated that further task shifting would reduce the number of clinicians needed while maintaining clinic productivity by significantly increasing the number of CHWs. CHWs are an important component of healthcare delivery in Kenya. Our monetary estimates of current CHW contributions provide starting points for further discussion, research and planning regarding CHW compensation and programs. Additional task shifting to CHWs may further offload overworked clinicians while maintaining overall productivity.

  7. Mapping potential carbon and timber losses from hurricanes using a decision tree and ecosystem services driver model.

    PubMed

    Delphin, S; Escobedo, F J; Abd-Elrahman, A; Cropper, W

    2013-11-15

    Information on the effect of direct drivers such as hurricanes on ecosystem services is relevant to landowners and policy makers due to predicted effects from climate change. We identified forest damage risk zones due to hurricanes and estimated the potential loss of 2 key ecosystem services: aboveground carbon storage and timber volume. Using land cover, plot-level forest inventory data, the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Tradeoffs (InVEST) model, and a decision tree-based framework; we determined potential damage to subtropical forests from hurricanes in the Lower Suwannee River (LS) and Pensacola Bay (PB) watersheds in Florida, US. We used biophysical factors identified in previous studies as being influential in forest damage in our decision tree and hurricane wind risk maps. Results show that 31% and 0.5% of the total aboveground carbon storage in the LS and PB, respectively was located in high forest damage risk (HR) zones. Overall 15% and 0.7% of the total timber net volume in the LS and PB, respectively, was in HR zones. This model can also be used for identifying timber salvage areas, developing ecosystem service provision and management scenarios, and assessing the effect of other drivers on ecosystem services and goods. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Identifying emerging issues in forestry as a tool for research planning.

    Treesearch

    Hans M. Gregersen; Allen L. Lundgren; Pamela J. Jakes; David N. Bengston

    1989-01-01

    A Delphi exercise is used to identify emerging issues in National Forest management and use, the relative importance of the issues, and barriers to resolving issues. USDA Forest Service managers agree on the importance of the 11 issues identified; however, researchers and National Forest managers do not always agree on the importance of issues or barriers.

  9. Methamphetamine blocks exercise effects on Bdnf and Drd2 gene expression in frontal cortex and striatum.

    PubMed

    Thompson, Andrew B; Stolyarova, Alexandra; Ying, Zhe; Zhuang, Yumei; Gómez-Pinilla, Fernando; Izquierdo, Alicia

    2015-12-01

    Exposure to drugs of abuse can produce many neurobiological changes which may lead to increased valuation of rewards and decreased sensitivity to their costs. Many of these behavioral alterations are associated with activity of D2-expressing medium spiny neurons in the striatum. Additionally, Bdnf in the striatum has been shown to play a role in flexible reward-seeking behavior. Given that voluntary aerobic exercise can affect the expression of these proteins in healthy subjects, and that exercise has shown promise as an anti-addictive therapy, we set out to quantify changes in D2 and Bdnf expression in methamphetamine-exposed rats given access to running wheels. Sixty-four rats were treated for two weeks with an escalating dose of methamphetamine or saline, then either sacrificed, housed in standard cages, or given free access to a running wheel for 6 weeks prior to sacrifice. Rats treated with methamphetamine ran significantly greater distances than saline-treated rats, suggesting an augmentation in the reinforcement value of voluntary wheel running. Transcription of Drd2 and Bdnf was assessed via RT-qPCR. Protein expression levels of D2 and phosphorylation of the TrkB receptor were measured via western blot. Drd2 and Bdnf mRNA levels were impacted independently by exercise and methamphetamine, but exposure to methamphetamine prior to the initiation of exercise blocked the exercise-induced changes seen in rats treated with saline. Expression levels of both proteins were elevated immediately after methamphetamine, but returned to baseline after six weeks, regardless of exercise status. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Estimating the impacts of conservation on ecosystem services and poverty by integrating modeling and evaluation.

    PubMed

    Ferraro, Paul J; Hanauer, Merlin M; Miteva, Daniela A; Nelson, Joanna L; Pattanayak, Subhrendu K; Nolte, Christoph; Sims, Katharine R E

    2015-06-16

    Scholars have made great advances in modeling and mapping ecosystem services, and in assigning economic values to these services. This modeling and valuation scholarship is often disconnected from evidence about how actual conservation programs have affected ecosystem services, however. Without a stronger evidence base, decision makers find it difficult to use the insights from modeling and valuation to design effective policies and programs. To strengthen the evidence base, scholars have advanced our understanding of the causal pathways between conservation actions and environmental outcomes, but their studies measure impacts on imperfect proxies for ecosystem services (e.g., avoidance of deforestation). To be useful to decision makers, these impacts must be translated into changes in ecosystem services and values. To illustrate how this translation can be done, we estimated the impacts of protected areas in Brazil, Costa Rica, Indonesia, and Thailand on carbon storage in forests. We found that protected areas in these conservation hotspots have stored at least an additional 1,000 Mt of CO2 in forests and have delivered ecosystem services worth at least $5 billion. This aggregate impact masks important spatial heterogeneity, however. Moreover, the spatial variability of impacts on carbon storage is the not the same as the spatial variability of impacts on avoided deforestation. These findings lead us to describe a research program that extends our framework to study other ecosystem services, to uncover the mechanisms by which ecosystem protection benefits humans, and to tie cost-benefit analyses to conservation planning so that we can obtain the greatest return on scarce conservation funds.

  11. Estimating the impacts of conservation on ecosystem services and poverty by integrating modeling and evaluation

    PubMed Central

    Ferraro, Paul J.; Hanauer, Merlin M.; Miteva, Daniela A.; Nelson, Joanna L.; Pattanayak, Subhrendu K.; Nolte, Christoph; Sims, Katharine R. E.

    2015-01-01

    Scholars have made great advances in modeling and mapping ecosystem services, and in assigning economic values to these services. This modeling and valuation scholarship is often disconnected from evidence about how actual conservation programs have affected ecosystem services, however. Without a stronger evidence base, decision makers find it difficult to use the insights from modeling and valuation to design effective policies and programs. To strengthen the evidence base, scholars have advanced our understanding of the causal pathways between conservation actions and environmental outcomes, but their studies measure impacts on imperfect proxies for ecosystem services (e.g., avoidance of deforestation). To be useful to decision makers, these impacts must be translated into changes in ecosystem services and values. To illustrate how this translation can be done, we estimated the impacts of protected areas in Brazil, Costa Rica, Indonesia, and Thailand on carbon storage in forests. We found that protected areas in these conservation hotspots have stored at least an additional 1,000 Mt of CO2 in forests and have delivered ecosystem services worth at least $5 billion. This aggregate impact masks important spatial heterogeneity, however. Moreover, the spatial variability of impacts on carbon storage is the not the same as the spatial variability of impacts on avoided deforestation. These findings lead us to describe a research program that extends our framework to study other ecosystem services, to uncover the mechanisms by which ecosystem protection benefits humans, and to tie cost-benefit analyses to conservation planning so that we can obtain the greatest return on scarce conservation funds. PMID:26082549

  12. 36 CFR 218.13 - Secretary's authority.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... Section 218.13 Parks, Forests, and Public Property FOREST SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE PREDECISIONAL... section shall restrict the Secretary of Agriculture from exercising any statutory authority regarding the... reduction projects proposed by the Secretary of Agriculture or the Under Secretary, Natural Resources and...

  13. 36 CFR 218.13 - Secretary's authority.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... activities proposed by the Secretary of Agriculture or the Under Secretary, Natural Resources and Environment... Section 218.13 Parks, Forests, and Public Property FOREST SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE PROJECT-LEVEL... this section shall restrict the Secretary of Agriculture from exercising any statutory authority...

  14. 36 CFR 218.13 - Secretary's authority.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... Section 218.13 Parks, Forests, and Public Property FOREST SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE PREDECISIONAL... section shall restrict the Secretary of Agriculture from exercising any statutory authority regarding the... reduction projects proposed by the Secretary of Agriculture or the Under Secretary, Natural Resources and...

  15. 36 CFR 215.20 - Secretary's authority.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    .... (b) Decisions of the Secretary of Agriculture or Under Secretary, Natural Resources and Environment... Section 215.20 Parks, Forests, and Public Property FOREST SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE NOTICE... authority. (a) Nothing in this section shall restrict the Secretary of Agriculture from exercising any...

  16. 36 CFR 215.20 - Secretary's authority.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    .... (b) Decisions of the Secretary of Agriculture or Under Secretary, Natural Resources and Environment... Section 215.20 Parks, Forests, and Public Property FOREST SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE NOTICE... authority. (a) Nothing in this section shall restrict the Secretary of Agriculture from exercising any...

  17. 36 CFR 218.13 - Secretary's authority.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... activities proposed by the Secretary of Agriculture or the Under Secretary, Natural Resources and Environment... Section 218.13 Parks, Forests, and Public Property FOREST SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE PROJECT-LEVEL... this section shall restrict the Secretary of Agriculture from exercising any statutory authority...

  18. 36 CFR 215.20 - Secretary's authority.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    .... (b) Decisions of the Secretary of Agriculture or Under Secretary, Natural Resources and Environment... Section 215.20 Parks, Forests, and Public Property FOREST SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE NOTICE... authority. (a) Nothing in this section shall restrict the Secretary of Agriculture from exercising any...

  19. 36 CFR 218.13 - Secretary's authority.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... Section 218.13 Parks, Forests, and Public Property FOREST SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE PREDECISIONAL... section shall restrict the Secretary of Agriculture from exercising any statutory authority regarding the... reduction projects proposed by the Secretary of Agriculture or the Under Secretary, Natural Resources and...

  20. 36 CFR 215.20 - Secretary's authority.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    .... (b) Decisions of the Secretary of Agriculture or Under Secretary, Natural Resources and Environment... Section 215.20 Parks, Forests, and Public Property FOREST SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE NOTICE... authority. (a) Nothing in this section shall restrict the Secretary of Agriculture from exercising any...

  1. 36 CFR 215.20 - Secretary's authority.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    .... (b) Decisions of the Secretary of Agriculture or Under Secretary, Natural Resources and Environment... Section 215.20 Parks, Forests, and Public Property FOREST SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE NOTICE... authority. (a) Nothing in this section shall restrict the Secretary of Agriculture from exercising any...

  2. 36 CFR 251.100 - Discretionary review.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Discretionary review. 251.100... review. (a) Petitions or requests for discretionary review shall not, in and of themselves, give rise to a decision to exercise discretionary review. In electing to exercise discretion, a Reviewing Officer...

  3. Cost approach of health care entity intangible asset valuation.

    PubMed

    Reilly, Robert F

    2012-01-01

    In the valuation synthesis and conclusion process, the analyst should consider the following question: Does the selected valuation approach(es) and method(s) accomplish the analyst's assignment? Also, does the selected valuation approach and method actually quantify the desired objective of the intangible asset analysis? The analyst should also consider if the selected valuation approach and method analyzes the appropriate bundle of legal rights. The analyst should consider if there were sufficient empirical data available to perform the selected valuation approach and method. The valuation synthesis should consider if there were sufficient data available to make the analyst comfortable with the value conclusion. The valuation analyst should consider if the selected approach and method will be understandable to the intended audience. In the valuation synthesis and conclusion, the analyst should also consider which approaches and methods deserve the greatest consideration with respect to the intangible asset's RUL. The intangible asset RUL is a consideration of each valuation approach. In the income approach, the RUL may affect the projection period for the intangible asset income subject to either yield capitalization or direct capitalization. In the cost approach, the RUL may affect the total amount of obsolescence, if any, from the estimate cost measure (that is, the intangible reproduction cost new or replacement cost new). In the market approach, the RUL may effect the selection, rejection, and/or adjustment of the comparable or guideline intangible asset sale and license transactional data. The experienced valuation analyst will use professional judgment to weight the various value indications to conclude a final intangible asset value, based on: The analyst's confidence in the quantity and quality of available data; The analyst's level of due diligence performed on that data; The relevance of the valuation method to the intangible asset life cycle stage and degree of marketability; and The degree of variation in the range of value indications. Valuation analysts value health care intangible assets for a number of reasons. In addition to regulatory compliance reasons, these reasons include various transaction, taxation, financing, litigation, accounting, bankruptcy, and planning purposes. The valuation analyst should consider all generally accepted intangible asset valuation approaches, methods, and procedures. Many valuation analysts are more familiar with market approach and income approach valuation methods. However, there are numerous instances when cost approach valuation methods are also applicable to the health care intangible asset valuation. This discussion summarized the analyst's procedures and considerations with regard to the cost approach. The cost approach is often applicable to the valuation of intangible assets in the health care industry. However, the cost approach is only applicable if the valuation analyst (1) appropriately considers all of the cost components and (2) appropriately identifies and quantifies all obsolescence allowances. Regardless of the health care intangible asset or the reason for the valuation, the analyst should be familiar with all generally accepted valuation approaches and methods. And, the valuation analyst should have a clear, convincing, and cogent rationale for (1) accepting each approach and method applied and (2) rejecting each approach and method not applied. That way, the valuation analyst will best achieve the purpose and objective of the health care intangible asset valuation.

  4. Flexibility and Project Value: Interactions and Multiple Real Options

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Čulík, Miroslav

    2010-06-01

    This paper is focused on a project valuation with embedded portfolio of real options including their interactions. Valuation is based on the criterion of Net Present Value on the simulation basis. Portfolio includes selected types of European-type real options: option to expand, contract, abandon and temporarily shut down and restart a project. Due to the fact, that in reality most of the managerial flexibility takes the form of portfolio of real options, selected types of options are valued not only individually, but also in combination. The paper is structured as follows: first, diffusion models for forecasting of output prices and variable costs are derived. Second, project value is estimated on the assumption, that no real options are present. Next, project value is calculated with the presence of selected European-type options; these options and their impact on project value are valued first in isolation and consequently in different combinations. Moreover, intrinsic value evolution of given real options with respect to the time of exercising is analysed. In the end, results are presented graphically; selected statistics and risk measures (Value at Risk, Expected Shortfall) of the NPV's distributions are calculated and commented.

  5. 36 CFR 293.17 - National Forest Primitive Areas.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ..., there shall be no roads or other provision for motorized transportation, no commercial timber cutting... camps, hunting and fishing lodges, or similar uses: Provided, That existing roads over National Forest lands reserved from the public domain and roads necessary for the exercise of a statutory right of...

  6. Validating a method for transferring social values of ecosystem services between public lands in the Rocky Mountain region

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Sherrouse, Benson C.; Semmens, Darius J.

    2014-01-01

    With growing pressures on ecosystem services, social values attributed to them are increasingly important to land management decisions. Social values, defined here as perceived values the public ascribes to ecosystem services, particularly cultural services, are generally not accounted for through economic markets or considered alongside economic and ecological values in ecosystem service assessments. Social-values data can be elicited through public value and preference surveys; however, limitations prevent them from being regularly collected. These limitations led to our three study objectives: (1) demonstrate an approach for applying benefit transfer, a nonmarket-valuation method, to spatially explicit social values; (2) validate the approach; and (3) identify potential improvements. We applied Social Values for Ecosystem Services (SolVES) to survey data for three national forests in Colorado and Wyoming. Social-value maps and models were generated, describing relationships between the maps and various combinations of environmental variables. Models from each forest were used to estimate social-value maps for the other forests via benefit transfer. Model performance was evaluated relative to the locally derived models. Performance varied with the number and type of environmental variables used, as well as differences in the forests' physical and social contexts. Enhanced metadata and better social-context matching could improve model transferability.

  7. Simulation-Based Valuation of Transactive Energy Systems

    DOE PAGES

    Huang, Qiuhua; McDermott, Tom; Tang, Yingying; ...

    2018-05-18

    Transactive Energy (TE) has been recognized as a promising technique for integrating responsive loads and distributed energy resources as well as advancing grid modernization. To help the industry better understand the value of TE and compare different TE schemes in a systematic and transparent manner, a comprehensive simulation-based TE valuation method is developed. The method has the following salient features: 1) it formally defines the valuation scenarios, use cases, baseline and valuation metrics; 2) an open-source simulation platform for transactive energy systems has been developed by integrating transmission, distribution and building simulators, and plugin TE and non-TE agents through themore » Framework for Network Co-Simulation (FNCS); 3) transparency and flexibility of the valuation is enhanced through separation of simulation and valuation, base valuation metrics and final valuation metrics. In conclusion, a valuation example based on the Smart Grid Interoperability Panel (SGIP) Use Case 1 is provided to demonstrate the developed TE simulation program and the valuation method.« less

  8. Simulation-Based Valuation of Transactive Energy Systems

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Huang, Qiuhua; McDermott, Tom; Tang, Yingying

    Transactive Energy (TE) has been recognized as a promising technique for integrating responsive loads and distributed energy resources as well as advancing grid modernization. To help the industry better understand the value of TE and compare different TE schemes in a systematic and transparent manner, a comprehensive simulation-based TE valuation method is developed. The method has the following salient features: 1) it formally defines the valuation scenarios, use cases, baseline and valuation metrics; 2) an open-source simulation platform for transactive energy systems has been developed by integrating transmission, distribution and building simulators, and plugin TE and non-TE agents through themore » Framework for Network Co-Simulation (FNCS); 3) transparency and flexibility of the valuation is enhanced through separation of simulation and valuation, base valuation metrics and final valuation metrics. In conclusion, a valuation example based on the Smart Grid Interoperability Panel (SGIP) Use Case 1 is provided to demonstrate the developed TE simulation program and the valuation method.« less

  9. Growing Greener Cities: Environmental Education Guide.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    American Forestry Association, Washington, DC.

    This environmental education guide, developed by American Forests, includes five lessons created to help teachers use "Growing Greener Cities," a tree-planting handbook. The lessons are designed to teach students the role trees and forests play in cities. Lesson one begins with an introduction, several preparatory exercises to orient students to…

  10. 36 CFR 293.17 - National Forest Primitive Areas.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... lands reserved from the public domain and roads necessary for the exercise of a statutory right of...) Grazing of domestic livestock, development of water storage projects which do not involve road... on National Forest land or water unless such use by aircraft or motorboats has already become well...

  11. 36 CFR 293.17 - National Forest Primitive Areas.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... lands reserved from the public domain and roads necessary for the exercise of a statutory right of...) Grazing of domestic livestock, development of water storage projects which do not involve road... on National Forest land or water unless such use by aircraft or motorboats has already become well...

  12. Contingent feasibility for forest carbon credit: evidence from South Korean firms.

    PubMed

    Roh, TaeWoo; Koo, Ja-Choon; Cho, Dong-Sung; Youn, Yeo-Chang

    2014-11-01

    Under the Kyoto Protocol, a global governmental response to climate change, protocol signatories make an effort to cut their greenhouse gas emissions. South Korea is not included in the list of Annex I countries; yet, South Korea is the seventh highest emitter of CO2. The South Korean government has enacted various institutional policies to encourage greenhouse gas reductions. While previous studies have focused on the guidance that reflects the stance of suppliers in the carbon market, this study focuses on South Korean firms' actual demand for forest carbon credits. By applying the contingent valuation method, we estimated domestic firms' willingness to pay for forest carbon credits. We then applied a rank-ordered logistic regression to confirm whether the rank of forest carbon credits, as compared to any other carbon credit, is influenced by a firm's characteristics. The results showed that Korean firms are willing to pay 5.45 USD/tCO2 and 7.77 USD/tCO2 for forest carbon credits in domestic and overseas forest carbon projects, respectively. Therefore, the introduction of forest carbon credits in the Korean carbon market seems reasonable. Analysis of the priority rankings of forest carbon credits, however, demonstrated that forestry projects were least likely to be ranked by firms as their first priority. Although relative preferences for forest carbon credits were influenced by individual firms' characteristics such as prior experience of environmental CSR related activities and whether the firm established an emissions reduction plan, the impact of perceived behavior control, whether the firm was included in the emissions target management scheme on forest carbon credits was negligible. Therefore, forest carbon credits are not a feasible solution without strong government support or institutional instruments. The results of this study are expected to provide policy makers with realistic approaches to formulate climatic change-related policies. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Global Mapping of Provisioning Ecosystem Services

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bingham, Lisa; Straatsma, Menno; Karssenberg, Derek

    2016-04-01

    Attributing monetary value to ecosystem services for decision-making has become more relevant as a basis for decision-making. There are a number of problematic aspects of the calculations, including consistency of economy represented (e.g., purchasing price, production price) and determining which ecosystem subservices to include in a valuation. While several authors have proposed methods for calculating ecosystem services and calculations are presented for global and regional studies, the calculations are mostly broken down into biomes and regions without showing spatially explicit results. The key to decision-making for governments is to be able to make spatial-based decisions because a large spatial variation may exist within a biome or region. Our objective was to compute the spatial distribution of global ecosystem services based on 89 subservices. Initially, only the provisioning ecosystem service category is presented. The provisioning ecosystem service category was calculated using 6 ecosystem services (food, water, raw materials, genetic resources, medical resources, and ornaments) divided into 41 subservices. Global data sets were obtained from a variety of governmental and research agencies for the year 2005 because this is the most data complete and recent year available. All data originated either in tabular or grid formats and were disaggregated to 10 km cell length grids. A lookup table with production values by subservice by country were disaggregated over the economic zone (either marine, land, or combination) based on the spatial existence of the subservice (e.g. forest cover, crop land, non-arable land). Values express the production price in international dollars per hectare. The ecosystem services and the ecosystem service category(ies) maps may be used to show spatial variation of a service within and between countries as well as to specifically show the values within specific regions (e.g. countries, continents), biomes (e.g. coastal, forest), or hazardous regions (e.g. landslides, flood plains, war zones). A preliminary example of the provisioning ecosystem service category illustrates the valuation of deltaic regions and a second example illustrates the valuation of the subservice category of food production prices in flood zones. Future work of this research will spatially represent the calculations of the remaining three ecosystem service categories (regulating, habitat, cultural) and investigate the propagation of uncertainty of the input data to ecosystem service maps.

  14. Linking GIS-based models to value ecosystem services in an Alpine region.

    PubMed

    Grêt-Regamey, Adrienne; Bebi, Peter; Bishop, Ian D; Schmid, Willy A

    2008-11-01

    Planning frequently fails to include the valuation of public goods and services. This can have long-term negative economic consequences for a region. This is especially the case in mountainous regions such as the Alps, which depend on tourism and where land-use changes can negatively impact key ecosystem services and hence the economy. In this study, we develop a semi-automatic procedure to value ecosystem goods and services. Several existing process-based models linked to economic valuation methods are integrated into a geographic information system (GIS) platform. The model requires the input of a digital elevation model, a land-cover map, and a spatially explicit temperature dataset. These datasets are available for most regions in Europe. We illustrate the approach by valuing four ecosystem services: avalanche protection, timber production, scenic beauty, and habitat, which are supplied by the "Landschaft Davos", an administrative district in the Swiss Alps. We compare the impacts of a human development scenario and a climate scenario on the value of these ecosystem services. Urban expansion and tourist infrastructure developments have a negative impact on scenic beauty and habitats. These impacts outweigh the benefits of the developments in the long-term. Forest expansion, predictable under a climate change scenario, favours natural avalanche protection and habitats. In general, such non-marketed benefits provided by the case-study region more than compensate for the costs of forest maintenance. Finally, we discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the approach. Despite its limitations, we show how this approach could well help decision-makers balance the impacts of different planning options on the economic accounting of a region, and guide them in selecting sustainable and economically feasible development strategies.

  15. Contingent valuation of health and mood impacts of PM2.5 in Beijing, China.

    PubMed

    Yin, Hao; Pizzol, Massimo; Jacobsen, Jette Bredahl; Xu, Linyu

    2018-07-15

    Air pollution from PM 2 . 5 affects many cities worldwide, causing both health impacts and mood depression. One of the obstacles to implementing environmental regulations for PM 2 . 5 reduction is that there are limited studies of PM 2 . 5 welfare loss and few investigations of mood depression caused by PM 2 . 5 . This article describes a survey study conducted in Beijing, China to estimate the welfare loss due to PM 2 . 5 . In total, 1709 participants completed either a face-to-face or online survey. A contingent valuation method was applied to elicit people's willingness to pay to avoid PM 2 . 5 pollution and willingness to accept a compensation for such pollution. The payment/compensation was evaluated for two outcome variables: perceived health impacts and mood depression caused by PM 2 . 5 pollution. This is one of few papers that explicitly studies the effects of PM 2 . 5 on subjective well-being, and to the authors' knowledge, the first to estimate welfare loss from PM 2 . 5 using a random forest model. Compared to the standard Turnbull, probit, and two-part models, the random forest model gave the best fit to the data, suggesting that this may be a useful tool for future studies too. The welfare loss due to health impacts and mood depression is CNY 1388.4/person/year and CNY 897.7/person/year respectively, indicating that the public attaches great importance to mood, feelings and happiness. The study provides scientific support to the development of economic policy instruments for PM 2 . 5 control in China. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  16. Social impact analysis: monetary valuation

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Wainger, Lisa A.; Johnston, Robert J.; Bagstad, Kenneth J.; Casey, Frank; Vegh, Tibor

    2014-01-01

    This section provides basic guidance for using and conducting economic valuation, including criteria for judging whether valuation is appropriate for supporting decisions. It provides an introduction to the economic techniques used to measure changes in social welfare and describes which methods may be most appropriate for use in valuing particular ecosystem services. Rather than providing comprehensive valuation instructions,it directs readers to additional resources.More generally, it establishes that the valuation of ecosystem services is grounded in a long history of non-market valuation and discusses how ecosystem services valuation can be conducted within established economic theory and techniques.

  17. Intelligent databases assist transparent and sound economic valuation of ecosystem services.

    PubMed

    Villa, Ferdinando; Ceroni, Marta; Krivov, Sergey

    2007-06-01

    Assessment and economic valuation of services provided by ecosystems to humans has become a crucial phase in environmental management and policy-making. As primary valuation studies are out of the reach of many institutions, secondary valuation or benefit transfer, where the results of previous studies are transferred to the geographical, environmental, social, and economic context of interest, is becoming increasingly common. This has brought to light the importance of environmental valuation databases, which provide reliable valuation data to inform secondary valuation with enough detail to enable the transfer of values across contexts. This paper describes the role of next-generation, intelligent databases (IDBs) in assisting the activity of valuation. Such databases employ artificial intelligence to inform the transfer of values across contexts, enforcing comparability of values and allowing users to generate custom valuation portfolios that synthesize previous studies and provide aggregated value estimates to use as a base for secondary valuation. After a general introduction, we introduce the Ecosystem Services Database, the first IDB for environmental valuation to be made available to the public, describe its functionalities and the lessons learned from its usage, and outline the remaining needs and expected future developments in the field.

  18. Reasons to value the health care intangible asset valuation.

    PubMed

    Reilly, Robert F

    2012-01-01

    There are numerous individual reasons to conduct a health care intangible asset valuation. This discussion summarized many of these reasons and considered the common categories of these individual reasons. Understanding the reason for the intangible asset analysis is an important prerequisite to conducting the valuation, both for the analyst and the health care owner/operator. This is because an intangible asset valuation may not be the type of analysis that the owner/operator really needs. Rather, the owner/operator may really need an economic damages measurement, a license royalty rate analysis, an intercompany transfer price study, a commercialization potential evaluation, or some other type of intangible asset analysis. In addition, a clear definition of the reason for the valuation will allow the analyst to understand if (1) any specific analytical guidelines, procedures, or regulations apply and (2) any specific reporting requirement applies. For example, intangible asset valuations prepared for fair value accounting purposes should meet specific ASC 820 fair value accounting guidance. Intangible asset valuations performed for intercompany transfer price tax purposes should comply with the guidance provided in the Section 482 regulations. Likewise, intangible asset valuations prepared for Section 170 charitable contribution purposes should comply with specific reporting requirements. The individual reasons for the health care intangible asset valuation may influence the standard of value applied, the valuation date selected, the valuation approaches and methods applied, the form and format of valuation report prepared, and even the type of professional employed to perform the valuation.

  19. Forest Ecosystem Dynamics Assessment and Predictive Modelling in Eastern Himalaya

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kushwaha, S. P. S.; Nandy, S.; Ahmad, M.; Agarwal, R.

    2011-09-01

    This study focused on the forest ecosystem dynamics assessment and predictive modelling deforestation and forest cover prediction in a part of north-eastern India i.e. forest areas along West Bengal, Bhutan, Arunachal Pradesh and Assam border in Eastern Himalaya using temporal satellite imagery of 1975, 1990 and 2009 and predicted forest cover for the period 2028 using Cellular Automata Markov Modedel (CAMM). The exercise highlighted large-scale deforestation in the study area during 1975-1990 as well as 1990-2009 forest cover vectors. A net loss of 2,334.28 km2 forest cover was noticed between 1975 and 2009, and with current rate of deforestation, a forest area of 4,563.34 km2 will be lost by 2028. The annual rate of deforestation worked out to be 0.35 and 0.78% during 1975-1990 and 1990-2009 respectively. Bamboo forest increased by 24.98% between 1975 and 2009 due to opening up of the forests. Forests in Kokrajhar, Barpeta, Darrang, Sonitpur, and Dhemaji districts in Assam were noticed to be worst-affected while Lower Subansiri, West and East Siang, Dibang Valley, Lohit and Changlang in Arunachal Pradesh were severely affected. Among different forest types, the maximum loss was seen in case of sal forest (37.97%) between 1975 and 2009 and is expected to deplete further to 60.39% by 2028. The tropical moist deciduous forest was the next category, which decreased from 5,208.11 km2 to 3,447.28 (33.81%) during same period with further chances of depletion to 2,288.81 km2 (56.05%) by 2028. It noted progressive loss of forests in the study area between 1975 and 2009 through 1990 and predicted that, unless checked, the area is in for further depletion of the invaluable climax forests in the region, especially sal and moist deciduous forests. The exercise demonstrated high potential of remote sensing and geographic information system for forest ecosystem dynamics assessment and the efficacy of CAMM to predict the forest cover change.

  20. Selection of the open pit mining cut-off grade strategy under price uncertainty using a risk based multi-criteria ranking system / Wybór strategii określania warunku opłacalności wydobycia w kopalniach odkrywkowych w warunkach niepewności cen w oparciu o wielokryterialny system rankingowy z uwzględnieniem czynników ryzyka

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Azimi, Yousue; Osanloo, Montza; Esfahanipour, Akbar

    2012-12-01

    Cut-off Grade Strategy (COGS) is a concept that directly influences the financial, technical, economic, environmental, and legal issues in relation to exploitation of a mineral resource. A decision making system is proposed to select the best technically feasible COGS under price uncertainty. In the proposed system both the conventional discounted cash flow and modern simulation based real option valuations are used to evaluate the alternative strategies. Then the conventional expected value criterion and a multiple criteria ranking system were used to rank the strategies based on the two valuation methods. In the multiple criteria ranking system besides the expected value other stochastic orders expressing abilities of strategies in producing extra profits, minimizing losses and achieving the predefined goals of the exploitation strategy are considered. Finally, the best strategy is selected based on the overall average rank of strategies through all ranking systems. The proposed system was examined using the data of Sungun Copper Mine. To assess the merits of the alternatives better, ranking process was done at both high (prevailing economic condition) and low price conditions. Ranking results revealed that at different price conditions and valuation methods, different results would be obtained. It is concluded that these differences are due to the different behavior of the embedded option to close the mine early, which is more likely to be exercised under low price condition rather than high price condition. The proposed system would enhance the quality of decision making process by providing a more informative and certain platform for project evaluation.

  1. 26 CFR 20.2031-0 - Table of contents.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... under section 2031. § 20.2031-1Definition of gross estate; valuation of property. § 20.2031-2Valuation... contracts; valuation of shares in an open-end investment company. § 20.2031-9Valuation of other property... term of years, and remainder or reversionary interests for estates of decedents for which the valuation...

  2. 26 CFR 20.2031-9 - Valuation of other property.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 26 Internal Revenue 14 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Valuation of other property. 20.2031-9 Section... Valuation of other property. The valuation of any property not specifically described in §§ 20.2031-2 to 20... future interest in property not subject to valuation in accordance with the actuarial principles set...

  3. Soil and water related forest ecosystem services and resilience of social ecological system in the Central Highlands of Ethiopia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tekalign, Meron; Muys, Bart; Nyssen, Jan; Poesen, Jean

    2014-05-01

    In the central highlands of Ethiopia, deforestation and forest degradation are occurring and accelerating during the last century. The high population pressure is the most repeatedly mentioned reason. However, in the past 30 years researchers agreed that the absence of institutions, which could define the access rights to particular forest resources, is another underlying cause of forest depletion and loss. Changing forest areas into different land use types is affecting the biodiversity, which is manifested through not proper functioning of ecosystem services. Menagesha Suba forest, the focus of this study has been explored from various perspectives. However the social dimension and its interaction with the ecology have been addressed rarely. This research uses a combined theoretical framework of Ecosystem Services and that of Resilience thinking for understanding the complex social-ecological interactions in the forest and its influence on ecosystem services. For understanding the history and extent of land use land cover changes, in-depth literature review and a GIS and remote sensing analysis will be made. The effect of forest conversion into plantation and agricultural lands on soil and above ground carbon sequestration, fuel wood and timber products delivery will be analyzed with the accounting of the services on five land use types. The four ecosystem services to be considered are Supporting, Provisioning, Regulating, and Cultural services as set by the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. A resilience based participatory framework approach will be used to analyze how the social and ecological systems responded towards the drivers of change that occurred in the past. The framework also will be applied to predict future uncertainties. Finally this study will focus on the possible interventions that could contribute to the sustainable management and conservation of the forest. An ecosystem services trade-off analysis and an environmental valuation of the water regulation and soil erosion control services will be made to propose solutions for increasing the social-ecological system resilience of Menagesha Suba forest.

  4. 26 CFR 1.430(g)-1 - Valuation date and valuation of plan assets.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ....430(g)-1 Section 1.430(g)-1 Internal Revenue INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY (CONTINUED) INCOME TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Certain Stock Options § 1.430(g)-1 Valuation date... plan's valuation date and the valuation of a plan's assets for a plan year under section 430(g...

  5. 26 CFR 1.430(g)-1 - Valuation date and valuation of plan assets.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ....430(g)-1 Section 1.430(g)-1 Internal Revenue INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY (CONTINUED) INCOME TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Certain Stock Options § 1.430(g)-1 Valuation date... plan's valuation date and the valuation of a plan's assets for a plan year under section 430(g...

  6. 26 CFR 1.430(g)-1 - Valuation date and valuation of plan assets.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ....430(g)-1 Section 1.430(g)-1 Internal Revenue INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY (CONTINUED) INCOME TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Certain Stock Options § 1.430(g)-1 Valuation date... plan's valuation date and the valuation of a plan's assets for a plan year under section 430(g...

  7. Applying ecological insights to increase productivity in tropical plantations

    Treesearch

    Dan Binkley; Jean-Paul Laclau; Jose Luiz Stape; Michael G. Ryan

    2010-01-01

    In the 19th and 20th Centuries, forest productivity was examined largely as a retrospective exercise: growth of forests was tracked over time, and these historical trends were projected empirically into the future (Puettmann et al., 2008). Silviculturists explained growth of trees and stands in terms of unquantifiable "growing space,"...

  8. Measuring Carbon Emissions from Deforestation at Donggala Regency, Central Sulawesi Province, Indonesia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nahib, I.; Suryanta, J.

    2018-02-01

    Forest is a natural resource that is very important and beneficial for the livelihood either directly or indirectly. Forest has a variety of ecological functions. One of forest functions is to maintain the amount of stored carbon. The forest area changes into non-forest area resulted in reducing forest functions as a provider of environmental services. This study aims: 1) to determine the deforestation during the period of 2000-2011, 2) to make model of the landcover change using logistic regression model, 3) to measurecarbon emissions and valuation based on impact of deforestation. The materials used in this study are : a) Indonesian Topographic Map at Scale 1: 50,000, Geospatial Information Agency (BIG), b) landcover map (year of 2000 and 2011), scale 1 : 250,000, produced by director general of forestry planning, ministry of environment and forestry, 3) environmental variables (dependent variable) such as : distance from roads, distance from streams, elevation and slope. The spatial analysis is done by land change modeler which is module in Idrisi Terrset. Meanwhile calculations of carbon storage and economic value which are done by ecosystem service modelers also as a Idrisi Terrset. The results show that the rate of deforestation during the period of 2000-2011 at Donggala as high as13,448.07 ha or about 1,222.55 ha per year. The impact of the forest cover changes resulted in the decrease of carbon storage up to 3.66 million tons or equivalent to 13.42 million tons of carbon emissions. Economic losses caused carbon emission in period 2000-2011 up to US 38,188,465 (net present value, NPV)

  9. 43 CFR 30.264 - When must BIA furnish a valuation of a decedent's interests?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 43 Public Lands: Interior 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false When must BIA furnish a valuation of a... BIA furnish a valuation of a decedent's interests? (a) BIA must furnish a valuation report of the..., BIA must furnish a valuation report in the probate file when it is submitted to OHA. Interested...

  10. A social preference valuations set for EQ-5D health states in Flanders, Belgium.

    PubMed

    Cleemput, Irina

    2010-04-01

    This study aimed at deriving a preference valuation set for EQ-5D health states from the general Flemish public in Belgium. A EuroQol valuation instrument with 16 health states to be valued on a visual analogue scale was sent to a random sample of 2,754 adults. The initial response rate was 35%. Eventually, 548 (20%) respondents provided useable valuations for modeling. Valuations for 245 health states were modeled using a random effects model. The selection of the model was based on two criteria: health state valuations must be consistent, and the difference with the directly observed valuations must be small. A model including a value decrement if any health dimension of the EQ-5D is on the worst level was selected to construct the social health state valuation set. A comparison with health state valuations from other countries showed similarities, especially with those from New Zealand. The use of a single preference valuation set across different health economic evaluations within a country is highly preferable to increase their usability for policy makers. This study contributes to the standardization of outcome measurement in economic evaluations in Belgium.

  11. 26 CFR 20.2031-0 - Table of contents.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    .... § 20.2031-5Valuation of cash on hand or on deposit. § 20.2031-6Valuation of household and personal... contracts; valuation of shares in an open-end investment company. § 20.2031-9Valuation of other property...

  12. 77 FR 2128 - Southwest Pennsylvania Railroad Company-Acquisition Exemption-Laurel Hill Development Corporation

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-01-13

    ... Valuation Station 4+06.3 in Greene Junction and Rail Valuation Station 1148+43.8 in Smithfield, as shown generally on Valuation Maps V.69.1/S-43a, V.69.11/1 to 6, and V.82.1/1 to 6, in Fayette County, Pa.; (b) 3.28 miles of rail line extending between Rail Valuation Station 1+30 in Broadford and Rail Valuation...

  13. Cardiorespiratory responses during underwater and land treadmill exercise in college athletes.

    PubMed

    Brubaker, Peter; Ozemek, Cemal; Gonzalez, Alimer; Wiley, Stephen; Collins, Gregory

    2011-08-01

    Underwater treadmill (UTM) exercise is being used with increased frequency for rehabilitation of injured athletes, yet there has been little research conducted on this modality. To determine the cardiorespiratory responses of UTM vs land treadmill (LTM) exercise, particularly with respect to the relationship between heart rate (HR) and oxygen consumption (VO2). This quantitative original research took place in sports medicine and athletic training facilities at Wake Forest University. 11 Wake Forest University student athletes (20.8 ± 0.6 y, 6 women and 5 men). All participants completed the UTM and LTM exercise-testing protocols in random order. After 5 min of standing rest, both UTM and LTM protocols had 4 stages of increasing belt speed (2.3, 4.9, 7.3, and 9.6 km/h) followed by 3 exercise stages at 9.6 km/h with increasing water-jet resistance (30%, 40%, and 50% of jet capacity) or inclines (1%, 2%, and 4% grade). A Cosmed K4b2 device with Polar monitor was used to collect HR, ventilation (Ve), tidal volume (TV), breathing frequency (Bf), and VO2 every minute. Ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) were also obtained each minute. There was no significant difference between UTM and LTM for VO2 at rest or during any stage of exercise except stage 3. Furthermore, there were no significant differences between UTM and LTM for HR, Ve, Bf, and RPE on any exercise stage. Linear regression of HR vs VO2, across all stages of exercise, indicates a similar relationship in these variables during UTM (r = .94, y = .269x - 10.86) and LTM (r = .95, y = .291x - 12.98). These data indicate that UTM and LTM exercise elicits similar cardiorespiratory responses and that HR can be used to guide appropriate exercise intensity for college athletes during UTM.

  14. Quadrupedal locomotor performance in two species of arboreal squirrels: predicting energy savings of gliding

    Treesearch

    Elizabeth A. Flaherty; Merav Ben-David; Winston P. Smith

    2010-01-01

    Gliding allows mammals to exploit canopy habitats of old-growth forests possibly as a means to save energy. To assess costs of quadrupedal locomotion for a gliding arboreal mammal, we used open-flow respirometry and a variable-speed treadmill to measure oxygen consumption and to calculate cost of transport, excess exercise oxygen consumption, and excess post-exercise...

  15. 26 CFR 20.2032-1 - Alternate valuation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... alternate valuation method under section 2032, the property included in the decedent's gross estate on the..., the alternate valuation method applies to all property included in the gross estate and cannot be... elects the alternate valuation method under section 2432, all property interests existing at the date of...

  16. Outpatient imaging center valuations: do you need a fair-market value analysis?

    PubMed

    Koonsman, G S

    2001-01-01

    Typically, outpatient diagnostic imaging centers are formed as partnerships between radiologists, radiologists and hospitals, and/or radiologists and diagnostic imaging center management companies. As a result of these partnership structures, the question of equity valuation frequently arises. It is not only important to understand when an independent valuation would be required, but also what "type" of valuation needs to be performed. The type of valuation may vary based upon the use of the valuation. In partnerships that involve hospitals and physicians, the federal anti-kickback statutes (fraud and abuse laws) require that all transactions between referring physicians and hospitals be consummated at fair-market value. In addition, tax-exempt hospitals that enter into partnerships with physicians are required to enter into those transactions at fair-market value or risk losing their tax-exempt status. Fair-market value is also typically the standard of value that all partnerships strive to conduct equity transactions with shareholders. Qualifications required by those who perform independent fair-market value opinions include: Proper business valuation training and focus on valuations as a primary business Focus on the healthcare industry and specifically on the valuation of diagnostic imaging centers In order to perform a reasonable business valuation analysis, the appraiser must have access to a significant amount of financial, operational and legal information. The analyst must be able to understand the history of the imaging center as well as the projected future of the center. Ultimately, a valuation is a measurement of the estimated future cash flows of the center--risk adjusted--in order to quantify the present value of those cash flows.

  17. 7 CFR 4290.503 - RBIC's adoption of an approved valuation policy.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... close of the quarter. (e) Review of valuations by independent public accountant. (1) For valuations performed as of the end of your fiscal year, your independent public accountant must review your valuation... independent public accountant's report on your audited annual financial statements (SBA Form 468) must include...

  18. 13 CFR 107.503 - Licensee's adoption of an approved valuation policy.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... of the quarter. (e) Review of valuations by independent public accountant. (1) For valuations performed as of the end of your fiscal year, your independent public accountant must review your valuation... independent public accountant's report on your audited annual financial statements (SBA Form 468) must include...

  19. 46 CFR 309.3 - Stated valuation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 8 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Stated valuation. 309.3 Section 309.3 Shipping MARITIME ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION EMERGENCY OPERATIONS VALUES FOR WAR RISK INSURANCE § 309.3 Stated valuation. A stated valuation represents just compensation for the vessel to which it applies computed by...

  20. 46 CFR 309.3 - Stated valuation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 8 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Stated valuation. 309.3 Section 309.3 Shipping MARITIME ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION EMERGENCY OPERATIONS VALUES FOR WAR RISK INSURANCE § 309.3 Stated valuation. A stated valuation represents just compensation for the vessel to which it applies computed by...

  1. 46 CFR 309.3 - Stated valuation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 8 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Stated valuation. 309.3 Section 309.3 Shipping MARITIME ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION EMERGENCY OPERATIONS VALUES FOR WAR RISK INSURANCE § 309.3 Stated valuation. A stated valuation represents just compensation for the vessel to which it applies computed by...

  2. 46 CFR 309.3 - Stated valuation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 8 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Stated valuation. 309.3 Section 309.3 Shipping MARITIME ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION EMERGENCY OPERATIONS VALUES FOR WAR RISK INSURANCE § 309.3 Stated valuation. A stated valuation represents just compensation for the vessel to which it applies computed by...

  3. 46 CFR 309.3 - Stated valuation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 8 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Stated valuation. 309.3 Section 309.3 Shipping MARITIME ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION EMERGENCY OPERATIONS VALUES FOR WAR RISK INSURANCE § 309.3 Stated valuation. A stated valuation represents just compensation for the vessel to which it applies computed by...

  4. Valuation of Property.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bodley, Joanne H.; Goodenough, Linda

    This report describes property tax revenues and assessment rates for all 50 States during 1966. The following information is summarized by State and by class of property: (1) The total valuation and the taxable valuation of property subject to local general property taxation and the percent distribution of total valuation by class of property; (2)…

  5. 7 CFR 4290.503 - RBIC's adoption of an approved valuation policy.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... close of the quarter. (e) Review of valuations by independent public accountant. (1) For valuations performed as of the end of your fiscal year, your independent public accountant must review your valuation... independent public accountant's report on your audited annual financial statements (SBA Form 468) must include...

  6. 30 CFR 1206.59 - May I ask ONRR for valuation guidance?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 30 Mineral Resources 3 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false May I ask ONRR for valuation guidance? 1206.59 Section 1206.59 Mineral Resources OFFICE OF NATURAL RESOURCES REVENUE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATURAL RESOURCES REVENUE PRODUCT VALUATION Indian Oil § 1206.59 May I ask ONRR for valuation guidance? You may ask...

  7. 30 CFR 1206.59 - May I ask ONRR for valuation guidance?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 30 Mineral Resources 3 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false May I ask ONRR for valuation guidance? 1206.59 Section 1206.59 Mineral Resources OFFICE OF NATURAL RESOURCES REVENUE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATURAL RESOURCES REVENUE PRODUCT VALUATION Indian Oil § 1206.59 May I ask ONRR for valuation guidance? You may ask...

  8. 30 CFR 1206.59 - May I ask ONRR for valuation guidance?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 30 Mineral Resources 3 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false May I ask ONRR for valuation guidance? 1206.59 Section 1206.59 Mineral Resources OFFICE OF NATURAL RESOURCES REVENUE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATURAL RESOURCES REVENUE PRODUCT VALUATION Indian Oil § 1206.59 May I ask ONRR for valuation guidance? You may ask...

  9. 43 CFR 30.152 - May the parties to an agreement waive valuation of trust property?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... valuation of trust property? 30.152 Section 30.152 Public Lands: Interior Office of the Secretary of the... parties to an agreement waive valuation of trust property? The parties to a settlement agreement or a consolidation agreement may waive valuation of trust property otherwise required by regulation or the Secretary...

  10. An Approach for Calculating Land Valuation by Using Inspire Data Models

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Aydinoglu, A. C.; Bovkir, R.

    2017-11-01

    Land valuation is a highly important concept for societies and governments have always emphasis on the process especially for taxation, expropriation, market capitalization and economic activity purposes. To success an interoperable and standardised land valuation, INSPIRE data models can be very practical and effective. If data used in land valuation process produced in compliance with INSPIRE specifications, a reliable and effective land valuation process can be performed. In this study, possibility of the performing land valuation process with using the INSPIRE data models was analysed and with the help of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) a case study in Pendik was implemented. For this purpose, firstly data analysis and gathering was performed. After, different data structures were transformed according to the INSPIRE data model requirements. For each data set necessary ETL (Extract-Transform-Load) tools were produced and all data transformed according to the target data requirements. With the availability and practicability of spatial analysis tools of GIS software, land valuation calculations were performed for study area.

  11. Valuation of Transactive Systems

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Hammerstrom, Donald J.; Corbin, Charles D.; Fernandez, Nicholas

    2016-05-12

    This is a final report from a project funded by the U.S. Department of Energy to formulate and test a methodology for valuation of systems where transaction-based mechanisms coordinate the exchange of value between the system’s actors. Today, the principal commodity being exchanged is electrical energy, and such mechanisms are called transactive energy systems. The authors strove to lay a foundation for meaningful valuations of transactive systems in general, and transactive energy systems as a special case. The word valuation is used in many different ways. This report proposes a valuation methodology that is inclusive of many types of valuations.more » Many will be familiar with cost-benefit valuations, in which both costs and benefits are assessed to determine whether the assets are worth their cost. Another set of valuation methods attempt to optimize an outcome using available resources, as is the case with integrated resource planning. In the end, this report’s methodology was most influenced by and most resembles the integrated-resource-planning approach. Regardless, we wish to enforce the premise that all valuations are comparative and should clearly specify a baseline scenario. A long, annotated list of prior valuation studies and valuation methodologies that influenced this report has been appended to this report. Much research is being conducted today concerning transactive systems, but only a handful of transactive system mechanisms have been formulated and field tested. They are found to be quite diverse, and the documentation of the various mechanisms is uneven in breadth and quality. It is therefore not adequate to simply assert that a valuation scenario includes a transactive system; certain characteristics and qualities of the chosen transactive system mechanism must be defined and stated. The report lists and discusses most of the known transactive system mechanisms. It offers a set of questions that may be used to help specify important characteristics of the transactive system mechanisms, which should be conveyed along with other valuation results. A valuation methodology is proposed. Some abstraction is necessarily retained so that the methodology may be applied for the many purposes of today’s valuations and across grid, building, societal, and other domains. The report’s methodology advocates separation of operational timescales from long-term growth timescales. Operational models are defined as the models that inform impacts within the relatively short, often yearlong, operational time periods. Growth models define how the scenarios evolve from one operational period to the next (e.g., from year to year). We believe the recommended methodology is a critical step toward collaborative community platforms, where analysts and decision makers alike could contribute and borrow content within their expertise. The report then asks, what is unique about valuations when systems become coordinated by transactive systems? In answer, accurate valuations of transactive systems require careful adherence to the dynamic interaction between a system’s responsive elements and the system’s operational objectives. In every transactive system mechanism, elements respond to incentives that become revealed to them, and certain operational objectives become explicitly incentivized by the transactive system mechanism. The transactive system mechanisms define the important coupling between the responsive elements and the system’s objectives.« less

  12. Rescaling quality of life values from discrete choice experiments for use as QALYs: a cautionary tale

    PubMed Central

    Flynn, Terry N; Louviere, Jordan J; Marley, Anthony AJ; Coast, Joanna; Peters, Tim J

    2008-01-01

    Background Researchers are increasingly investigating the potential for ordinal tasks such as ranking and discrete choice experiments to estimate QALY health state values. However, the assumptions of random utility theory, which underpin the statistical models used to provide these estimates, have received insufficient attention. In particular, the assumptions made about the decisions between living states and the death state are not satisfied, at least for some people. Estimated values are likely to be incorrectly anchored with respect to death (zero) in such circumstances. Methods Data from the Investigating Choice Experiments for the preferences of older people CAPability instrument (ICECAP) valuation exercise were analysed. The values (previously anchored to the worst possible state) were rescaled using an ordinal model proposed previously to estimate QALY-like values. Bootstrapping was conducted to vary artificially the proportion of people who conformed to the conventional random utility model underpinning the analyses. Results Only 26% of respondents conformed unequivocally to the assumptions of conventional random utility theory. At least 14% of respondents unequivocally violated the assumptions. Varying the relative proportions of conforming respondents in sensitivity analyses led to large changes in the estimated QALY values, particularly for lower-valued states. As a result these values could be either positive (considered to be better than death) or negative (considered to be worse than death). Conclusion Use of a statistical model such as conditional (multinomial) regression to anchor quality of life values from ordinal data to death is inappropriate in the presence of respondents who do not conform to the assumptions of conventional random utility theory. This is clearest when estimating values for that group of respondents observed in valuation samples who refuse to consider any living state to be worse than death: in such circumstances the model cannot be estimated. Only a valuation task requiring respondents to make choices in which both length and quality of life vary can produce estimates that properly reflect the preferences of all respondents. PMID:18945358

  13. Multiple approaches to valuation of conservation design and low-impact development features in residential subdivisions.

    PubMed

    Bowman, Troy; Tyndall, John C; Thompson, Janette; Kliebenstein, James; Colletti, Joe P

    2012-08-15

    Residents, developers and civic officials are often faced with difficult decisions about appropriate land uses in and around metropolitan boundaries. Urban expansion brings with it the potential for negative environmental impacts, but there are alternatives, such as conservation subdivision design (CSD) or low-impact development (LID), which offer the possibility of mitigating some of these effects at the development site. Many urban planning jurisdictions across the Midwest do not currently have any examples of these designs and lack information to identify public support or barriers to use of these methods. This is a case study examining consumer value for conservation and low-impact design features in one housing market by using four different valuation techniques to estimate residents' willingness to pay for CSD and LID features in residential subdivisions. A contingent valuation survey of 1804 residents in Ames, IA assessed familiarity with and perceptions of subdivision development and used an ordered value approach to estimate willingness to pay for CSD and LID features. A majority of residents were not familiar with CSD or LID practices. Residents indicated a willingness to pay for most CSD and LID features with the exception of clustered housing. Gender, age, income, familiarity with LID practices, perceptions of attractiveness of features and the perceived effect of CSD and LID features on ease of future home sales were important factors influencing residents' willingness to pay. A hypothetical referendum measured willingness to pay for tax-funded conservation land purchases and estimated that a property tax of around $50 would be the maximum increase that would pass. Twenty-seven survey respondents participated in a subsequent series of experimental real estate negotiations that used an experimental auction mechanism to estimate willingness to pay for CSD and LID features. Participants indicated that clustered housing (with interspersed preserved forest or open space areas), rain gardens, and neighborhood streams with a forested buffer were the features they were most willing to pay for. Participants were not willing to pay for neighborhood streams without buffers. Finally, a spatial hedonic price model using 2093 homes in Ames, IA was used to estimate the effect of public and private open space on housing values. The model indicated that presence of neighborhood association-owned forest and water features as well as proximity to public parks had significant positive effects on housing prices. However, proximity to a public lake had a negative effect on home values. The four methods used in this study include both stated and revealed preference techniques. Although the relative magnitude of value expressed varied, all methods indicated that residents value CSD and LID subdivision features. Subdivision features that included explicit environmental benefits were also consistently preferred over features that did not. Familiarity with alternative designs was an important factor influencing resident willingness to pay for neighborhood features, and developers and civic officials should consider ways to educate citizens about CSD and LID development techniques to increase interest in these designs. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  14. Regional impacts of Atlantic Forest deforestation on climate and vegetation dynamics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Holm, J. A.; Chambers, J. Q.

    2012-12-01

    The Brazilian Atlantic Forest was a large and important forest due to its high biodiversity, endemism, range in climate, and complex geography. The original Atlantic Forest was estimated to cover 150 million hectares, spanning large latitudinal, longitudinal, and elevation gradients. This unique environment helped contribute to a diverse assemblage of plants, mammals, birds, and reptiles. Unfortunately, due to land conversion into agriculture, pasture, urban areas, and increased forest fragmentation, only ~8-10% of the original Atlantic Forest remains. Tropical deforestation in the Americas can have considerable effects on local to global climates, and surrounding vegetation growth and survival. This study uses a fully coupled, global climate model (Community Earth System Model, CESM v.1.0.1) to simulate the full removal of the historical Atlantic Forest, and evaluate the regional climatic and vegetation responses due to deforestation. We used the fully coupled atmosphere and land surface components in CESM, and a partially interacting ocean component. The vegetated grid cell portion of the land surface component, the Community Landscape Model (CLM), is divided into 4 of 16 plant functional types (PFTs) with vertical layers of canopy, leaf area index, soil physical properties, and interacting hydrological features all tracking energy, water, and carbon state and flux variables, making CLM highly capable in predicting the complex nature and outcomes of large-scale deforestation. The Atlantic Forest removal (i.e. deforestation) was conducted my converting all woody stem PFTs to grasses in CLM, creating a land-use change from forest to pasture. By comparing the simulated historical Atlantic Forest (pre human alteration) to a deforested Atlantic Forest (close to current conditions) in CLM and CESM we found that live stem carbon, NPP (gC m-2 yr-1), and other vegetation dynamics inside and outside the Atlantic Forest region were largely altered. In addition to vegetation effects, regional surface air temperature (C°), precipitation (mm day-1), and emitted longwave radiation (W m-2) were highly affected in the location of the removed forest, and throughout surrounding areas of South America. For example climate patterns of increased temperature and decreased precipitation were affected as far as the Amazon Forest region. The use of fully coupled global climate and terrestrial models to study the effects of large-scale forest removal have been rarely applied. This study successfully showed the valuation of an important tropical forest, and the consequences of large deforestation through the reporting of complex earth-atmosphere interactions between vegetation dynamics and climate.

  15. Environmental Justice Challengers for Ecosystem Service Valuation

    EPA Science Inventory

    In pursuing improved ecosystem services management, there is also an opportunity to work towards environmental justice. The practice of environmental valuation can assist with both goals, but as typically employed obscures distributional analysis. Furthermore, valuation technique...

  16. Valuation of medical resource units collected in health economic studies.

    PubMed

    Copley-Merriman, C; Lair, T J

    1994-01-01

    This paper reviews the issues that are critical for the valuation of medical resources in the context of health economic studies. There are several points to consider when undertaking the valuation of medical resources. The perspective of the analysis should be established before determining the valuation process. Future costs should be discounted to present values, and time and effort spent in assigning a monetary value to a medical resource should be proportional to its importance in the analysis. Prices vary considerably based on location of the service and the severity of the illness episode. Because of the wide variability in pricing data, sensitivity analysis is an important component of validation of study results. A variety of data sources have been applied to the valuation of medical resources. Several types of data are reviewed in this paper, including claims data, national survey data, administrative data, and marketing research data. Valuation of medical resources collected in clinical trials is complex because of the lack of standardization of the data sources. A national pricing data source for health economic valuation would greatly facilitate study analysis and make comparisons between results more meaningful.

  17. Integrating ecosystem services in terrestrial conservation planning.

    PubMed

    Yuan, Mei-Hua; Lo, Shang-Lien; Yang, Chih-Kai

    2017-05-01

    The purpose of this study is to estimate the benefits of ecosystem services for prioritization of land use conservation and to highlight the importance of ecosystem services by comparison between ecosystem service value and green GDP accounting. Based on land use pattern and benefit transfer method, this research estimated value of ecosystem services in Taiwan. Scientific information of land use and land cover change is accessed through multi-year satellite imagery moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS), and geographic information system (GIS) technology. Combined with benefit transfer method, this research estimated the ecosystem service valuation of forest, grassland, cropland, wetland, water, and urban for the period of 2000 to 2015 in Taiwan. It is found that forest made the greatest contribution and the significant increasing area of wetland has huge potential benefit for environmental conservation in Taiwan. We recommend placing maintaining wetland ecosystem in Taiwan with higher priority. This research also compared ecosystem service value with natural capital consumption which would essentially facilitate policy makers to understand the relationship between benefits gained from natural capital and the loss from human-made capital.

  18. A systematic review of utility values for chemotherapy-related adverse events.

    PubMed

    Shabaruddin, Fatiha H; Chen, Li-Chia; Elliott, Rachel A; Payne, Katherine

    2013-04-01

    Chemotherapy offers cancer patients the potential benefits of improved mortality and morbidity but may cause detrimental outcomes due to adverse drug events (ADEs), some of which requiring time-consuming, resource-intensive and costly clinical management. To appropriately assess chemotherapy agents in an economic evaluation, ADE-related parameters such as the incidence, (dis)utility and cost of ADEs should be reflected within the model parameters. To date, there has been no systematic summary of the existing literature that quantifies the utilities of ADEs due to healthcare interventions in general and chemotherapy treatments in particular. This review aimed to summarize the current evidence base of reported utility values for chemotherapy-related ADEs. A structured electronic search combining terms for utility, utility valuation methods and generic terms for cancer treatment was conducted in MEDLINE and EMBASE in June 2011. Inclusion criteria were: (1) elicitation of utility values for chemotherapy-related ADEs and (2) primary data. Two reviewers identified studies and extracted data independently. Any disagreements were resolved by a third reviewer. Eighteen studies met the inclusion criteria from the 853 abstracts initially identified, collectively reporting 218 utility values for chemotherapy-related ADEs. All 18 studies used short descriptions (vignettes) to obtain the utility values, with nine studies presenting the vignettes used in the valuation exercises. Of the 218 utility values, 178 were elicited using standard gamble (SG) or time trade-off (TTO) approaches, while 40 were elicited using visual analogue scales (VAS). There were 169 utility values of specific chemotherapy-related ADEs (with the top ten being anaemia [34 values], nausea and/or vomiting [32 values], neuropathy [21 values], neutropenia [12 values], diarrhoea [12 values], stomatitis [10 values], fatigue [8 values], alopecia [7 values], hand-foot syndrome [5 values] and skin reaction [5 values]) and 49 of non-specific chemotherapy-related adverse events. In most cases, it was difficult to directly compare the utility values as various definitions and study-specific vignettes were used for the ADEs of interest. This review was designed to provide an overall description of existing literature reporting utility values for chemotherapy-related ADEs. The findings were not exhaustive and were limited to publications that could be identified using the search strategy employed and those reported in the English language. This review identified wide ranges in the utility values reported for broad categories of specific chemotherapy-related ADEs. There were difficulties in comparing the values directly as various study-specific definitions were used for these ADEs and most studies did not make the vignettes used in the valuation exercises available. It is recommended that a basic minimum requirement be developed for the transparent reporting of study designs eliciting utility values, incorporating key criteria such as reporting how the vignettes were developed and presenting the vignettes used in the valuation tasks as well as valuing and reporting the utility values of the ADE-free base states. It is also recommended, in the future, for studies valuing the utilities of chemotherapy-related ADEs to define the ADEs according to the National Cancer Institute (NCI) definitions for chemotherapy-related ADEs as the use of the same definition across studies would ease the comparison and selection of utility values and make the overall inclusion of adverse events within economic models of chemotherapy agents much more straightforward.

  19. Economic valuation of ecosystem services from coral reefs in the South Pacific: taking stock of recent experience.

    PubMed

    Laurans, Yann; Pascal, Nicolas; Binet, Thomas; Brander, Luke; Clua, Eric; David, Gilbert; Rojat, Dominique; Seidl, Andrew

    2013-02-15

    The economic valuation of coral reefs ecosystem services is currently seen as a promising approach to demonstrate the benefits of sustainable management of coral ecosystems to policymakers and to provide useful information for improved decisions. Most coral reefs economic studies have been conducted in the United States, Southeast Asia and the Caribbean, and only a few have covered the South Pacific region. In this region, coral reefs are essential assets for small island developing states as well as for developed countries. Accordingly, a series of ecosystem services valuations has been carried out recently in the South Pacific, to try and supply decision-makers with new information. Applying ecosystem services valuation to the specific ecological, social, economic and cultural contexts of the South Pacific is however not straightforward. This paper analyses how extant valuations address the various management challenges of coral reef regions in general and more specifically for the South Pacific. Bearing in mind that economic valuation has to match policy-making contexts, we emphasize a series of specific considerations when conducting and applying ecosystem services valuation in South Pacific ecological and social contexts. Finally, the paper examines the decision-making situations in which extant valuations took place. We conclude that, although ecosystem valuations have been effectively used as a means to raise awareness with respect to coral reef conservation, methodologies will have to be further developed, with multidisciplinary inputs, if they are to provide valuable inputs in local and technical decision-making. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. The value of urban open space: meta-analyses of contingent valuation and hedonic pricing results.

    PubMed

    Brander, Luke M; Koetse, Mark J

    2011-10-01

    Urban open space provides a number of valuable services to urban populations, including recreational opportunities, aesthetic enjoyment, environmental functions, and may also be associated with existence values. In separate meta-analyses of the contingent valuation (CV) and hedonic pricing (HP) literature we examine which physical, socio-economic, and study characteristics determine the value of open space. The dependent variable in the CV meta-regression is defined as the value of open space per hectare per year in 2003 US$, and in the HP model as the percentage change in house price for a 10 m decrease in distance to open space. Using a multi-level modelling approach we find in both the CV and HP analyses that there is a positive and significant relationship between the value of urban open space and population density, indicating that scarcity and crowdedness matter, and that the value of open space does not vary significantly with income. Further, urban parks are more highly valued than other types of urban open space (forests, agricultural and undeveloped land) and methodological differences in study design have a large influence on estimated values from both CV and HP. We also find important regional differences in preferences for urban open space, which suggests that the potential for transferring estimated values between regions is likely to be limited. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Comparing 15D Valuation Studies in Norway and Finland-Challenges When Combining Information from Several Valuation Tasks.

    PubMed

    Michel, Yvonne Anne; Augestad, Liv Ariane; Rand, Kim

    2018-04-01

    The 15D is a generic preference-based health-related quality-of-life instrument developed in Finland. Values for the 15D instrument are estimated by combining responses to three distinct valuation tasks. The impact of how these tasks are combined is relatively unexplored. To compare 15D valuation studies conducted in Norway and Finland in terms of scores assigned in the valuation tasks and resulting value algorithms, and to discuss the contributions of each task and the algorithm estimation procedure to observed differences. Norwegian and Finnish scores from the three valuation tasks were compared using independent samples t tests and Lin concordance correlation coefficients. Covariance between tasks was assessed using Pearson product-moment correlations. Norwegian and Finnish value algorithms were compared using concordance correlation coefficients, total ranges, and ranges for individual dimensions. Observed differences were assessed using minimal important difference. Mean scores in the main valuation task were strikingly similar between the two countries, whereas the final value algorithms were less similar. The largest differences between Norway and Finland were observed for depression, vision, and mental function. 15D algorithms are a product of combining scores from three valuation tasks by use of methods involving multiplication. This procedure used to combine scores from the three tasks by multiplication serves to amplify variance from each task. From relatively similar responses in Norway and Finland, diverging value algorithms are created. We propose to simplify the 15D algorithm estimation procedure by using only one of the valuation tasks. Copyright © 2018 International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Health literacy and logical inconsistencies in valuations of hypothetical health states: results from the Canadian EQ-5D-5L valuation study.

    PubMed

    Al Sayah, Fatima; Johnson, Jeffrey A; Ohinmaa, Arto; Xie, Feng; Bansback, Nick

    2017-06-01

    To examine the association of health literacy with logical inconsistencies in time trade-off valuations of hypothetical health states described by the EQ-5D-5L classification system. Data from the EQ-5D-5L Canadian Valuation study were used. Health literacy was assessed using the Brief Health Literacy Screen. A health state valuation was considered logically inconsistent if a respondent gave the same or lower value for a very mild health state compared to the value given to 55555, or gave the same or lower value for a very mild health state compared to value assigned to the majority of the health states that are dominated by the very mild health state. Average age of respondents (N = 1209) was 48 (SD = 17) years, 45% were male, 7% reported inadequate health literacy, and 11% had a logical inconsistency. In adjusted analysis, participants with inadequate health literacy were 2.2 (95%CI: 1.2, 4.0; p = 0.014) times more likely to provide an inconsistent valuation compared to those with adequate health literacy. More specifically, those who had problems in "understanding written information" and "reading health information" were more likely to have a logical inconsistency compared to those who did not. However, lacking "confidence in completing medical forms" was not associated with logical inconsistencies. Health literacy was associated with logical inconsistencies in valuations of hypothetical health states described by the EQ-5D-5L classification system. Valuations studies should consider assessing health literacy, and explore better ways to introduce the valuation tasks or use simpler approaches of health preferences elicitation for individuals with inadequate health literacy.

  3. The roles of valuation and reward processing in cognitive function and psychiatric disorders

    PubMed Central

    Hélie, Sébastien; Shamloo, Farzin; Novak, Keisha; Foti, Dan

    2017-01-01

    In neuroeconomics, valuation refers to the process of assigning values to states and actions based on the animal’s current representation of the environment while reward processing corresponds to processing the feedback received from the environment to update the values of states and actions. In this article, we review the brain circuits associated with valuation and reward processing and argue that these are fundamental processes critical in many cognitive functions. Specifically, we focus on the role of valuation and reward processing in attention, memory, decision–making, and learning. Next, the extant neuroimaging literature on a number of psychiatric disorders is reviewed (i.e., addiction, pathological gambling, schizophrenia, and mood disorders), and an argument is made that associated deficits in cognitive functions can be explained in terms of abnormal valuation and reward processing. The review concludes with the impact of this framework in clinical settings and prescriptions for future research, in particular with regards to the conversions of qualitatively different valuation systems into a system of common currency. PMID:28415138

  4. Testing the construct validity of willingness to pay valuations using objective information about risk and health benefit.

    PubMed

    Philips, Zoë; Whynes, David K; Avis, Mark

    2006-02-01

    This paper describes an experiment to test the construct validity of contingent valuation, by eliciting women's valuations for the NHS cervical cancer screening programme. It is known that, owing to low levels of knowledge of cancer and screening in the general population, women both over-estimate the risk of disease and the efficacy of screening. The study is constructed as a randomised experiment, in which one group is provided with accurate information about cervical cancer screening, whilst the other is not. The first hypothesis supporting construct validity, that controls who perceive greater benefits from screening will offer higher valuations, is substantiated. Both groups are then provided with objective information on an improvement to the screening programme, and are asked to value the improvement as an increment to their original valuations. The second hypothesis supporting construct validity, that controls who perceive the benefits of the programme to be high already will offer lower incremental valuations, is also substantiated. Copyright 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  5. Alternative stable states and the sustainability of forests, grasslands, and agriculture.

    PubMed

    Henderson, Kirsten A; Bauch, Chris T; Anand, Madhur

    2016-12-20

    Endangered forest-grassland mosaics interspersed with expanding agriculture and silviculture occur across many parts of the world, including the southern Brazilian highlands. This natural mosaic ecosystem is thought to reflect alternative stable states driven by threshold responses of recruitment to fire and moisture regimes. The role of adaptive human behavior in such systems remains understudied, despite its pervasiveness and the fact that such ecosystems can exhibit complex dynamics. We develop a nonlinear mathematical model of coupled human-environment dynamics in mosaic systems and social processes regarding conservation and economic land valuation. Our objective is to better understand how the coupled dynamics respond to changes in ecological and social conditions. The model is parameterized with southern Brazilian data on mosaic ecology, land-use profits, and questionnaire results concerning landowner preferences and conservation values. We find that the mosaic presently resides at a crucial juncture where relatively small changes in social conditions can generate a wide variety of possible outcomes, including complete loss of mosaics; large-amplitude, long-term oscillations between land states that preclude ecosystem stability; and conservation of the mosaic even to the exclusion of agriculture/silviculture. In general, increasing the time horizon used for conservation decision making is more likely to maintain mosaic stability. In contrast, increasing the inherent conservation value of either forests or grasslands is more likely to induce large oscillations-especially for forests-due to feedback from rarity-based conservation decisions. Given the potential for complex dynamics, empirically grounded nonlinear dynamical models should play a larger role in policy formulation for human-environment mosaic ecosystems.

  6. Assessing the benefits and costs of dryland forest restoration in central Chile.

    PubMed

    Schiappacasse, Ignacio; Nahuelhual, Laura; Vásquez, Felipe; Echeverría, Cristian

    2012-04-30

    Investment in natural capital restoration is increasing as a response to the widespread ecological degradation of dryland forests. However, finding efficient mechanisms to promote restoration among private landowners is a significant challenge for policy makers with limited financial resources. Furthermore, few attempts have been made to evaluate the costs and benefits of restoration interventions even though this information is relevant to orient decision making. Hence, our goal was to estimate the benefits and costs of dryland forest restoration by means of reforestation with native trees in a study area in central Chile. To determine benefits we applied a Contingent Valuation questionnaire that allowed for the calculation of willingness to pay measures. Restoration costs were calculated based on market prices following existing technical recommendations developed for the study area. The results showed that the restoration project had a negative NPV irrespective of the discount rate applied in the analysis. Thus, the NPV varied between -US$71,000 and -US$258,000. The NPV attained positive results only for negative discount rates (US$15,039 for -2%) and only when the national subsidy available for forest restoration was taken into account. This shows that landowners in Colliguay do not have incentives for carrying out restoration interventions due to a classic market failure: that in which ecosystems are mismanaged because many of their benefits are externalities from the perspective of landowners. Overall, these results stress the need for developing new compensation mechanisms and enhancing those in existence, with the aim of making restoration competitive with other land uses. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Promoting biodiversity values of small forest patches in agricultural landscapes: Ecological drivers and social demand.

    PubMed

    Varela, Elsa; Verheyen, Kris; Valdés, Alicia; Soliño, Mario; Jacobsen, Jette B; De Smedt, Pallieter; Ehrmann, Steffen; Gärtner, Stefanie; Górriz, Elena; Decocq, Guillaume

    2018-04-01

    Small forest patches embedded in agricultural (and peri-urban) landscapes in Western Europe play a key role for biodiversity conservation with a recognized capacity of delivering a wide suite of ecosystem services. Measures aimed to preserve these patches should be both socially desirable and ecologically effective. This study presents a joint ecologic and economic assessment conducted on small forest patches in Flanders (Belgium) and Picardie (N France). In each study region, two contrasted types of agricultural landscapes were selected. Open field (OF) and Bocage (B) landscapes are distinguished by the intensity of their usage and higher connectivity in the B landscapes. The social demand for enhancing biodiversity and forest structure diversity as well as for increasing the forest area at the expenses of agricultural land is estimated through an economic valuation survey. These results are compared with the outcomes of an ecological survey where the influence of structural features of the forest patches on the associated herbaceous diversity is assessed. The ecological and economic surveys show contrasting results; increasing tree species richness is ecologically more important for herbaceous diversity in the patch, but both tree species richness and herbaceous diversity obtain insignificant willingness to pay estimates. Furthermore, although respondents prefer the proposed changes to take place in the region where they live, we find out that social preferences and ecological effectiveness do differ between landscapes that represent different intensities of land use. Dwellers where the landscape is perceived as more "degraded" attach more value to diversity enhancement, suggesting a prioritization of initiatives in these area. In contrast, the ecological analyses show that prioritizing the protection and enhancement of the relatively better-off areas is more ecologically effective. Our study calls for a balance between ecological effectiveness and welfare benefits, suggesting that cost effectiveness studies should consider these approaches jointly. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. An ecosystem services framework for multidisciplinary research in the Colorado River headwaters

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Semmens, D.J.; Briggs, J.S.; Martin, D.A.

    2009-01-01

    A rapidly spreading Mountain Pine Beetle epidemic is killing lodgepole pine forest in the Rocky Mountains, causing landscape change on a massive scale. Approximately 1.5 million acres of lodgepoledominated forest is already dead or dying in Colorado, the infestation is still spreading rapidly, and it is expected that in excess of 90 percent of all lodgepole forest will ultimately be killed. Drought conditions combined with dramatically reduced foliar moisture content due to stress or mortality from Mountain Pine Beetle have combined to elevate the probability of large fires throughout the Colorado River headwaters. Large numbers of homes in the wildland-urban interface, an extensive water supply infrastructure, and a local economy driven largely by recreational tourism make the potential costs associated with such a fire very large. Any assessment of fire risk for strategic planning of pre-fire management actions must consider these and a host of other important socioeconomic benefits derived from the Rocky Mountain Lodgepole Pine Forest ecosystem. This paper presents a plan to focus U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) multidisciplinary fire/beetle-related research in the Colorado River headwaters within a framework that integrates a wide variety of discipline-specific research to assess and value the full range of ecosystem services provided by the Rocky Mountain Lodgepole Pine Forest ecosystem. Baseline, unburned conditions will be compared with a hypothetical, fully burned scenario to (a) identify where services would be most severely impacted, and (b) quantify potential economic losses. Collaboration with the U.S. Forest Service will further yield a distributed model of fire probability that can be used in combination with the ecosystem service valuation to develop comprehensive, distributed maps of fire risk in the Upper Colorado River Basin. These maps will be intended for use by stakeholders as a strategic planning tool for pre-fire management activities and can be updated and improved adaptively on an annual basis as tree mortality, climatic conditions, and management actions unfold. 

  9. Operationalizing land cover/land use data products to support decision making in the forestry sector of Hindu Kush Himalaya region

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Qamer, F. M.; Gilani, H.; Uddin, K.; Pradhan, S.; Murthy, M.; Bajracharya, B.

    2014-12-01

    The Himalayan mountain ecosystem is under severe stress due to population pressure and overexploitation, which is now being further compounded by climate change. Particularly the Himalayan mountain forests has been degrading since the 1850s, in the early years of British administration. Consistent country-wide and local level data are needed to show the patterns and processes of degradation as a basis for developing management strategies to halt degradation and ensure long-term sustainability. Realizing the need for developing consistent national and regional databases in the Hindu Kush-Himalayan region, with adequate spatial and temporal resolutions to be used by resource managers for informed decision making, time series land cover maps were developed for 1990, 2000, and 2010 based on the Landsat images. Considering forest sector as a primary user, a special attention was given to forest cover interpretation and relevant professional from national forestry institutions of Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal and Pakistan were closely engaged in developing standardized data products. With the use of consistent datasets and interpretation methods, this study provides first systematic assessment on forest cover distribution and change patterns during last two decades in these countries. At the same time, the results compiled at sub-district administrative unit, may facilitate institutions in developing appropriate forest conservation strategies, ecosystem vulnerability assessment and ecosystem services valuation at local level. To promote such usages, national forestry institutions are being closely engaged in a number of capacity building activities at national and regional level. In context of Reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD) initiatives, these datasets are also being evaluated to be considered as baseline for deforestation and degradation rates in the respective countries. To promote easy and open access, a web system was developed which provides functions to understand land cover dynamics in relations to country's ecological distribution and administrative structure.

  10. Earth observation taken by the Expedition 29 crew

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2011-09-17

    ISS029-E-008032 (17 Sept. 2011) --- Fires along the Rio Xingu, Brazil are featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 29 crew member on the International Space Station. The rain forest of South America, also known as ?Amazonia??the largest such forest on Earth?has been undergoing a continual and accelerated land use conversion process into farmlands (including pasture for livestock) since the early 1960s. This process has typically been achieved by clearing of the forest using fire ? ?slash and burn? ? followed by planting of crops. The generally infertile soils of the region make sustainable farming difficult; this drives more forest conversion into new farmland. The area of clearing can be considerable, and as the deforested regions are easily identifiable and measurable from space the rate of deforestation is likewise easy to track. This detailed photograph illustrates slash-and-burn forest clearing along the Xingu River (Rio) in the northeast of the state of Matto Grasso, Brazil. The perspective of this image allows for a striking visualization of both the horizontal position and extent of the fire lines next to the river, as well as providing a sense of the vertical structure of the smoke plumes due to the viewing angle and shadowing. Light colored areas within the river channel are sand bars, which show that the river is in its annual low-flow/ low water stage. For a sense of scale, the Xingu River channel within the view is approximately 63 kilometers long. Rivers in Amazonia are its natural highways, which may explain why the burning is occurring right next to the Xingu River, one of Amazonia?s largest. In recent years, preservation has gained traction in the region as a result of such considerations as new valuation of the ecosystem services provided by the forest, concerns about the impact of widespread burning on global climate change, and greater sensitivity to the ethnic and biological heritage of Amazonia.

  11. 76 FR 30881 - Federal and Indian Coal Valuation

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-05-27

    ... No. ONRR-2011-0004] RIN 1012-AA00 Federal and Indian Coal Valuation AGENCY: Office of Natural... interested public before proposing changes to the existing regulations governing the valuation of coal produced from Federal and Indian leases, for royalty purposes. The existing Federal and Indian coal...

  12. Attribute-Based Methods

    Treesearch

    Thomas P. Holmes; Wiktor L. Adamowicz

    2003-01-01

    Stated preference methods of environmental valuation have been used by economists for decades where behavioral data have limitations. The contingent valuation method (Chapter 5) is the oldest stated preference approach, and hundreds of contingent valuation studies have been conducted. More recently, and especially over the last decade, a class of stated preference...

  13. 26 CFR 1.475(a)-4 - Valuation safe harbor.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ...(a)-4 Internal Revenue INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY (CONTINUED) INCOME TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES Inventories § 1.475(a)-4 Valuation safe harbor. (a) Overview—(1) Purpose. This... portions of the payments have been recognized for tax purposes before the valuation and appropriate...

  14. Actuarial Valuation.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Teachers Retirement System of Louisiana, Baton Rouge.

    This report presents the results of the actuarial valuation of assets and liabilities as well as funding requirements for the Teachers Retirement System of Louisiana as of June 30, 1996. Data reported include current funding, actuarial assets and valuation assets. These include the Louisiana State University Agriculture and Extension Service Fund,…

  15. 30 CFR 1206.257 - Valuation standards for ad valorem leases.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... NATURAL RESOURCES REVENUE PRODUCT VALUATION Federal Coal § 1206.257 Valuation standards for ad valorem leases. (a) This section is applicable to coal leases on Federal lands which provide for the... is inconsistent with the requirements of these regulations. (2) Any Federal lessee will make...

  16. 30 CFR 1206.257 - Valuation standards for ad valorem leases.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... NATURAL RESOURCES REVENUE PRODUCT VALUATION Federal Coal § 1206.257 Valuation standards for ad valorem leases. (a) This section is applicable to coal leases on Federal lands which provide for the... is inconsistent with the requirements of these regulations. (2) Any Federal lessee will make...

  17. 30 CFR 1206.257 - Valuation standards for ad valorem leases.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... NATURAL RESOURCES REVENUE PRODUCT VALUATION Federal Coal § 1206.257 Valuation standards for ad valorem leases. (a) This section is applicable to coal leases on Federal lands which provide for the... is inconsistent with the requirements of these regulations. (2) Any Federal lessee will make...

  18. How-To-Do-It: Measuring Vegetation Biomass and Production.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Collins, Don; Weaver, T.

    1988-01-01

    Describes a lab exercise used to demonstrate the measurement of biomass in a three layered forest. Discusses sampling, estimation methods, and the analysis of results. Presents an example of a summary sheet for this activity. (CW)

  19. Economic Valuation of Air Force Environmental Resources: A Contingent Valuation Case Study.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1996-12-01

    Empirical Measures of Welfare Change: A Comparison of Non-market Techniques," Land Economics: 156-175 (Vol. 61, No. 2, 1985). Sen , Amartya K...shackles of the traditional [observed] approach" ( Sen , 1977). The flexibility of a properly designed contingent valuation study allows CVM to measure

  20. 19 CFR 10.18 - Valuation of assembled articles.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 19 Customs Duties 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Valuation of assembled articles. 10.18 Section 10... THE TREASURY ARTICLES CONDITIONALLY FREE, SUBJECT TO A REDUCED RATE, ETC. General Provisions Articles Assembled Abroad with United States Components § 10.18 Valuation of assembled articles. As in the case of...

  1. 19 CFR 10.18 - Valuation of assembled articles.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... 19 Customs Duties 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Valuation of assembled articles. 10.18 Section 10... THE TREASURY ARTICLES CONDITIONALLY FREE, SUBJECT TO A REDUCED RATE, ETC. General Provisions Articles Assembled Abroad with United States Components § 10.18 Valuation of assembled articles. As in the case of...

  2. 19 CFR 10.18 - Valuation of assembled articles.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... 19 Customs Duties 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Valuation of assembled articles. 10.18 Section 10... THE TREASURY ARTICLES CONDITIONALLY FREE, SUBJECT TO A REDUCED RATE, ETC. General Provisions Articles Assembled Abroad with United States Components § 10.18 Valuation of assembled articles. As in the case of...

  3. 19 CFR 10.18 - Valuation of assembled articles.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 19 Customs Duties 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Valuation of assembled articles. 10.18 Section 10... THE TREASURY ARTICLES CONDITIONALLY FREE, SUBJECT TO A REDUCED RATE, ETC. General Provisions Articles Assembled Abroad with United States Components § 10.18 Valuation of assembled articles. As in the case of...

  4. 19 CFR 10.18 - Valuation of assembled articles.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... 19 Customs Duties 1 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Valuation of assembled articles. 10.18 Section 10... THE TREASURY ARTICLES CONDITIONALLY FREE, SUBJECT TO A REDUCED RATE, ETC. General Provisions Articles Assembled Abroad with United States Components § 10.18 Valuation of assembled articles. As in the case of...

  5. 78 FR 25008 - Indian Oil Valuation Negotiated Rulemaking Committee; Meeting

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-04-29

    ...; DS63610300 DR2PS0000.CH7000 134D0102R2] 30 CFR Part 1206 Indian Oil Valuation Negotiated Rulemaking Committee... Natural Resources Revenue (ONRR) announces additional meetings for the Indian Oil Valuation Negotiated Rulemaking Committee (Committee). The Committee membership includes representatives from Indian tribes...

  6. 48 CFR 31.205-52 - Asset valuations resulting from business combinations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 1 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Asset valuations resulting from business combinations. 31.205-52 Section 31.205-52 Federal Acquisition Regulations System FEDERAL... Commercial Organizations 31.205-52 Asset valuations resulting from business combinations. (a) For tangible...

  7. 48 CFR 31.205-52 - Asset valuations resulting from business combinations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 1 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Asset valuations resulting from business combinations. 31.205-52 Section 31.205-52 Federal Acquisition Regulations System FEDERAL... Commercial Organizations 31.205-52 Asset valuations resulting from business combinations. (a) For tangible...

  8. 48 CFR 31.205-52 - Asset valuations resulting from business combinations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 1 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Asset valuations resulting from business combinations. 31.205-52 Section 31.205-52 Federal Acquisition Regulations System FEDERAL... Commercial Organizations 31.205-52 Asset valuations resulting from business combinations. (a) For tangible...

  9. 48 CFR 31.205-52 - Asset valuations resulting from business combinations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 1 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Asset valuations resulting from business combinations. 31.205-52 Section 31.205-52 Federal Acquisition Regulations System FEDERAL... Commercial Organizations 31.205-52 Asset valuations resulting from business combinations. (a) For tangible...

  10. 48 CFR 31.205-52 - Asset valuations resulting from business combinations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Asset valuations resulting from business combinations. 31.205-52 Section 31.205-52 Federal Acquisition Regulations System FEDERAL... Commercial Organizations 31.205-52 Asset valuations resulting from business combinations. (a) For tangible...

  11. 12 CFR 226.42 - Valuation independence.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... valuation from consideration for future engagement because the person reports a value for the consumer's..., in the property or transaction for which the valuation is or will be performed. (ii) Employees and... violates paragraph (d)(1)(i) of this section based solely on the fact that the person— (A) Is an employee...

  12. Workshop: Improving the Assessment and Valuation of Climate Change Impacts for Policy and Regulatory Analysis: Modeling Climate Change Impacts and Associated Economic Damages (2010 - part 1)

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    The purpose of this workshop Improving the Assessment and Valuation of Climate Change Impacts for Policy and Regulatory Analysis. focused on conceptual and methodological issues - integrated assessment modeling and valuation.

  13. 30 CFR 206.153 - Valuation standards-processed gas.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ..., prices received in spot sales of residue gas or gas plant products, other reliable public sources of... MANAGEMENT PRODUCT VALUATION Federal Gas § 206.153 Valuation standards—processed gas. (a)(1) This section... to this section shall be the combined value of the residue gas and all gas plant products determined...

  14. IMPROVED VALUATION OF ECOLOGICAL BENEFITS ASSOCIATED WITH AQUATIC LIVING RESOURCES: DEVELOPMENT AND TESTING OF INDICATOR-BASED STATED PREFERENCE VALUATION AND TRANSFER

    EPA Science Inventory

    In addition to development and systematic qualitative/quantitative testing of indicator-based valuation for aquatic living resources, the proposed work will improve interdisciplinary mechanisms to model and communicate aquatic ecosystem change within SP valuation—an area...

  15. 18 CFR 4.10 - Valuation data.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Valuation data. 4.10 Section 4.10 Conservation of Power and Water Resources FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION, DEPARTMENT OF... Valuation data. (a) Notification of Commission. In every case arising under section 23(a) of the Federal...

  16. 18 CFR 4.10 - Valuation data.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Valuation data. 4.10 Section 4.10 Conservation of Power and Water Resources FEDERAL ENERGY REGULATORY COMMISSION, DEPARTMENT OF... Valuation data. (a) Notification of Commission. In every case arising under section 23(a) of the Federal...

  17. 7 CFR 4290.650 - Requirement to report portfolio valuations to the Secretary

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 15 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Requirement to report portfolio valuations to the Secretary 4290.650 Section 4290.650 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued... Reporting Requirements for Rbics § 4290.650 Requirement to report portfolio valuations to the Secretary You...

  18. 10 myths of healthcare business valuation.

    PubMed

    Robeson, J David; Kaplan, Karin Chernoff

    2008-10-01

    *Acceptance of common myths regarding business valuations can undermine a hospital's efforts to successfully negotiate deals with physicians. *Hospitals need to clearly understand the nature of fair market value (FMV), the use of multiples, the "guideline company technique," whether the FMV can be based on acute care revenue stream, the physician compensation model used in the valuation, and the applicability of the physician's historical production level. *Other matters that warrant careful consideration include whether to tax effect, whether to pay for goodwill, and whether obsolescence can be accounted for in the valuation.

  19. Measuring the value of healthcare business assets.

    PubMed

    Evans, C J

    2000-04-01

    Healthcare organizations obtain valuations of business assets for many reasons, including to support decisions regarding potential mergers, sale of business components, or financing; for tax assessments; and for defense against law-suits. If compliance with regulations may be an issue, such as when a not-for-profit organization is involved in a transaction, healthcare organizations should seek an independent appraisal to ensure that applicable legal standards are met. Whether or not regulatory issues are involved, however, an accurate and useful valuation of business assets depends on many factors. Financial managers must understand the purpose and function of the valuation, choice of appropriate valuation techniques, proper assessment of intangible value, use of realistic growth rates, appropriate emphasis on key focus areas of the valuation (e.g., risk and future income streams), and an accounting of physician compensation.

  20. Societal and economic valuation of technology-transfer deals

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Holmes, Joseph S., Jr.

    2009-09-01

    The industrial adoption of concepts such as open innovation brings new legitimacy to activities technology-transfer professionals have conducted for over 20 years. This movement highlights the need for an increased understanding of the valuation of intellectual property (IP) and technology-transfer deals. Valuation, though a centerpiece of corporate finance, is more challenging when applied to the inherent uncertainty surrounding innovation. Technology-transfer professionals are often overwhelmed by the complexity and data requirements of valuation techniques and skeptical of their applicability to and utility for technology transfer. The market longs for an approach which bridges the gap between valuation fundamentals and technology-transfer realities. This paper presents the foundations of a simple, flexible, precise/accurate, and useful framework for considering the valuation of technology-transfer deals. The approach is predicated on a 12-factor model—a 3×4 value matrix predicated on categories of economic, societal, and strategic value. Each of these three categories consists of three core subcategories followed by a fourth "other" category to facilitate inevitable special considerations. This 12-factor value matrix provides a framework for harvesting data during deals and for the application of best-of-breed valuation techniques which can be employed on a per-factor basis. Future work will include framework implementation within a database platform.

  1. Analysis of the uncertainty in the monetary valuation of ecosystem services--A case study at the river basin scale.

    PubMed

    Boithias, Laurie; Terrado, Marta; Corominas, Lluís; Ziv, Guy; Kumar, Vikas; Marqués, Montse; Schuhmacher, Marta; Acuña, Vicenç

    2016-02-01

    Ecosystem services provide multiple benefits to human wellbeing and are increasingly considered by policy-makers in environmental management. However, the uncertainty related with the monetary valuation of these benefits is not yet adequately defined or integrated by policy-makers. Given this background, our aim was to quantify different sources of uncertainty when performing monetary valuation of ecosystem services, in order to provide a series of guidelines to reduce them. With an example of 4 ecosystem services (i.e., water provisioning, waste treatment, erosion protection, and habitat for species) provided at the river basin scale, we quantified the uncertainty associated with the following sources: (1) the number of services considered, (2) the number of benefits considered for each service, (3) the valuation metrics (i.e. valuation methods) used to value benefits, and (4) the uncertainty of the parameters included in the valuation metrics. Results indicate that the highest uncertainty was caused by the number of services considered, as well as by the number of benefits considered for each service, whereas the parametric uncertainty was similar to the one related to the selection of valuation metric, thus suggesting that the parametric uncertainty, which is the only uncertainty type commonly considered, was less critical than the structural uncertainty, which is in turn mainly dependent on the decision-making context. Given the uncertainty associated to the valuation structure, special attention should be given to the selection of services, benefits and metrics according to a given context. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. 26 CFR 20.2013-4 - Valuation of property transferred.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 26 Internal Revenue 14 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Valuation of property transferred. 20.2013-4 Section 20.2013-4 Internal Revenue INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY (CONTINUED) ESTATE....2013-4 Valuation of property transferred. (a) For purposes of section 2013 and §§ 20.2013-1 to 20.2013...

  3. 26 CFR 20.2013-4 - Valuation of property transferred.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 26 Internal Revenue 14 2011-04-01 2010-04-01 true Valuation of property transferred. 20.2013-4 Section 20.2013-4 Internal Revenue INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY (CONTINUED) ESTATE....2013-4 Valuation of property transferred. (a) For purposes of section 2013 and §§ 20.2013-1 to 20.2013...

  4. 29 CFR 4281.16 - Benefit valuation methods-plans closing out.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ..., as determined under this subpart. (b) Valuation rule. The present value of nonforfeitable benefits... 4281(b) of ERISA, the plan sponsor shall value the plan's benefits in accordance with paragraph (b) of... 29 Labor 9 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Benefit valuation methods-plans closing out. 4281.16...

  5. 13 CFR 108.503 - NMVC Company's adoption of an approved valuation policy.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... following the close of the quarter. (e) Review of valuations by independent public accountant. (1) For valuations performed as of the end of your fiscal year, your independent public accountant must review your... independent public accountant's report on your audited annual financial statements (SBA Form 468) must include...

  6. Not an Inexhaustible Resource: Valuation and Depreciation of Library Collections in the Queensland Department of Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cram, Jennifer

    1997-01-01

    Anecdotal evidence suggests that valuation of library collections is not being addressed by library managers, despite the growing popularity of accrual accounting in publicly funded institutions. This article discusses the implications of asset valuation and describes the development and implementation a method for valuing the library collections…

  7. 78 FR 45003 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; NYSE Arca, Inc.; Notice of Filing of Proposed Rule Change To List...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-07-25

    ... securities. Corporate debt securities are fixed-income securities issued by businesses to finance their... fundamental factors such as sales, earnings and cash flow growth; valuation factors such as price/earnings... fundamentals, valuation and technical factors, the security's relative valuation and other qualitative factors...

  8. 29 CFR 4044.71 - Valuation of annuity benefits.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 29 Labor 9 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Valuation of annuity benefits. 4044.71 Section 4044.71... Valuation of annuity benefits. The value of a benefit which is to be paid as an annuity is the cost of purchasing the annuity on the date of distribution from an insurer under the qualifying bid. ...

  9. Modeling Valuations from Experience: A Comment on Ashby and Rakow (2014)

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wulff, Dirk U.; Pachur, Thorsten

    2016-01-01

    What are the cognitive mechanisms underlying subjective valuations formed on the basis of sequential experiences of an option's possible outcomes? Ashby and Rakow (2014) have proposed a sliding window model (SWIM), according to which people's valuations represent the average of a limited sample of recent experiences (the size of which is estimated…

  10. Bond Valuation for Colleges and Universities.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    National Association of College and University Business Officers, Washington, DC.

    Bond valuation is examined to provide college administrators a more thorough understanding of the process to help them in developing their market values, or to help them in moving to a market valuation on bond holdings. Two methods presently used to value bonds, a matrix system and a trader quotation method, are described. An overview of bond…

  11. 26 CFR 25.2512-4 - Valuation of notes.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 26 Internal Revenue 14 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Valuation of notes. 25.2512-4 Section 25.2512-4... GIFT TAX; GIFTS MADE AFTER DECEMBER 31, 1954 Transfers § 25.2512-4 Valuation of notes. The fair market... the property, if any, pledged or mortgaged as security is insufficient to satisfy it. ...

  12. The Valuation of Non-Monetary Consumption in Household Surveys

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Muller, Christophe

    2005-01-01

    Many social indicators are based on household consumption information. The valuation of non-monetary operations is crucial for the analysis of consumption surveys in developing countries because of the importance of own-consumption and transfers in kind. What are the price statistics used in the valuation of consumption indicators? How is the…

  13. 17 CFR 270.2a-2 - Effect of eliminations upon valuation of portfolio securities.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... valuation of portfolio securities. 270.2a-2 Section 270.2a-2 Commodity and Securities Exchanges SECURITIES... Effect of eliminations upon valuation of portfolio securities. During any fiscal quarter in which elimination of securities from the portfolio of an investment company occur, the securities remaining in the...

  14. 13 CFR 107.650 - Requirement to report portfolio valuations to SBA.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 13 Business Credit and Assistance 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Requirement to report portfolio valuations to SBA. 107.650 Section 107.650 Business Credit and Assistance SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION SMALL... Reporting Requirements for Licensees § 107.650 Requirement to report portfolio valuations to SBA. You must...

  15. Moral valuation: a third domain of conscience functioning.

    PubMed

    Stilwell, B M; Galvin, M; Kopta, S M; Padgett, R J

    1996-02-01

    To assess development of moral valuation in normal children and adolescents, that is, how moral rules for living are derived and justified, and to examine the relationship of this progression with previously identified stages of conceptualization of conscience. Using three semistructured questions from the Stilwell Conscience Interview, 132 normal volunteers between the ages of 5 and 17 years were assessed. All moral valuation responses were examined within three aspects of social reference: authority-derived, self-derived, and peer-derived. Each aspect was scaled for complexity into six anchored levels. The levels of all three aspects correlated positively with conceptualization stages as well as with each other. When the covariate, age, was taken into consideration, peer-derived valuation was significantly correlated with both age and stage. Moral valuation is a domain of conscience functioning in which moral rules and their justifications are socially referenced in relationship to authority, self, and peers. Anchored levels of these three aspects of moral valuation provide developmental guidelines for mental status examinations in patients between 5 and 17 years of age as well as providing criteria for future comparative studies in various diagnostic categories of psychopathology.

  16. Council tax valuation band of patient residence and clinical contacts in a general practice

    PubMed Central

    Beale, Norman; Taylor, Gordon; Straker-Cook, Dawn; Peart, Carole; Gwynne, Mark

    2005-01-01

    Background There is a dearth of data relating UK general practice workload to personal and social markers of individual patients. Aim To test whether there is a significant association between general practice patient contact rates and the council tax valuation band of their residential address. Design of study Cross-sectional analyses using data recorded, over 1 year, for over 3300 general practice patients. Setting One medium-sized group practice in an industrialised English market town. Method Face-to-face contacts between the patients and the doctors and nurses in the practice were compared by patient age, sex, registration period, distance from surgery, Underprivileged Area 8 (UPA8) score, and council tax valuation band. Results Patient sex, age, recent registration, distance from surgery, and council tax valuation band were each significantly associated with face-to-face contact rate in univariate analyses. UPA8 score was not significantly associated with contact rates. On multivariate testing, sex, age, recent registration, and council tax valuation band remained significantly associated with contact rates. The last is a new finding. Conclusion Council tax valuation bands predict contact rate in general practice; the lower the band, the higher the contact rate. Council tax valuation band could be a useful marker of workload that is linked to socioeconomic status. This is a pilot study and multipractice research is advocated. PMID:15667763

  17. Whole-island carbon stocks in the tropical Pacific: implications for mangrove conservation and upland restoration.

    PubMed

    Donato, D C; Kauffman, J B; Mackenzie, R A; Ainsworth, A; Pfleeger, A Z

    2012-04-30

    Management of forest carbon (C) stocks is an increasingly prominent land-use issue. Knowledge of carbon storage in tropical forests is improving, but regional variations are still poorly understood, and this constrains forest management and conservation efforts associated with carbon valuation mechanisms (e.g., carbon markets). This deficiency is especially pronounced in tropical islands and low-lying coastal areas where climate change impacts are expected to be among the most severe. This study presents the first field estimate of island-wide carbon storage in ecosystems of Oceania, with special attention to the regional role of coastal mangroves, which occur on islands and coastal zones throughout the tropics. On two island groups of Micronesia (Yap and Palau), we sampled all above- and belowground C pools, including soil and vegetation, in 24 sites distributed evenly among the three major vegetation structural types: mangroves, upland forests, and open savannas (generally on degraded lands formerly forested). Total C stocks were estimated to be 3.9 and 15.2 Tg C on Yap and Palau, respectively. Mangroves contained by far the largest per-hectare C pools (830-1218 Mg C ha(-1)), with deep organic-rich soils alone storing more C (631-754 Mg C ha(-1)) than all pools combined in upland systems. Despite covering just 12-13% of land area, mangroves accounted for 24-34% of total island C stocks. Savannas (156-203 Mg C ha(-1)) contained significantly lower C stocks than upland forests (375-437 Mg C ha(-1)), suggesting that reforesting savannas where appropriate has high potential for carbon-based funding to aid restoration objectives. For mangroves, these results demonstrate the key role of these systems within the broader context of C storage in island and coastal landscapes. Sustainable management of mangrove forests and their large C stocks is of high importance at the regional scale, and climate change mitigation programs such as REDD+ could play a large role in avoiding deforestation of mangroves where this is a management objective. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. 30 CFR 210.154 - What documents or other information must I submit for Federal oil valuation purposes?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... and Reports-Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources § 210.154 What documents or other information must I submit for Federal oil valuation purposes? (a) General. The MMS may require you to submit documents or... submit for Federal oil valuation purposes? 210.154 Section 210.154 Mineral Resources MINERALS MANAGEMENT...

  19. Moving beyond the exchange value in the nonmarket valuation of ecosystem services

    Treesearch

    Karen E. Allen; Rebecca Moore

    2016-01-01

    There has been much discussion across the ecosystem services literature as to the role of economic valuation in identifying ecosystem service values and shaping policy. This article demonstrates a non-typical use of a nonmarket valuation technique known as the stated choice experiment (CE) for understanding a range of public preferences for stream-related...

  20. 26 CFR 301.7517-1 - Furnishing on request of statement explaining estate or gift valuation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... estate or gift valuation. 301.7517-1 Section 301.7517-1 Internal Revenue INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE... estate or gift valuation. (a) In general. Section 7517 requires the Service to furnish to a taxpayer, at the request of that taxpayer, a statement explaining the estate, gift or generation-skipping transfer...

  1. 77 FR 30040 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; New York Stock Exchange LLC; Notice of Filing and Immediate...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-05-21

    ... proposes to amend, the Domestic Earnings Test and the Domestic Valuation/Revenue with Cash Flow Test. In... amend, the International Earnings Test and the International Valuation/Revenue with Cash Flow Test.\\7... Domestic Valuation/Revenue with Cash Flow Test, the applicant must have (1) At least $500 million in global...

  2. Application of Real Options Theory to DoD Software Acquisitions

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2009-08-01

    words.) The traditional real options valuation methodology, when enhanced and properly formulated around a proposed or existing software investment...Std 239-18 - ii - THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK - iii - Abstract The traditional real options valuation ...founder and CEO of Real Options Valuation , Inc., a consulting, training, and software development firm specializing in strategic real options

  3. Application of Real Options Theory to DoD Software Acquisitions

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2009-02-20

    Future Combat Systems Program. Washington, DC. U.S. Government Printing Office. Damodaran , A. (2007). Investment Valuation : The Options To Expand... valuation methodology, when enhanced and properly formulated around a proposed or existing software investment employing the spiral development approach...THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK iii ABSTRACT The traditional real options valuation methodology, when enhanced and properly formulated

  4. 26 CFR 1.412(c)(2)-1 - Valuation of plan assets; reasonable actuarial valuation methods.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... computed by— (i) Determining the fair market value of plan assets at least annually, (ii) Adding the...) In determining the adjusted value of plan assets for a prior valuation date, there is added to the... market value, amounts are subtracted from this account and added, to the extent necessary, to raise the...

  5. 26 CFR 20.2031-4 - Valuation of notes.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 26 Internal Revenue 14 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Valuation of notes. 20.2031-4 Section 20.2031-4... ESTATE TAX; ESTATES OF DECEDENTS DYING AFTER AUGUST 16, 1954 Gross Estate § 20.2031-4 Valuation of notes... of the party or parties liable, or for other cause), and that any property pledged or mortgaged as...

  6. Oak woodland economics: a contingent valuation of conversion alternatives

    Treesearch

    Richard P. Thompson; Jay E. Noel; Sarah P. Cross

    2002-01-01

    Decisions on how much land should be devoted to oak woodland preservation is ultimately determined by society's valuation of its benefits and relative scarcity. Scarcity value can be measured by people's willingness-to-pay (WTP) to prevent oak woodland conversion to higher value land uses. In this study, we used the contingent valuation (CV) method to...

  7. Value Assessment of Ecosystem Services in Nature Reserves in Ningxia, China: A Response to Ecological Restoration

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Yan; Gao, Jixi; Wang, Jinsheng; Qiu, Jie

    2014-01-01

    Changes in land use can cause significant changes in the ecosystem structure and process variation of ecosystem services. This study presents a detailed spatial, quantitative assessment of the variation in the value of ecosystem services based on land use change in national nature reserves of the Ningxia autonomous region in China. We used areas of land use types calculated from the remote sensing data and the adjusted value coefficients to assess the value of ecosystem services for the years 2000, 2005, and 2010, analyzing the fluctuations in the valuation of ecosystem services in response to land use change. With increases in the areas of forest land and water bodies, the value of ecosystem services increased from 182.3×107 to 223.8×107 US$ during 2000–2010. Grassland and forest land accounted for 90% of this increase. The values of all ecosystem services increased during this period, especially the value of ecosystem services for biodiversity protection and soil formation and protection. Ecological restoration in the reserves had a positive effect on the value of ecosystem services during 2000–2010. PMID:24586571

  8. Hot Chili Peppers: Extraction, Cleanup, and Measurement of Capsaicin

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Huang, Jiping; Mabury, Scott A.; Sagebiel, John C.

    2000-12-01

    Capsaicin, the pungent ingredient of the red pepper or Capsicum annuum, is widely used in food preparation. The purpose of this experiment was to acquaint students with the active ingredients of hot chili pepper (capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin), the extraction, cleanup, and analysis of these chemicals, as a fun and informative analytical exercise. Fresh peppers were prepared and extracted with acetonitrile, removing plant co-extractives by addition to a C-18 solid-phase extraction cartridge. Elution of the capsaicinoids was accomplished with a methanol-acetic acid solution. Analysis was completed by reverse-phase HPLC with diode-array or variable wavelength detection and calibration with external standards. Levels of capsaicin and dihydrocapsaicin were typically found to correlate with literature values for a specific hot pepper variety. Students particularly enjoyed relating concentrations of capsaicinoids to their perceived valuation of "hotness".

  9. Media, cultural diversity and globalization: challenges and opportunities.

    PubMed

    Zayani, Mohamed

    2011-01-01

    This paper explores the role media play in safeguarding cultural diversity, promoting cultural dialogue, facilitating the exercise of cultural rights,fostering cultural understanding and cultivating intercultural citizenship in the age of globalization. The paper highlights several interconnected leverage points: media content, practices, processes, ownership, education, structures, and policies. It argues that fostering cultural diversity in and through the media can go a long way toward bringing a civic discourse which favors tolerance and facilitates co-existence. It can contribute to the breaking down of cultural barriers, the initiation of cultural dialogues, the empowerment of marginalized groups, and the practice of good governance. At the same time, this paper argues, the celebration of difference does not preclude the valuation of a common cultural core or a common humanity which brings people together in spite of their differences.

  10. Comparing EQ-5D valuation studies: a systematic review and methodological reporting checklist.

    PubMed

    Xie, Feng; Gaebel, Kathryn; Perampaladas, Kuhan; Doble, Brett; Pullenayegum, Eleanor

    2014-01-01

    There has been a growing interest around the world in developing country-specific scoring algorithms for the EQ-5D. This study systematically reviews all existing EQ-5D valuation studies to highlight their strengths and limitations, explores heterogeneity in observed utilities using meta-regression, and proposes a methodological checklist for reporting EQ-5D valuation studies. . We searched Medline, EMBASE, the National Health Service Economic Evaluation Database (NHS EED) via Wiley's Cochrane Library, and Wiley's Health Economic Evaluation Database from inception through November 2012, as well as bibliographies of key papers and the EuroQol Plenary Meeting Proceedings from 1991 to 2012 for English-language reports of EQ-5D valuation studies. Two reviewers independently screened the titles and abstracts for relevance. Three reviewers performed data extraction and compared the characteristics and scoring algorithms developed in the included valuation studies. . Of the 31 studies included in the review, 19 used the time trade-off (TTO) technique, 10 used the visual analogue scale (VAS) technique, and 2 used both TTO and VAS. Most studies included respondents from the general population selected by random or quota sampling and used face-to-face interviews or postal surveys. Studies valued between 7 and 198 total states, with 1-23 states valued per respondent. Different model specifications have been proposed for scoring. Some sample or demographic factors, including gender, education, percentage urban population, and national health care expenditure, were associated with differences in observed utilities for moderate or severe health states. . EQ-5D valuation studies conducted to date have varied widely in their design and in the resulting scoring algorithms. Therefore, we propose the Checklist for Reporting Valuation Studies of the EQ-5D (CREATE) for those conducting valuation studies.

  11. Neuroscience and approach/avoidance personality traits: a two stage (valuation-motivation) approach.

    PubMed

    Corr, Philip J; McNaughton, Neil

    2012-11-01

    Many personality theories link specific traits to the sensitivities of the neural systems that control approach and avoidance. But there is no consensus on the nature of these systems. Here we combine recent advances in economics and neuroscience to provide a more solid foundation for a neuroscience of approach/avoidance personality. We propose a two-stage integration of valuation (loss/gain) sensitivities with motivational (approach/avoidance/conflict) sensitivities. Our key conclusions are: (1) that valuation of appetitive and aversive events (e.g. gain and loss as studied by behavioural economists) is an independent perceptual input stage--with the economic phenomenon of loss aversion resulting from greater negative valuation sensitivity compared to positive valuation sensitivity; (2) that valuation of an appetitive stimulus then interacts with a contingency of presentation or omission to generate a motivational 'attractor' or 'repulsor', respectively (vice versa for an aversive stimulus); (3) the resultant behavioural tendencies to approach or avoid have distinct sensitivities to those of the valuation systems; (4) while attractors and repulsors can reinforce new responses they also, more usually, elicit innate or previously conditioned responses and so the perception/valuation-motivation/action complex is best characterised as acting as a 'reinforcer' not a 'reinforcement'; and (5) approach-avoidance conflict must be viewed as activating a third motivation system that is distinct from the basic approach and avoidance systems. We provide examples of methods of assessing each of the constructs within approach-avoidance theories and of linking these constructs to personality measures. We sketch a preliminary five-element reinforcer sensitivity theory (RST-5) as a first step in the integration of existing specific approach-avoidance theories into a coherent neuroscience of personality. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Knowledge and valuation of Andean agroforestry species: the role of sex, age, and migration among members of a rural community in Bolivia.

    PubMed

    Brandt, Regine; Mathez-Stiefel, Sarah-Lan; Lachmuth, Susanne; Hensen, Isabell; Rist, Stephan

    2013-12-20

    Agroforestry is a sustainable land use method with a long tradition in the Bolivian Andes. A better understanding of people’s knowledge and valuation of woody species can help to adjust actor-oriented agroforestry systems. In this case study, carried out in a peasant community of the Bolivian Andes, we aimed at calculating the cultural importance of selected agroforestry species, and at analysing the intracultural variation in the cultural importance and knowledge of plants according to peasants’ sex, age, and migration. Data collection was based on semi-structured interviews and freelisting exercises. Two ethnobotanical indices (Composite Salience, Cultural Importance) were used for calculating the cultural importance of plants. Intracultural variation in the cultural importance and knowledge of plants was detected by using linear and generalised linear (mixed) models. The culturally most important woody species were mainly trees and exotic species (e.g.Schinus molle, Prosopis laevigata, Eucalyptus globulus). We found that knowledge and valuation of plants increased with age but that they were lower for migrants; sex, by contrast, played a minor role. The age effects possibly result from decreasing ecological apparency of valuable native species, and their substitution by exotic marketable trees,loss of traditional plant uses or the use of other materials (e.g. plastic) instead of wood. Decreasing dedication to traditional farming may have led to successive abandonment of traditional tool uses, and the overall transformation of woody plant use is possibly related to diminishing medicinal knowledge. Age and migration affect how people value woody species and what they know about their uses.For this reason, we recommend paying particular attention to the potential of native species, which could open promising perspectives especially for the young migrating peasant generation and draw their interest in agroforestry. These native species should be ecologically sound and selected on their potential to provide subsistence and promising commercial uses. In addition to offering socio-economic and environmental services,agroforestry initiatives using native trees and shrubs can play a crucial role in recovering elements of the lost ancient landscape that still forms part of local people’s collective identity.

  13. Spring cleaning: rural water impacts, valuation, and property rights institutions.

    PubMed

    Kremer, Michael; Leino, Jessica; Miguel, Edward; Zwane, Alix Peterson

    2011-01-01

    Using a randomized evaluation in Kenya, we measure health impacts of spring protection, an investment that improves source water quality. We also estimate households' valuation of spring protection and simulate the welfare impacts of alternatives to the current system of common property rights in water, which limits incentives for private investment. Spring infrastructure investments reduce fecal contamination by 66%, but household water quality improves less, due to recontamination. Child diarrhea falls by one quarter. Travel-cost based revealed preference estimates of households' valuations are much smaller than both stated preference valuations and health planners' valuations, and are consistent with models in which the demand for health is highly income elastic. We estimate that private property norms would generate little additional investment while imposing large static costs due to above-marginal-cost pricing, private property would function better at higher income levels or under water scarcity, and alternative institutions could yield Pareto improvements.

  14. Eliciting willingness to pay: comparing closed-ended with open-ended and payment scale formats.

    PubMed

    Frew, Emma J; Whynes, David K; Wolstenholme, Jane L

    2003-01-01

    Willingness to pay (WTP) is increasingly being used as a measure of valuation in health technology assessment. A variety of formats for eliciting values are available, although the relative virtues of each remain the subject of methodological controversy. This article compares valuation results obtained using a WTP survey instrument in a closed-ended format with those obtained from instruments using open-ended and payment scale formats. Samples of subjects were drawn from a general population, and all were asked to value the same intervention--alternative methods of screening for colorectal cancer. It was discovered that, whereas the open-ended and payment scale formats produced broadly similar valuations, the closed-ended format produced significantly higher WTP valuations and different justifications for those valuations. It is hypothesized that anchoring and yea-saying effects explain these differences and that the closed-ended format triggers a different response mode in subjects.

  15. Mere exposure and the endowment effect on consumer decision making.

    PubMed

    Tom, Gail; Nelson, Carolyn; Srzentic, Tamara; King, Ryan

    2007-03-01

    Previous researchers (e.g., J. A. Bargh, 1992, 2002) demonstrated the importance of nonconscious processes on consumer choice behavior. Using an advertisement, the authors determined the effect of two nonconscious processes--the mere exposure effect, which increases object preference by increasing consumer exposure to an object, and the endowment effect, which increases object valuation by providing consumer possession of an object--on consumer behavior. Although the mere exposure effect and endowment effect did not produce an interaction, they produced independent effects. The endowment effect increased object valuation but not object preference. The mere exposure effect increased object preference but not object valuation. Thus, at the unconscious level, an increase in object preference does not lead to an increase in object valuation, nor does an increase in object valuation lead to an increase in object preference. The authors discuss the importance of developing measures of unconscious process in advertising effectiveness.

  16. Forest Cover Estimation in Ireland Using Radar Remote Sensing: A Comparative Analysis of Forest Cover Assessment Methodologies.

    PubMed

    Devaney, John; Barrett, Brian; Barrett, Frank; Redmond, John; O Halloran, John

    2015-01-01

    Quantification of spatial and temporal changes in forest cover is an essential component of forest monitoring programs. Due to its cloud free capability, Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) is an ideal source of information on forest dynamics in countries with near-constant cloud-cover. However, few studies have investigated the use of SAR for forest cover estimation in landscapes with highly sparse and fragmented forest cover. In this study, the potential use of L-band SAR for forest cover estimation in two regions (Longford and Sligo) in Ireland is investigated and compared to forest cover estimates derived from three national (Forestry2010, Prime2, National Forest Inventory), one pan-European (Forest Map 2006) and one global forest cover (Global Forest Change) product. Two machine-learning approaches (Random Forests and Extremely Randomised Trees) are evaluated. Both Random Forests and Extremely Randomised Trees classification accuracies were high (98.1-98.5%), with differences between the two classifiers being minimal (<0.5%). Increasing levels of post classification filtering led to a decrease in estimated forest area and an increase in overall accuracy of SAR-derived forest cover maps. All forest cover products were evaluated using an independent validation dataset. For the Longford region, the highest overall accuracy was recorded with the Forestry2010 dataset (97.42%) whereas in Sligo, highest overall accuracy was obtained for the Prime2 dataset (97.43%), although accuracies of SAR-derived forest maps were comparable. Our findings indicate that spaceborne radar could aid inventories in regions with low levels of forest cover in fragmented landscapes. The reduced accuracies observed for the global and pan-continental forest cover maps in comparison to national and SAR-derived forest maps indicate that caution should be exercised when applying these datasets for national reporting.

  17. Forest Cover Estimation in Ireland Using Radar Remote Sensing: A Comparative Analysis of Forest Cover Assessment Methodologies

    PubMed Central

    Devaney, John; Barrett, Brian; Barrett, Frank; Redmond, John; O`Halloran, John

    2015-01-01

    Quantification of spatial and temporal changes in forest cover is an essential component of forest monitoring programs. Due to its cloud free capability, Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) is an ideal source of information on forest dynamics in countries with near-constant cloud-cover. However, few studies have investigated the use of SAR for forest cover estimation in landscapes with highly sparse and fragmented forest cover. In this study, the potential use of L-band SAR for forest cover estimation in two regions (Longford and Sligo) in Ireland is investigated and compared to forest cover estimates derived from three national (Forestry2010, Prime2, National Forest Inventory), one pan-European (Forest Map 2006) and one global forest cover (Global Forest Change) product. Two machine-learning approaches (Random Forests and Extremely Randomised Trees) are evaluated. Both Random Forests and Extremely Randomised Trees classification accuracies were high (98.1–98.5%), with differences between the two classifiers being minimal (<0.5%). Increasing levels of post classification filtering led to a decrease in estimated forest area and an increase in overall accuracy of SAR-derived forest cover maps. All forest cover products were evaluated using an independent validation dataset. For the Longford region, the highest overall accuracy was recorded with the Forestry2010 dataset (97.42%) whereas in Sligo, highest overall accuracy was obtained for the Prime2 dataset (97.43%), although accuracies of SAR-derived forest maps were comparable. Our findings indicate that spaceborne radar could aid inventories in regions with low levels of forest cover in fragmented landscapes. The reduced accuracies observed for the global and pan-continental forest cover maps in comparison to national and SAR-derived forest maps indicate that caution should be exercised when applying these datasets for national reporting. PMID:26262681

  18. Dynamic learning and context-dependence in sequential, attribute-based, stated-preference valuation questions

    Treesearch

    Thomas P. Holmes; Kevin J. Boyle

    2005-01-01

    A hybrid stated-preference model is presented that combines the referendum contingent valuation response format with an experimentally designed set of attributes. A sequence of valuation questions is asked to a random sample in a mailout mail-back format. Econometric analysis shows greater discrimination between alternatives in the final choice in the sequence, and the...

  19. 41 CFR 302-7.201 - Is temporary storage in excess of authorized limits and excess valuation of goods and services...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... excess of authorized limits and excess valuation of goods and services payable at Government expense? 302... Government expense? No, charges for excess weight, valuation above the minimum amount, and services obtained... HOUSEHOLD GOODS AND PROFESSIONAL BOOKS, PAPERS, AND EQUIPMENT (PBP&E) Actual Expense Method § 302-7.201 Is...

  20. 41 CFR 302-7.201 - Is temporary storage in excess of authorized limits and excess valuation of goods and services...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... excess of authorized limits and excess valuation of goods and services payable at Government expense? 302... Government expense? No, charges for excess weight, valuation above the minimum amount, and services obtained... HOUSEHOLD GOODS AND PROFESSIONAL BOOKS, PAPERS, AND EQUIPMENT (PBP&E) Actual Expense Method § 302-7.201 Is...

  1. A pseudo-sequential choice model for valuing multi-attribute environmental policies or programs in contingent valuation applications

    Treesearch

    Dmitriy Volinskiy; John C Bergstrom; Christopher M Cornwell; Thomas P Holmes

    2010-01-01

    The assumption of independence of irrelevant alternatives in a sequential contingent valuation format should be questioned. Statistically, most valuation studies treat nonindependence as a consequence of unobserved individual effects. Another approach is to consider an inferential process in which any particular choice is part of a general choosing strategy of a survey...

  2. 26 CFR 1.412(c)(2)-1 - Valuation of plan assets; reasonable actuarial valuation methods.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... valuation method must take into account fair market value by making use of the— (i) Fair market value... market value (under paragraph (c) of this section). (4) Defined benefit plans. (i) To satisfy the... changes in the fair market value of plan assets. The funding of plan benefits and the charges and credits...

  3. 26 CFR 1.412(c)(2)-1 - Valuation of plan assets; reasonable actuarial valuation methods.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... market value by making use of the— (i) Fair market value (determined under paragraph (c) of this section... requirements of section 412(c)(2)(A) solely on the basis of their fair market value (under paragraph (c) of... reasonble actuarial valuation methods designed to mitigate short-run changes in the fair market value of...

  4. 26 CFR 1.412(c)(2)-1 - Valuation of plan assets; reasonable actuarial valuation methods.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... valuation method must take into account fair market value by making use of the— (i) Fair market value... market value (under paragraph (c) of this section). (4) Defined benefit plans. (i) To satisfy the... changes in the fair market value of plan assets. The funding of plan benefits and the charges and credits...

  5. 26 CFR 1.412(c)(2)-1 - Valuation of plan assets; reasonable actuarial valuation methods.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... valuation method must take into account fair market value by making use of the— (i) Fair market value... market value (under paragraph (c) of this section). (4) Defined benefit plans. (i) To satisfy the... changes in the fair market value of plan assets. The funding of plan benefits and the charges and credits...

  6. Congruence or Discrepancy? Comparing Patients' Health Valuations and Physicians' Treatment Goals for Rehabilitation for Patients with Chronic Conditions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nagl, Michaela; Farin, Erik

    2012-01-01

    The aim of this study was to test the congruence of patients' health valuations and physicians' treatment goals for the rehabilitation of chronically ill patients. In addition, patient characteristics associated with greater or less congruence were to be determined. In a questionnaire study, patients' health valuations and physicians' goals were…

  7. 26 CFR 1.430(g)-1 - Valuation date and valuation of plan assets.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ...) Valuation date—(1) In general. The determination of the funding target, target normal cost, and value of...—(1) In general—(i) General use of fair market value. Except as otherwise provided in this paragraph (c), the value of plan assets for purposes of section 430 is equal to the fair market value of plan...

  8. Survey Response-Related Biases in Contingent Valuation: Concepts, Remedies, and Empirical Application to Valuing Aquatic Plant Management

    Treesearch

    Mark L. Messonnier; John C. Bergstrom; Chrisopher M. Cornwell; R. Jeff Teasley; H. Ken Cordell

    2000-01-01

    Simple nonresponse and selection biases that may occur in survey research such as contingent valuation applications are discussed and tested. Correction mechanisms for these types of biases are demonstrated. Results indicate the importance of testing and correcting for unit and item nonresponse bias in contingent valuation survey data. When sample nonresponse and...

  9. Multi-unit auctions with budget-constrained bidders

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ghosh, Gagan Pratap

    In my dissertation, I investigate the effects of budget-constraints in multi-unit auctions. This is done in three parts. First, I analyze a case where all bidders have a common budget constraint. Precisely, I analyze an auction where two units of an object are sold at two simultaneous, sealed bid, first-price auctions, to bidders who have demand for both units. Bidders differ with respect to their valuations for the units. All bidders have an identical budget constraint which binds their ability to spend in the auction. I show that if valuation distribution is atom-less, then their does not exist any symmetric equilibrium in this auction game. In the second and third parts of my thesis, I analyze the sale of licenses for the right to drill for oil and natural gas in the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) of the United States. These sales are conducted using simultaneous sealed-bid first-price auctions for multiple licenses, each representing a specific area (called a tract). Using aspects of observed bidding-behavior, I first make a prima facie case that bidders are budget-constrained in these auctions. In order to formalize this argument, I develop a simple extension of the standard model (where bidders differ in their valuations for the objects) by incorporating (random) budgets for the bidders. The auction-game then has a two-dimensional set of types for each player. I study the theoretical properties of this auction, assuming for simplicity that two units are being sold. I show that this game has an equilibrium in pure strategies that is symmetric with respect to the players and with respect to the units. The strategies are essentially pure in the sense that each bidder-type has a unique split (up to a permutation) of his budget between the two auctions. I then characterize the equilibrium in terms of the bid-distribution and iso-bid curves in the value-budget space. I derive various qualitative features of this equilibrium, among which are: (1) under mild assumptions, there always exist bidder-types who submit unequal bids in equilibrium, (2) the equilibrium is monotonic in the sense that bidders with higher valuations prefer more unequal splits of their budgets than bidders with lower valuations and the same budget-level. With a formal theory in place, I carry out a quantitative exercise, using data from the 1970 OCS auction. I show that the model is able to match many aspects of the data. (1) In the data, the number of tracts bidders submit bids on is positively correlated with budgets (an R2 of 0.84), even though this relationship is non-monotonic; my model is able to capture this non-monotonicity, while producing an R2 of 0.89 (2) In the data, the average number of bids per tract is 8.21; for the model, this number is 10.09. (3) Auction revenue in the data was 1.927 billion; the model produced a mean revenue of 1.944 billion.

  10. Irrational decision-making in an amoeboid organism: transitivity and context-dependent preferences.

    PubMed

    Latty, Tanya; Beekman, Madeleine

    2011-01-22

    Most models of animal foraging and consumer choice assume that individuals make choices based on the absolute value of items and are therefore 'economically rational'. However, frequent violations of rationality by animals, including humans, suggest that animals use comparative valuation rules. Are comparative valuation strategies a consequence of the way brains process information, or are they an intrinsic feature of biological decision-making? Here, we examine the principles of rationality in an organism with radically different information-processing mechanisms: the brainless, unicellular, slime mould Physarum polycephalum. We offered P. polycephalum amoebas a choice between food options that varied in food quality and light exposure (P. polycephalum is photophobic). The use of an absolute valuation rule will lead to two properties: transitivity and independence of irrelevant alternatives (IIA). Transitivity is satisfied if preferences have a consistent, linear ordering, while IIA states that a decision maker's preference for an item should not change if the choice set is expanded. A violation of either of these principles suggests the use of comparative rather than absolute valuation rules. Physarum polycephalum satisfied transitivity by having linear preference rankings. However, P. polycephalum's preference for a focal alternative increased when a third, inferior quality option was added to the choice set, thus violating IIA and suggesting the use of a comparative valuation process. The discovery of comparative valuation rules in a unicellular organism suggests that comparative valuation rules are ubiquitous, if not universal, among biological decision makers.

  11. Predicting Blood Lactate Concentration and Oxygen Uptake from sEMG Data during Fatiguing Cycling Exercise.

    PubMed

    Ražanskas, Petras; Verikas, Antanas; Olsson, Charlotte; Viberg, Per-Arne

    2015-08-19

    This article presents a study of the relationship between electromyographic (EMG) signals from vastus lateralis, rectus femoris, biceps femoris and semitendinosus muscles, collected during fatiguing cycling exercises, and other physiological measurements, such as blood lactate concentration and oxygen consumption. In contrast to the usual practice of picking one particular characteristic of the signal, e.g., the median or mean frequency, multiple variables were used to obtain a thorough characterization of EMG signals in the spectral domain. Based on these variables, linear and non-linear (random forest) models were built to predict blood lactate concentration and oxygen consumption. The results showed that mean and median frequencies are sub-optimal choices for predicting these physiological quantities in dynamic exercises, as they did not exhibit significant changes over the course of our protocol and only weakly correlated with blood lactate concentration or oxygen uptake. Instead, the root mean square of the original signal and backward difference, as well as parameters describing the tails of the EMG power distribution were the most important variables for these models. Coefficients of determination ranging from R(2) = 0:77 to R(2) = 0:98 (for blood lactate) and from R(2) = 0:81 to R(2) = 0:97 (for oxygen uptake) were obtained when using random forest regressors.

  12. 26 CFR 20.2032A-3 - Material participation requirements for valuation of certain farm and closely-held business real...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... valuation of certain farm and closely-held business real property. 20.2032A-3 Section 20.2032A-3 Internal... requirements for valuation of certain farm and closely-held business real property. (a) In general. Under... trade or business. If this election is made, the property will be valued on the basis of its value for...

  13. 26 CFR 20.2032A-3 - Material participation requirements for valuation of certain farm and closely-held business real...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... valuation of certain farm and closely-held business real property. 20.2032A-3 Section 20.2032A-3 Internal... requirements for valuation of certain farm and closely-held business real property. (a) In general. Under... trade or business. If this election is made, the property will be valued on the basis of its value for...

  14. Using contingent valuation to value a noxious weeds control program: the effects of including an unsure response category

    Treesearch

    Patricia A. Champ; Anna Alberini; Ignacio Correas

    2005-01-01

    The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Contingent Valuation panel recommended that a response category be included along with the vote in favor and vote against options associated with a referendum contingent valuation question that allows individuals to express lack of a well defined opinion. However, the recommendation did not include guidance on how to...

  15. 26 CFR 25.2512-6 - Valuation of certain life insurance and annuity contracts; valuation of shares in an open-end...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... annuity. The value of the gift is the cost of the contract. Example (2). An annuitant purchased from a... Revenue INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY (CONTINUED) ESTATE AND GIFT TAXES GIFT TAX; GIFTS MADE AFTER DECEMBER 31, 1954 Transfers § 25.2512-6 Valuation of certain life insurance and annuity...

  16. 26 CFR 20.2032A-3 - Material participation requirements for valuation of certain farm and closely-held business real...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... valuation of certain farm and closely-held business real property. 20.2032A-3 Section 20.2032A-3 Internal... requirements for valuation of certain farm and closely-held business real property. (a) In general. Under... trade or business. If this election is made, the property will be valued on the basis of its value for...

  17. 26 CFR 20.6324B-1 - Special lien for additional estate tax attributable to farm, etc., valuation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... attributable to farm, etc., valuation. 20.6324B-1 Section 20.6324B-1 Internal Revenue INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE... attributable to farm, etc., valuation. (a) General rule. In the case of an estate of a decedent dying after December 31, 1976, which includes any interest in qualified real property, if the executor elects to value...

  18. An analytical framework to assist decision makers in the use of forest ecosystem model predictions

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Larocque, Guy R.; Bhatti, Jagtar S.; Ascough, J.C.; Liu, J.; Luckai, N.; Mailly, D.; Archambault, L.; Gordon, Andrew M.

    2011-01-01

    The predictions from most forest ecosystem models originate from deterministic simulations. However, few evaluation exercises for model outputs are performed by either model developers or users. This issue has important consequences for decision makers using these models to develop natural resource management policies, as they cannot evaluate the extent to which predictions stemming from the simulation of alternative management scenarios may result in significant environmental or economic differences. Various numerical methods, such as sensitivity/uncertainty analyses, or bootstrap methods, may be used to evaluate models and the errors associated with their outputs. However, the application of each of these methods carries unique challenges which decision makers do not necessarily understand; guidance is required when interpreting the output generated from each model. This paper proposes a decision flow chart in the form of an analytical framework to help decision makers apply, in an orderly fashion, different steps involved in examining the model outputs. The analytical framework is discussed with regard to the definition of problems and objectives and includes the following topics: model selection, identification of alternatives, modelling tasks and selecting alternatives for developing policy or implementing management scenarios. Its application is illustrated using an on-going exercise in developing silvicultural guidelines for a forest management enterprise in Ontario, Canada.

  19. The Costs of Climate Change: Impact of Future Snow Cover Projections on Valuation of Albedo in Forest Management

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Burakowski, E. A.; Lutz, D. A.

    2014-12-01

    Surface albedo provides an important climate regulating ecosystem service, particularly in the mid-latitudes where seasonal snow cover influences surface radiation budgets. In the case of substantial seasonal snow cover, the influence of albedo can equal or surpass the climatic benefits of carbon sequestration from forest growth. Climate mitigation platforms should therefore consider albedo in their framework in order to integrate these two climatic services in an economic context for the effective design and implementation of forest management projects. Over the next century, the influence of surface albedo is projected to diminish under higher emissions scenarios due to an overall decrease in snow depth and duration of snow cover in the mid-latitudes. In this study, we focus on the change in economic value of winter albedo in the northeastern United States projected through 2100 using the Special Report on Emissions Scenarios (SRES) a1 and b1 scenarios. Statistically downscaled temperature and precipitation are used as input to the Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) model to provide future daily snow depth fields through 2100. Using VIC projections of future snow depth, projected winter albedo fields over deforested lands were generated using an empirical logarithmic relationship between snow depth and albedo derived from a volunteer network of snow observers in New Hampshire over the period Nov 2011 through 2014. Our results show that greater reductions in snow depth and the number of winter days with snow cover in the a1 compared to the b1 scenario reduce wintertime albedo when forested lands are harvested. This result has implications on future trade-offs among albedo, carbon storage, and timber value that should be investigated in greater detail. The impacts of forest harvest on radiative forcing associated with energy redistribution (e.g., latent heat and surface roughness length) should also be considered in future work.

  20. Watershed Conservation and Groundwater Management: An Integrated Perspective

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kaiser, B. A.

    2005-05-01

    US natural resource policy has explicitly acknowledged the hydrological connection between forest resources and water resources from the inception of the USDA Forest Service for the dual purpose of timber and watershed management,, but it is often overlooked in short run policy decisions. In Hawaii, these closely interconnected resources led to the establishment of the Ko`olau Mountains Conservation District in the early 1900s in order to improve water supplies. This early action on the part of the state has enabled today a healthy watershed. The health of the watershed, however, is now under threat from incremental ecosystem change, particularly in the form of invasive species (e.g. pigs (Sus scrofa) and weedy shrubs (Miconia calvescens)) that change the hydrological properties of the watershed to increase runoff and reduce aquifer recharge. Economic costs of reduced recharge in the face of rising water demand from a growing population are potentially large, with preliminary estimates suggesting the losses from reduced groundwater recharge in the Pearl Harbor aquifer have a present value of 1.4 to 2.6 billion dollars (Kaiser and Roumasset, 2002). To refine and improve these preliminary estimates we use spatial analysis of the water balance in the Ko`olaus to relate land use and land cover to recharge and we simultaneously explore the risk of degradation of the forest quality for recharge purposes through a survey of watershed experts. Using this information together with a dynamic model of water pricing as a function of aquifer recharge and use, we examine how much of an economic return (in present value) forest conservation expenditures may produce in the form of protecting aquifer recharge. In conjunction, we begin to examine additional integrated benefits of reducing runoff to near-shore resources by relating upland conservation to reef quality using monitoring data from the Hawaii Coral Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program. Kaiser and Roumasset (2002). "Valuation of Nature's Intermediate products: The Ko`olau Forest's Contribution to the Pearl Harbor Aquifer," Environment and Development Economics 7(4): 701-714.

  1. Aiding priority setting in health care: is there a role for the contingent valuation method?

    PubMed

    Olsen, J A

    1997-01-01

    The paper discusses some methodological and measurement aspects with the contingent valuation (CV) method which appear to create problems when eliciting preferences for the relative social valuation of alternative health care programmes. After pointing to biases which tend to exaggerate the true valuations, emphasis is placed on framing issues when applied to health care. Thereafter the paper discusses the extent to which preferences elicited through one's willingness to pay can be used to infer how the respondent would prioritize between the health care programmes in question. New empirical evidence is presented which suggest discrepancies between a CV ranking and the ranking expressed when making a direct ordinal comparison.

  2. Processing speed enhances model-based over model-free reinforcement learning in the presence of high working memory functioning

    PubMed Central

    Schad, Daniel J.; Jünger, Elisabeth; Sebold, Miriam; Garbusow, Maria; Bernhardt, Nadine; Javadi, Amir-Homayoun; Zimmermann, Ulrich S.; Smolka, Michael N.; Heinz, Andreas; Rapp, Michael A.; Huys, Quentin J. M.

    2014-01-01

    Theories of decision-making and its neural substrates have long assumed the existence of two distinct and competing valuation systems, variously described as goal-directed vs. habitual, or, more recently and based on statistical arguments, as model-free vs. model-based reinforcement-learning. Though both have been shown to control choices, the cognitive abilities associated with these systems are under ongoing investigation. Here we examine the link to cognitive abilities, and find that individual differences in processing speed covary with a shift from model-free to model-based choice control in the presence of above-average working memory function. This suggests shared cognitive and neural processes; provides a bridge between literatures on intelligence and valuation; and may guide the development of process models of different valuation components. Furthermore, it provides a rationale for individual differences in the tendency to deploy valuation systems, which may be important for understanding the manifold neuropsychiatric diseases associated with malfunctions of valuation. PMID:25566131

  3. A Formal Valuation Framework for Emotions and Their Control.

    PubMed

    Huys, Quentin J M; Renz, Daniel

    2017-09-15

    Computational psychiatry aims to apply mathematical and computational techniques to help improve psychiatric care. To achieve this, the phenomena under scrutiny should be within the scope of formal methods. As emotions play an important role across many psychiatric disorders, such computational methods must encompass emotions. Here, we consider formal valuation accounts of emotions. We focus on the fact that the flexibility of emotional responses and the nature of appraisals suggest the need for a model-based valuation framework for emotions. However, resource limitations make plain model-based valuation impossible and require metareasoning strategies to apportion cognitive resources adaptively. We argue that emotions may implement such metareasoning approximations by restricting the range of behaviors and states considered. We consider the processes that guide the deployment of the approximations, discerning between innate, model-free, heuristic, and model-based controllers. A formal valuation and metareasoning framework may thus provide a principled approach to examining emotions. Copyright © 2017 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Japanese consumer preferences for milk certified with the good agricultural practice(GAP) label.

    PubMed

    Aizaki, Hideo; Nanseki, Teruaki; Zhou, Hui

    2013-01-01

    This study examined Japanese consumers' valuation of a good agricultural practice (GAP) label on packaged milk and investigated the effect of detailed GAP information on valuation. A total of 624 Japanese consumers were asked to select their most preferred milk through an online survey. The milk was assumed to have three attributes: the GAP label, Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points certification, and price. The results showed that consumers' valuation of GAP was significantly positive. Although providing additional GAP information to a respondent who was aware of GAP and what it means had a positive effect on the consumers' valuation of GAP, provision of this information had no effect if the respondent knew about GAP either moderately or slightly, and had a negative effect if the respondent did not know about GAP at all. To increase broad consumer awareness and valuation of GAP, it is important to provide GAP information according to the requirements of consumers. © 2012 The Authors. Animal Science Journal © 2012 Japanese Society of Animal Science.

  5. Religiousness and hazardous alcohol use: a conditional indirect effects model.

    PubMed

    Jankowski, Peter J; Hardy, Sam A; Zamboanga, Byron L; Ham, Lindsay S

    2013-08-01

    The current study examined a conditional indirect effects model of the association between religiousness and adolescents' hazardous alcohol use. In doing so, we responded to the need to include both mediators and moderators, and the need for theoretically informed models when examining religiousness and adolescents' alcohol use. The sample consisted of 383 adolescents, aged 15-18, who completed an online questionnaire. Results of structural equation modeling supported the proposed model. Religiousness was indirectly associated with hazardous alcohol use through both positive alcohol expectancy outcomes and negative alcohol expectancy valuations. Significant moderating effects for alcohol expectancy valuations on the association between alcohol expectancies and alcohol use were also found. The effects for alcohol expectancy valuations confirm valuations as a distinct construct to that of alcohol expectancy outcomes, and offer support for the protective role of internalized religiousness on adolescents' hazardous alcohol use as a function of expectancy valuations. Copyright © 2013 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Real options valuation in the design of Future surface combatants

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2017-06-01

    VALUATION IN THE DESIGN OF FUTURE SURFACE COMBATANTS by Lauren B. Majchrzak June 2017 Thesis Advisor: Johnathan Mun Second Reader: Tom...thesis 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE REAL OPTIONS VALUATION IN THE DESIGN OF FUTURE SURFACE COMBATANTS 5. FUNDING NUMBERS 6. AUTHOR(S) Lauren B. Majchrzak...meeting their service-life expectancy of 40 years. Modular Adaptable Ship (MAS) designs that include flexibility, decoupled payloads from the platform

  7. 26 CFR 25.2702-1 - Special valuation rules in the case of transfers of interests in trust.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 26 Internal Revenue 14 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Special valuation rules in the case of transfers of interests in trust. 25.2702-1 Section 25.2702-1 Internal Revenue INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY (CONTINUED) ESTATE AND GIFT TAXES GIFT TAX; GIFTS MADE AFTER DECEMBER 31, 1954 Special Valuation Rules § 25.2702-1 Special...

  8. 26 CFR 1.170A-12T - Valuation of a remainder interest in real property for contributions made after July 31, 1969...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... depreciation factor. If the valuation of the remainder interest in depreciable property is dependent upon the... 26 Internal Revenue 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Valuation of a remainder interest in real property for contributions made after July 31, 1969 (temporary). 1.170A-12T Section 1.170A-12T Internal...

  9. Music models aberrant rule decoding and reward valuation in dementia

    PubMed Central

    Clark, Camilla N; Golden, Hannah L; McCallion, Oliver; Nicholas, Jennifer M; Cohen, Miriam H; Slattery, Catherine F; Paterson, Ross W; Fletcher, Phillip D; Mummery, Catherine J; Rohrer, Jonathan D; Crutch, Sebastian J; Warren, Jason D

    2018-01-01

    Abstract Aberrant rule- and reward-based processes underpin abnormalities of socio-emotional behaviour in major dementias. However, these processes remain poorly characterized. Here we used music to probe rule decoding and reward valuation in patients with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) syndromes and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) relative to healthy age-matched individuals. We created short melodies that were either harmonically resolved (‘finished’) or unresolved (‘unfinished’); the task was to classify each melody as finished or unfinished (rule processing) and rate its subjective pleasantness (reward valuation). Results were adjusted for elementary pitch and executive processing; neuroanatomical correlates were assessed using voxel-based morphometry. Relative to healthy older controls, patients with behavioural variant FTD showed impairments of both musical rule decoding and reward valuation, while patients with semantic dementia showed impaired reward valuation but intact rule decoding, patients with AD showed impaired rule decoding but intact reward valuation and patients with progressive non-fluent aphasia performed comparably to healthy controls. Grey matter associations with task performance were identified in anterior temporal, medial and lateral orbitofrontal cortices, previously implicated in computing diverse biological and non-biological rules and rewards. The processing of musical rules and reward distils cognitive and neuroanatomical mechanisms relevant to complex socio-emotional dysfunction in major dementias. PMID:29186630

  10. A Comparison of Japan and U.K. SF-6D Health-State Valuations Using a Non-Parametric Bayesian Method.

    PubMed

    Kharroubi, Samer A

    2015-08-01

    There is interest in the extent to which valuations of health may differ between different countries and cultures, but few studies have compared preference values of health states obtained in different countries. We sought to estimate and compare two directly elicited valuations for SF-6D health states between the Japan and U.K. general adult populations using Bayesian methods. We analysed data from two SF-6D valuation studies where, using similar standard gamble protocols, values for 241 and 249 states were elicited from representative samples of the Japan and U.K. general adult populations, respectively. We estimate a function applicable across both countries that explicitly accounts for the differences between them, and is estimated using data from both countries. The results suggest that differences in SF-6D health-state valuations between the Japan and U.K. general populations are potentially important. The magnitude of these country-specific differences in health-state valuation depended, however, in a complex way on the levels of individual dimensions. The new Bayesian non-parametric method is a powerful approach for analysing data from multiple nationalities or ethnic groups, to understand the differences between them and potentially to estimate the underlying utility functions more efficiently.

  11. Differences between individual and societal health state valuations: any link with personality?

    PubMed

    Chapman, Benjamin P; Franks, Peter; Duberstein, Paul R; Jerant, Anthony

    2009-08-01

    The concept of "adaptation" has been proposed to account for differences between individual and societal valuations of specific health states in patients with chronic diseases. Little is known about psychological indices of adaptational capacity, which may predict differences in individual and societal valuations of health states. We investigated whether such differences were partially explained by personality traits in chronic disease patients. Analysis of baseline data of randomized controlled trial. Three hundred seventy patients with chronic disease. The NEO-five factor inventory measure of personality, EuroQoL-5D (EQ-5D) societal-based, and the EQ visual analogue scale individually-based measures of health valuation. Regression analyses modeled Dev, a measure of difference between the EQ-Visual Analogue Scale and EQ-5D, as a function of personality traits, sociodemographic factors, and chronic diseases. Individual valuations were significantly and clinically higher than societal valuations among patients in the second and third quartile of conscientiousness (Dev = 0.08, P = 0.01); among covariates, only depression (Dev = -0.04, P = 0.046) was also associated with Dev. Compared with societal valuations of a given health state, persons at higher quartiles of conscientiousness report less disutility associated with poor health. The effect is roughly twice that of some estimates of minimally important clinical differences on the EQ-5D and of depression. Although useful at the aggregate level, societal preference measures may systematically undervalue the health states of more conscientious individuals. Future work should examine the impact this has on individual patient outcome evaluation in clinical studies.

  12. Differences Between Individual and Societal Health State Valuations

    PubMed Central

    Chapman, Benjamin P.; Franks, Peter; Duberstein, Paul R.; Jerant, Anthony

    2009-01-01

    Objective The concept of “adaptation” has been proposed to account for differences between individual and societal valuations of specific health states in patients with chronic diseases. Little is known about psychological indices of adaptational capacity, which may predict differences in individual and societal valuations of health states. We investigated whether such differences were partially explained by personality traits in chronic disease patients. Research Design Analysis of baseline data of randomized controlled trial. Subjects Three hundred seventy patients with chronic disease. Measures The NEO-five factor inventory measure of personality, EuroQoL-5D (EQ-5D) societal-based, and the EQ visual analogue scale individually-based measures of health valuation. Results Regression analyses modeled Dev, a measure of difference between the EQ-Visual Analogue Scale and EQ-5D, as a function of personality traits, sociodemographic factors, and chronic diseases. Individual valuations were significantly and clinically higher than societal valuations among patients in the second and third quartile of conscientiousness (Dev = 0.08, P = 0.01); among covariates, only depression (Dev = -0.04, P = 0.046) was also associated with Dev. Conclusion Compared with societal valuations of a given health state, persons at higher quartiles of conscientiousness report less disutility associated with poor health. The effect is roughly twice that of some estimates of minimally important clinical differences on the EQ-5D and of depression. Although useful at the aggregate level, societal preference measures may systematically undervalue the health states of more conscientious individuals. Future work should examine the impact this has on individual patient outcome evaluation in clinical studies. PMID:19543121

  13. Vers une réconciliation des théories et de la pratique de l’évaluation, perspectives d’avenir

    PubMed Central

    Brousselle, Astrid; Champagne, François; Contandriopoulos, André-Pierre

    2013-01-01

    L’évaluation est un domaine très prolifique, à plusieurs points de vue. Sur le plan théorique, de nouvelles approches s’ajoutent chaque année. La pratique est également en pleine expansion. Cette demande croissante pour des évaluations dans un domaine où les développements théoriques sont très importants crée, paradoxalement, des difficultés quant à la transposition des nouvelles connaissances dans la pratique de l’évaluation. Nous proposons, premièrement, d’illustrer trois grandes difficultés auxquelles est confronté l’évaluateur dans sa pratique : la définition de l’intervention, la considération du changement et les préoccupations pour l’utilisation de l’évaluation. Dans un deuxième temps, nous présenterons les trois principales réponses théoriques que propose le domaine de l’évaluation. Dans un troisième temps, nous discuterons des enjeux de cette interface et des avenues possibles pour favoriser une réconciliation entre la pratique et la théorie de l’évaluation. Cette discussion permettra d’illustrer la tension qui se dessine actuellement entre les questionnements de la pratique et le foisonnement théorique et de présenter les avancées prochaines sur le plan des développements théoriques, vers un rapprochement des préoccupations pratiques des évaluateurs. PMID:23997420

  14. Assessing quality of life in a clinical study on heart rehabilitation patients: how well do value sets based on given or experienced health states reflect patients' valuations?

    PubMed

    Leidl, Reiner; Schweikert, Bernd; Hahmann, Harry; Steinacker, Juergen M; Reitmeir, Peter

    2016-03-22

    Quality of life as an endpoint in a clinical study may be sensitive to the value set used to derive a single score. Focusing on patients' actual valuations in a clinical study, we compare different value sets for the EQ-5D-3L and assess how well they reproduce patients' reported results. A clinical study comparing inpatient (n = 98) and outpatient (n = 47) rehabilitation of patients after an acute coronary event is re-analyzed. Value sets include: 1. Given health states and time-trade-off valuation (GHS-TTO) rendering economic utilities; 2. Experienced health states and valuation by visual analog scale (EHS-VAS). Valuations are compared with patient-reported VAS rating. Accuracy is assessed by mean absolute error (MAE) and by Pearson's correlation ρ. External validity is tested by correlation with established MacNew global scores. Drivers of differences between value sets and VAS are analyzed using repeated measures regression. EHS-VAS had smaller MAEs and higher ρ in all patients and in the inpatient group, and correlated best with MacNew global score. Quality-adjusted survival was more accurately reflected by EHS-VAS. Younger, better educated patients reported lower VAS at admission than the EHS-based value set. EHS-based estimates were mostly able to reproduce patient-reported valuation. Economic utility measurement is conceptually different, produced results less strongly related to patients' reports, and resulted in about 20 % longer quality-adjusted survival. Decision makers should take into account the impact of choosing value sets on effectiveness results. For transferring the results of heart rehabilitation patients from another country or from another valuation method, the EHS-based value set offers a promising estimation option for those decision makers who prioritize patient-reported valuation. Yet, EHS-based estimates may not fully reflect patient-reported VAS in all situations.

  15. Preference-based disease-specific health-related quality of life instrument for glaucoma: a mixed methods study protocol

    PubMed Central

    Muratov, Sergei; Podbielski, Dominik W; Jack, Susan M; Ahmed, Iqbal Ike K; Mitchell, Levine A H; Baltaziak, Monika; Xie, Feng

    2016-01-01

    Introduction A primary objective of healthcare services is to improve patients' health and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Glaucoma, which affects a substantial proportion of the world population, has a significant detrimental impact on HRQoL. Although there are a number of glaucoma-specific questionnaires to measure HRQoL, none is preference-based which prevent them from being used in health economic evaluation. The proposed study is aimed to develop a preference-based instrument that is capable of capturing important effects specific to glaucoma and treatments on HRQoL and is scored based on the patients' preferences. Methods A sequential, exploratory mixed methods design will be used to guide the development and evaluation of the HRQoL instrument. The study consists of several stages to be implemented sequentially: item identification, item selection, validation and valuation. The instrument items will be identified and selected through a literature review and the conduct of a qualitative study. Validation will be conducted to establish psychometric properties of the instrument followed by a valuation exercise to derive utility scores for the health states described. Ethics and dissemination This study has been approved by the Trillium Health Partners Research Ethics Board (ID number 753). All personal information will be de-identified with the identification code kept in a secured location including the rest of the study data. Only qualified and study-related personnel will be allowed to access the data. The results of the study will be distributed widely through peer-reviewed journals, conferences and internal meetings. PMID:28186941

  16. Using Priced Options to Solve the Exposure Problem in Sequential Auctions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mous, Lonneke; Robu, Valentin; La Poutré, Han

    This paper studies the benefits of using priced options for solving the exposure problem that bidders with valuation synergies face when participating in multiple, sequential auctions. We consider a model in which complementary-valued items are auctioned sequentially by different sellers, who have the choice of either selling their good directly or through a priced option, after fixing its exercise price. We analyze this model from a decision-theoretic perspective and we show, for a setting where the competition is formed by local bidders, that using options can increase the expected profit for both buyers and sellers. Furthermore, we derive the equations that provide minimum and maximum bounds between which a synergy buyer's bids should fall in order for both sides to have an incentive to use the options mechanism. Next, we perform an experimental analysis of a market in which multiple synergy bidders are active simultaneously.

  17. Adaptation of warrant price with Black Scholes model and historical volatility

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Aziz, Khairu Azlan Abd; Idris, Mohd Fazril Izhar Mohd; Saian, Rizauddin; Daud, Wan Suhana Wan

    2015-05-01

    This project discusses about pricing warrant in Malaysia. The Black Scholes model with non-dividend approach and linear interpolation technique was applied in pricing the call warrant. Three call warrants that are listed in Bursa Malaysia were selected randomly from UiTM's datastream. The finding claims that the volatility for each call warrants are different to each other. We have used the historical volatility which will describes the price movement by which an underlying share is expected to fluctuate within a period. The Black Scholes model price that was obtained by the model will be compared with the actual market price. Mispricing the call warrants will contribute to under or over valuation price. Other variables like interest rate, time to maturity date, exercise price and underlying stock price are involves in pricing call warrants as well as measuring the moneyness of call warrants.

  18. Bottlenecks in Geospatial Data-Driven Decision-Making for Natural Disaster Management: A Case Study of Forest Fire Prevention and Control in Guatemala's Maya Biosphere Reserve

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Berenter, J. S.; Mueller, J. M.; Morrison, I.

    2016-12-01

    Annual forest fires are a source of great economic and environmental cost in the Maya Biosphere Reserve (MBR), a region of high ecological and historical value in Guatemala's department of Petén. Scarce institutional resources, limited local response capacity, and difficult terrain place a premium on the use of Earth observation data for forest fire management in the MBR, but also present significant institutional barriers to optimizing the value of this data. Drawing upon key informant interviews and a contingent valuation survey of national and local actors conducted during a three-year performance evaluation of the USAID/NASA Regional Visualization and Monitoring System (SERVIR), this paper traces the flow of SERVIR data from acquisition to decision in order to assess the institutional and contextual factors affecting the value of Earth observation data for forest fire management in the MBR. Findings indicate that the use of satellite data for forest fire management in the MBR is widespread and multi-dimensional: historical assessments of land use and land cover, fire scarring, and climate data help central-level fire management agencies identify and regulate fire-sensitive areas; regular monitoring and dissemination of climate data enables coordination between agricultural burning activities and fire early warning systems; and daily satellite detection of thermal anomalies in land surface temperature permits first responders to monitor and react to "hotspot" activity. Findings also suggest, however, that while the decentralized operations of Petén's fire management systems foster the use of Earth observation data, systemic bottlenecks, including budgetary constraints, inadequate data infrastructure and interpretation capacity, and obstacles to regulatory enforcement, impede the flow of information and use of technology and thus impact the value of that data, particularly in remote and under-resourced areas of the MBR. A geographic expansion and fortification of support systems for use of Earth observation data is thus required to maximize the value of data-driven forest fire management in the MBR. Findings further validate a need for continued cooperation between scientific and governance institutions to disseminate and integrate geospatial data into environmental decision-making.

  19. The Computational Complexity of Valuation and Motivational Forces in Decision-Making Processes.

    PubMed

    Redish, A David; Schultheiss, Nathan W; Carter, Evan C

    2016-01-01

    The concept of value is fundamental to most theories of motivation and decision making. However, value has to be measured experimentally. Different methods of measuring value produce incompatible valuation hierarchies. Taking the agent's perspective (rather than the experimenter's), we interpret the different valuation measurement methods as accessing different decision-making systems and show how these different systems depend on different information processing algorithms. This identifies the translation from these multiple decision-making systems into a single action taken by a given agent as one of the most important open questions in decision making today. We conclude by looking at how these different valuation measures accessing different decision-making systems can be used to understand and treat decision dysfunction such as in addiction.

  20. Is Regret Theory an alternative basis for estimating the value of healthcare interventions?

    PubMed

    Smith, R D

    1996-08-01

    This paper presents an argument for the existence of "regret' influencing the valuation of alternative outcomes when making treatment decisions in healthcare. It is argued that valuation techniques as currently formulated rely upon the axioms of Expected Utility Theory (transitivity and independence). This potentially leads to a misrepresentation of the respondents true preferences over treatment alternatives, and thus results in the potential for "irrational' decisions being observed. A modified version of Regret Theory is outlined, and the results of a tentative empirical analysis provided to illustrate the importance of accounting for regret in the valuation of health states. It is concluded that regret is an important element in individual valuation and decision making in health care.

  1. An analytical framework to assist decision makers in the use of forest ecosystem model predictions

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The predictions of most terrestrial ecosystem models originate from deterministic simulations. Relatively few uncertainty evaluation exercises in model outputs are performed by either model developers or users. This issue has important consequences for decision makers who rely on models to develop n...

  2. Magic From the Woods. A Teacher's Handbook for Environmental Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Warren, Mark

    This workbook contains suggestions for environmental learning adventures for elementary school children in a forest. The activities are classified under various concepts such as sound, growth, adaptation, force, variety, water, habitat, design time, and conservation. The concept is first defined. Then a preparation exercise to get the students…

  3. Discrimination in the Forest Industry: A Teaching Module.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Eylon, Dafna; Langton, Nancy

    1998-01-01

    A case study of a female chief executive officer denied membership in an industry-related social club helps students understand discrimination and the interaction of personal and organizational goals. The exercise creates awareness of ways to respond to discrimination and of gender and power issues in the workplace. (SK)

  4. When Stones Teach.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lucier, Todd

    2001-01-01

    Creating towers of balanced stones is a versatile outdoor learning activity that can be experienced in the classroom, school yard, forest, or parking lot. Students discover hidden talents, learn to work and communicate clearly with others, and reconnect with the natural world. Several variations on the exercise are given, along with principles of…

  5. The topic is the Relevance of wetland economic valuation in Uganda Acase study of Kiyanja-Kaku wetland in Lwengo District-Central Uganda.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Namulema, Mary Jude

    2016-04-01

    This study examined the relevance of economic valuation of wetlands in Uganda. A case study was done on Kiyanja-Kaku wetland in Lwengo District in Central Uganda using a semi-structured survey. Three objectives were examined i.e.: (i) To identify wetland ecosystem services in Uganda (ii) To identify the economic valuation methods appropriate for wetlands in Uganda (iii) To value clean water obtained from Kiyanja-Kaku wetland. The wetland ecosystem services were identified as provisioning, regulating, habitat, cultural and amenities services. The community had knowledge about 17 out of the 22 services as given by TEEB (2010). The economic valuation methods identified were, market price, efficiency price, travel cost, contingent valuation, hedonic pricing, and production function and benefit transfer methods. These were appropriate for valuation of wetlands in Uganda but only three methods i.e. market price, contingent valuation and productivity methods have been applied by researchers in Uganda so far. The economic value of clean water from Kiyanja-Kaku wetland to the nearby community was established by using the market price of clean water the National water and Sewerage Corporation charges for the water in Uganda to obtain the low value and the market price of water from the survey was used to obtain the high value. The estimated economic value of clean water service for a household ranges from UGX. 612174 to 4054733 (US 168.0-1095.0). The estimated economic value of clean water service from Kiyanja-Kaku wetland to the entire community ranges from UGX. 2,732,133,000.0 to 18,096,274,000.0 (US 775,228.0-4,885,994.0).

  6. The Measurement of Subjective Value and Its Relation to Contingent Valuation and Environmental Public Goods

    PubMed Central

    Khaw, Mel W.; Grab, Denise A.; Livermore, Michael A.; Vossler, Christian A.; Glimcher, Paul W.

    2015-01-01

    Environmental public goods—including national parks, clean air/water, and ecosystem services—provide substantial benefits on a global scale. These goods have unique characteristics in that they are typically “nonmarket” goods, with values from both use and passive use that accrue to a large number of individuals both in current and future generations. In this study, we test the hypothesis that neural signals in areas correlated with subjective valuations for essentially all other previously studied categories of goods (ventromedial prefrontal cortex and ventral striatum) also correlate with environmental valuations. We use contingent valuation (CV) as our behavioral tool for measuring valuations of environmental public goods. CV is a standard stated preference approach that presents survey respondents with information on an issue and asks questions that help policymakers determine how much citizens are willing to pay for a public good or policy. We scanned human subjects while they viewed environmental proposals, along with three other classes of goods. The presentation of all four classes of goods yielded robust and similar patterns of temporally synchronized brain activation within attentional networks. The activations associated with the traditional classes of goods replicate previous correlations between neural activity in valuation areas and behavioral preferences. In contrast, CV-elicited values for environmental proposals did not correlate with brain activity at either the individual or population level. For a sub-population of participants, CV-elicited values were correlated with activity within the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, a region associated with cognitive control and shifting decision strategies. The results show that neural activity associated with the subjective valuation of environmental proposals differs profoundly from the neural activity associated with previously examined goods and preference measures. PMID:26221734

  7. Serious child and adolescent behaviour disorders; a valuation study by professionals, youth and parents.

    PubMed

    Vermeulen, Karin M; Jansen, Daniëlle E M C; Buskens, Erik; Knorth, Erik J; Reijneveld, Sijmen A

    2017-06-02

    In child and youth care, quantitative estimates of the impact of serious behaviour problems have not yet been made. Such input is needed to support decision making on investments in treatment. The aim of this paper was to elicit valuations of social and conduct disorders in children and adolescents from three different perspectives: professionals, youth, and parents. We obtained valuations from 25 youth care professionals, 50 children (age 9-10) without serious behaviour problems and 36 adolescents (age 16-17) with and without serious behaviour disorders, and 46 parents with children in the aforementioned age categories. Valuations were estimated from 18 descriptions of behaviour disorders in youth aged 9 and 15 years. Descriptions included Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), Conduct Disorder (CD), and Disruptive Behaviour Disorder (DBD). Comorbid conditions were Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and substance abuse. Valuations were obtained with the EuroQol questionnaire (EQ-5D-3 L) and a visual analogue scale (VAS). Valuations were generally severe; problems were by and large reported to worsen quality of life by 50% compared to being fully healthy. Professionals regarded DBD with substance abuse as most severe (VAS values 0.41 for children, and 0.43 for adolescents, i.e. less than half of normal). They rated ODD as least severe (VAS values 0.58 for children, 0.59 for adolescents). Children, adolescents and parents gave lower valuations than professionals, and had a wider range of scores, particularly at the lower end of the scale. Behaviour disorders pose a formidable burden from the perspectives of professionals as well as children, adolescents and parents. These results may support medical decision making to set priorities with regard to prevention and treatment based on perceived severity.

  8. Insensitivity to scope in contingent valuation studies: reason for dismissal of valuations?

    PubMed

    Søgaard, Rikke; Lindholt, Jes; Gyrd-Hansen, Dorte

    2012-11-01

    The credibility of contingent valuation studies has been questioned because of the potential occurrence of scope insensitivity, i.e. that respondents do not react to higher quantities or qualities of a good. The aim of this study was to examine the extent of scope insensitivity and to assess the relevance of potential explanations that may help to shed light on how to appropriately handle this problem in contingent valuation studies. We surveyed a sample of 2004 men invited for cardiovascular disease screening. Each respondent had three contingent valuation tasks from which their sensitivity to larger risk reductions (test 1) and to change in travel costs associated with participation (test 2) could be assessed. Participants were surveyed while waiting for their screening session. Non-participants were surveyed by postal questionnaire. The sample was overall found to be sensitive to scope, testing at the conventional sample-mean level. At the individual respondent level, however, more than half of the respondents failed the tests. Potential determinants for failing the tests were examined in alternative regression models but few consistent relationships were identified. One exception was the influence of more detailed information, which was positively associated with willingness to pay and negatively associated with scope sensitivity. Possible explanations for scope insensitivity are discussed; if cognitive limitations, emotional load and mental budgeting explain scope insensitivity there are grounds for rejecting valuations, whereas other factors such as the alternative theoretical framework of regret theory may render insensitivity to scope a result of rational thinking. It is concluded that future contingent valuation studies should focus more on extracting the underlying motives for the stated preferences in order to appropriately deal with responses that are seemingly irrational, and which may lead to imprecise welfare estimates.

  9. Articulating Value: A framework for Evaluating Military Retirement Alternatives

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-11-30

    Retirement System (MRS) is expensive. In FY2010, the US Government spent over $50 Billion on military retirement (DoD Office of the Actuary , Valuation...SBP is shared by the retiree and the government, thus it is not self- sustaining (DoD Office of the Actuaries , Valuation, 43-48). 1.3 Methodology...the military retirement fund and the cash paid to retirees during the year exceeded $50 billion (DoD Office of the Actuary , Valuation, 19-20). The

  10. How can we value an environmental asset that very few have visited or heard of? Lessons learned from applying contingent and inferred valuation in an Australian wetlands case study.

    PubMed

    Gregg, Daniel; Wheeler, Sarah Ann

    2018-08-15

    To date, the majority of environmental assets studied in the economic valuation literature clearly have high amenity and recreational use values. However there are many cases where small, but nevertheless unique and important, ecosystems survive as islands amongst large areas of modified, productive, or urban, landscapes. Development encroaches on the landscape and as urban landscapes become more concentrated these types of conservation islands will become increasingly more important. Previous experience with economic valuation suggests that lower total values for smaller contributions to conservation are more liable to be swamped by survey and hypothetical bias measures. Hence there needs to be more understanding of approaches to economic valuation for small and isolated environmental assets, in particular regarding controlling stated preference biases. This study applied the recently developed method of Inferred Valuation (IV) to a small private wetland in South-East Australia, and compared willingness to pay values with estimates from a standard Contingent Valuation (CV) approach. We found that hypothetical bias did seem to be slightly lower with the IV method. However, other methods such as the use of log-normal transformations and median measures, significantly mitigate apparent hypothetical biases and are easier to apply and allow use of the well-tested CV method. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Is economic valuation of ecosystem services useful to decision-makers? Lessons learned from Australian coastal and marine management.

    PubMed

    Marre, Jean-Baptiste; Thébaud, Olivier; Pascoe, Sean; Jennings, Sarah; Boncoeur, Jean; Coglan, Louisa

    2016-08-01

    Economic valuation of ecosystem services is widely advocated as being useful to support ecosystem management decision-making. However, the extent to which it is actually used or considered useful in decision-making is poorly documented. This literature blindspot is explored with an application to coastal and marine ecosystems management in Australia. Based on a nation-wide survey of eighty-eight decision-makers representing a diversity of management organizations, the perceived usefulness and level of use of economic valuation of ecosystem services, in support of coastal and marine management, are examined. A large majority of decision-makers are found to be familiar with economic valuation and consider it useful - even necessary - in decision-making, although this varies across groups of decision-makers. However, most decision-makers never or rarely use economic valuation. The perceived level of importance and trust in estimated dollar values differ across ecosystem services, and are especially high for values that relate to commercial activities. A number of factors are also found to influence respondent's use of economic valuation. Such findings concur with conclusions from other studies on the usefulness and use of ESV in environmental management decision-making. They also demonstrate the strength of the survey-based approach developed in this application to examine this issue in a variety of contexts. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Varying the valuating function and the presentable bank in computerized adaptive testing.

    PubMed

    Barrada, Juan Ramón; Abad, Francisco José; Olea, Julio

    2011-05-01

    In computerized adaptive testing, the most commonly used valuating function is the Fisher information function. When the goal is to keep item bank security at a maximum, the valuating function that seems most convenient is the matching criterion, valuating the distance between the estimated trait level and the point where the maximum of the information function is located. Recently, it has been proposed not to keep the same valuating function constant for all the items in the test. In this study we expand the idea of combining the matching criterion with the Fisher information function. We also manipulate the number of strata into which the bank is divided. We find that the manipulation of the number of items administered with each function makes it possible to move from the pole of high accuracy and low security to the opposite pole. It is possible to greatly improve item bank security with much fewer losses in accuracy by selecting several items with the matching criterion. In general, it seems more appropriate not to stratify the bank.

  13. Posterior resting state EEG asymmetries are associated with hedonic valuation of food.

    PubMed

    van Bochove, Marlies E; Ketel, Eva; Wischnewski, Miles; Wegman, Joost; Aarts, Esther; de Jonge, Benjamin; Medendorp, W Pieter; Schutter, Dennis J L G

    2016-12-01

    Research on the hedonic value of food has been important in understanding the motivational and emotional correlates of normal and abnormal eating behaviour. The aim of the present study was to explore associations between hemispheric asymmetries recorded during resting state electroencephalogram (EEG) and hedonic valuation of food. Healthy adult volunteers were recruited and four minutes of resting state EEG were recorded from the scalp. Hedonic food valuation and reward sensitivity were assessed with the hedonic attitude to food and behavioural activation scale. Results showed that parieto-occipital resting state EEG asymmetries in the alpha (8-12Hz) and beta (13-30Hz) frequency range correlate with the hedonic valuation of food. Our findings suggest that self-reported sensory-related attitude towards food is associated with interhemispheric asymmetries in resting state oscillatory activity. Our findings contribute to understanding the electrophysiological correlates of hedonic valuation, and may provide an opportunity to modulate the cortical imbalance by using non-invasive brain stimulation methods to change food consumption. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. Normalized value coding explains dynamic adaptation in the human valuation process.

    PubMed

    Khaw, Mel W; Glimcher, Paul W; Louie, Kenway

    2017-11-28

    The notion of subjective value is central to choice theories in ecology, economics, and psychology, serving as an integrated decision variable by which options are compared. Subjective value is often assumed to be an absolute quantity, determined in a static manner by the properties of an individual option. Recent neurobiological studies, however, have shown that neural value coding dynamically adapts to the statistics of the recent reward environment, introducing an intrinsic temporal context dependence into the neural representation of value. Whether valuation exhibits this kind of dynamic adaptation at the behavioral level is unknown. Here, we show that the valuation process in human subjects adapts to the history of previous values, with current valuations varying inversely with the average value of recently observed items. The dynamics of this adaptive valuation are captured by divisive normalization, linking these temporal context effects to spatial context effects in decision making as well as spatial and temporal context effects in perception. These findings suggest that adaptation is a universal feature of neural information processing and offer a unifying explanation for contextual phenomena in fields ranging from visual psychophysics to economic choice.

  15. 77 FR 50390 - Equal Credit Opportunity Act (Regulation B)

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-08-21

    ... management companies, automated valuation models, and providing copies of appraisals and valuations.\\8\\ Many... the Bureau is considering proposing rules on reasonable information management, early intervention for...

  16. "Tell me I'm sexy…and otherwise valuable:" Body Valuation and Relationship Satisfaction.

    PubMed

    Meltzer, Andrea L; McNulty, James K

    2014-03-01

    Although extant research demonstrates that body valuation by strangers has negative implications for women, Studies 1 and 2 demonstrate that body valuation by a committed male partner is positively associated with women's relationship satisfaction when that partner also values them for their non-physical qualities, but negatively associated with women's relationship satisfaction when that partner is not committed or does not value them for their non-physical qualities. Study 3 demonstrates that body valuation by a committed female partner is negatively associated with men's relationship satisfaction when that partner does not also value them for their non-physical qualities but unassociated with men's satisfaction otherwise. These findings join others demonstrating that fully understanding the implications of interpersonal processes requires considering the interpersonal context. (120 words).

  17. The Computational Complexity of Valuation and Motivational Forces in Decision-Making Processes

    PubMed Central

    Schultheiss, Nathan W.; Carter, Evan C.

    2015-01-01

    The concept of value is fundamental to most theories of motivation and decision making. However, value has to be measured experimentally. Different methods of measuring value produce incompatible valuation hierarchies. Taking the agent’s perspective (rather than the experimenter’s), we interpret the different valuation measurement methods as accessing different decision-making systems and show how these different systems depend on different information processing algorithms. This identifies the translation from these multiple decision-making systems into a single action taken by a given agent as one of the most important open questions in decision making today. We conclude by looking at how these different valuation measures accessing different decision-making systems can be used to understand and treat decision dysfunction such as in addiction. PMID:25981912

  18. Application of Real Options Analysis in the Valuation of Investment in Biodiesel Production

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-05-01

    biodiesel) at time t, P(t) be assumed to evolve as the stochastic process given by the geometric Brownian motion (GBM). Then PdWPdtdP...Equation (3) Then in any differential time interval, dt, dX follows an arithmetic Brownian motion , which under risk neutral valuation, will be given by...valuation of American put options,” Journal of Finance 32 (May), pp.449-462. 5. Brennan, M. and E. Schwartz, 1978, “Finite difference methods and

  19. Research in Algebraic Manipulation.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1980-01-01

    that are taken from mathematics are presented in chapter V. Those who are familiar with the results of valuation theory can skip this chapter...be an integer, and assume 3" divides a but 3’ + i does not. We can write a as 3 ’p. The the 3-adic valuation of a is 11aJ13 = 113pllb = 3’. When p = 0...primes. In general these distance measures are called p-adic valuations . In elementary analysis and topology, absolute values are used to define

  20. 76 FR 59657 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-09-27

    ... Restoration Ecosystem Service Valuation Pilot. OMB Control Number: None. Form Number(s): NA. Type of Request... Restoration Ecosystem Service Valuation Survey. The planned removal of two hydroelectric dams on the Elwha...

  1. A methodology for highway asset valuation in Indiana.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2012-11-01

    The Government Accounting Standards Board (GASB) requires transportation agencies to report the values of their tangible assets. : Numerous valuation methods exist which use different underlying concepts and data items. These traditional methods have...

  2. 29 CFR 4231.10 - Actuarial calculations and assumptions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... MULTIEMPLOYER PLANS § 4231.10 Actuarial calculations and assumptions. (a) Most recent valuation. All calculations required by this part must be based on the most recent actuarial valuation as of the date of...

  3. 29 CFR 4231.10 - Actuarial calculations and assumptions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... MULTIEMPLOYER PLANS § 4231.10 Actuarial calculations and assumptions. (a) Most recent valuation. All calculations required by this part must be based on the most recent actuarial valuation as of the date of...

  4. 29 CFR 4231.10 - Actuarial calculations and assumptions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... MULTIEMPLOYER PLANS § 4231.10 Actuarial calculations and assumptions. (a) Most recent valuation. All calculations required by this part must be based on the most recent actuarial valuation as of the date of...

  5. 29 CFR 4231.10 - Actuarial calculations and assumptions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... MULTIEMPLOYER PLANS § 4231.10 Actuarial calculations and assumptions. (a) Most recent valuation. All calculations required by this part must be based on the most recent actuarial valuation as of the date of...

  6. 29 CFR 4231.10 - Actuarial calculations and assumptions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... MULTIEMPLOYER PLANS § 4231.10 Actuarial calculations and assumptions. (a) Most recent valuation. All calculations required by this part must be based on the most recent actuarial valuation as of the date of...

  7. Quantifying Users' Interconnectedness in Online Social Networks - An Indispensible Step for Economic Valuation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gneiser, Martin; Heidemann, Julia; Klier, Mathias; Landherr, Andrea; Probst, Florian

    Online social networks have been gaining increasing economic importance in light of the rising number of their users. Numerous recent acquisitions priced at enormous amounts have illustrated this development and revealed the need for adequate business valuation models. The value of an online social network is largely determined by the value of its users, the relationships between these users, and the resulting network effects. Therefore, the interconnectedness of a user within the network has to be considered explicitly to get a reasonable estimate for the economic value. Established standard business valuation models, however, do not sufficiently take these aspects into account. Thus, we propose a measure based on the PageRank-algorithm to quantify users’ interconnectedness in an online social network. This is a first but indispensible step towards an adequate economic valuation of online social networks.

  8. “Tell me I’m sexy…and otherwise valuable:” Body Valuation and Relationship Satisfaction

    PubMed Central

    Meltzer, Andrea L.; McNulty, James K.

    2013-01-01

    Although extant research demonstrates that body valuation by strangers has negative implications for women, Studies 1 and 2 demonstrate that body valuation by a committed male partner is positively associated with women’s relationship satisfaction when that partner also values them for their non-physical qualities, but negatively associated with women’s relationship satisfaction when that partner is not committed or does not value them for their non-physical qualities. Study 3 demonstrates that body valuation by a committed female partner is negatively associated with men’s relationship satisfaction when that partner does not also value them for their non-physical qualities but unassociated with men’s satisfaction otherwise. These findings join others demonstrating that fully understanding the implications of interpersonal processes requires considering the interpersonal context. (120 words) PMID:24683309

  9. Valuation Diagramming and Accounting of Transactive Energy Systems

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Makhmalbaf, Atefe; Hammerstrom, Donald J.; Huang, Qiuhua

    Transactive energy (TE) systems support both economic and technical objectives of a power system including efficiency and reliability. TE systems utilize value-driven mechanisms to coordinate and balance responsive supply and demand in the power system. Economic performance of TE systems cannot be assessed without estimating their value. Estimating the potential value of transactive energy systems requires a systematic valuation methodology that can capture value exchanges among different stakeholders (i.e., actors) and ultimately estimate impact of one TE design and compare it against another one. Such a methodology can help decision makers choose the alternative that results in preferred outcomes. Thismore » paper presents a valuation methodology developed to assess value of TE systems. A TE use-case example is discussed, and metrics identified in the valuation process are quantified using a TE simulation program.« less

  10. Unveiling consumer's privacy paradox behaviour in an economic exchange.

    PubMed

    Motiwalla, Luvai F; Li, Xiao-Bai

    2016-01-01

    Privacy paradox is of great interest to IS researchers and firms gathering personal information. It has been studied from social, behavioural, and economic perspectives independently. However, prior research has not examined the degrees of influence these perspectives contribute to the privacy paradox problem. We combine both economic and behavioural perspectives in our study of the privacy paradox with a price valuation of personal information through an economic experiment combined with a behavioural study on privacy paradox. Our goal is to reveal more insights on the privacy paradox through economic valuation on personal information. Results indicate that general privacy concerns or individual disclosure concerns do not have a significant influence on the price valuation of personal information. Instead, prior disclosure behaviour in specific scenario, like with healthcare providers or social networks, is a better indicator of consumer price valuations.

  11. Unveiling consumer’s privacy paradox behaviour in an economic exchange

    PubMed Central

    Li, Xiao-Bai

    2015-01-01

    Privacy paradox is of great interest to IS researchers and firms gathering personal information. It has been studied from social, behavioural, and economic perspectives independently. However, prior research has not examined the degrees of influence these perspectives contribute to the privacy paradox problem. We combine both economic and behavioural perspectives in our study of the privacy paradox with a price valuation of personal information through an economic experiment combined with a behavioural study on privacy paradox. Our goal is to reveal more insights on the privacy paradox through economic valuation on personal information. Results indicate that general privacy concerns or individual disclosure concerns do not have a significant influence on the price valuation of personal information. Instead, prior disclosure behaviour in specific scenario, like with healthcare providers or social networks, is a better indicator of consumer price valuations. PMID:27708687

  12. Valuing ecosystem services in terms of ecological risks and returns.

    PubMed

    Abson, David J; Termansen, Mette

    2011-04-01

    The economic valuation of ecosystem services is a key policy tool in stemming losses of biological diversity. It is proposed that the loss of ecosystem function and the biological resources within ecosystems is due in part to the failure of markets to recognize the benefits humans derive from ecosystems. Placing monetary values on ecosystem services is often suggested as a necessary step in correcting such market failures. We consider the effects of valuing different types of ecosystem services within an economic framework. We argue that provisioning and regulating ecosystem services are generally produced and consumed in ways that make them amenable to economic valuation. The values associated with cultural ecosystem services lie outside the domain of economic valuation, but their worth may be expressed through noneconomic, deliberative forms of valuation. We argue that supporting ecosystem services are not of direct value and that the losses of such services can be expressed in terms of the effects of their loss on the risk to the provision of the directly valued ecosystem services they support. We propose a heuristic framework that considers the relations between ecological risks and returns in the provision of ecosystem services. The proposed ecosystem-service valuation framework, which allows the expression of the value of all types of ecosystem services, calls for a shift from static, purely monetary valuation toward the consideration of trade-offs between the current flow of benefits from ecosystems and the ability of those ecosystems to provide future flows. ©2010 Society for Conservation Biology.

  13. Ecosystems in the Backyard: Preparing a Diverse Outdoor Environment for Primary (Ages Three to Six) Children.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Verschuur, Mary B.

    2003-01-01

    Chronicles the outdoor work of Lincoln Montessori School in Nebraska in prairie, forest, and indoor greenhouse environments, highlighting the application of prepared environment principles to the natural world. Highlights how implicit to the design are opportunities for caring, including practical life exercises with outdoor tools. Shows how…

  14. Knowledge and valuation of Andean agroforestry species: the role of sex, age, and migration among members of a rural community in Bolivia

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background Agroforestry is a sustainable land use method with a long tradition in the Bolivian Andes. A better understanding of people’s knowledge and valuation of woody species can help to adjust actor-oriented agroforestry systems. In this case study, carried out in a peasant community of the Bolivian Andes, we aimed at calculating the cultural importance of selected agroforestry species, and at analysing the intracultural variation in the cultural importance and knowledge of plants according to peasants’ sex, age, and migration. Methods Data collection was based on semi-structured interviews and freelisting exercises. Two ethnobotanical indices (Composite Salience, Cultural Importance) were used for calculating the cultural importance of plants. Intracultural variation in the cultural importance and knowledge of plants was detected by using linear and generalised linear (mixed) models. Results and discussion The culturally most important woody species were mainly trees and exotic species (e.g. Schinus molle, Prosopis laevigata, Eucalyptus globulus). We found that knowledge and valuation of plants increased with age but that they were lower for migrants; sex, by contrast, played a minor role. The age effects possibly result from decreasing ecological apparency of valuable native species, and their substitution by exotic marketable trees, loss of traditional plant uses or the use of other materials (e.g. plastic) instead of wood. Decreasing dedication to traditional farming may have led to successive abandonment of traditional tool uses, and the overall transformation of woody plant use is possibly related to diminishing medicinal knowledge. Conclusions Age and migration affect how people value woody species and what they know about their uses. For this reason, we recommend paying particular attention to the potential of native species, which could open promising perspectives especially for the young migrating peasant generation and draw their interest in agroforestry. These native species should be ecologically sound and selected on their potential to provide subsistence and promising commercial uses. In addition to offering socio-economic and environmental services, agroforestry initiatives using native trees and shrubs can play a crucial role in recovering elements of the lost ancient landscape that still forms part of local people’s collective identity. PMID:24359597

  15. Are Nomothetic or Ideographic Approaches Superior in Predicting Daily Exercise Behaviors?

    PubMed

    Cheung, Ying Kuen; Hsueh, Pei-Yun Sabrina; Qian, Min; Yoon, Sunmoo; Meli, Laura; Diaz, Keith M; Schwartz, Joseph E; Kronish, Ian M; Davidson, Karina W

    2017-01-01

    The understanding of how stress influences health behavior can provide insights into developing healthy lifestyle interventions. This understanding is traditionally attained through observational studies that examine associations at a population level. This nomothetic approach, however, is fundamentally limited by the fact that the environment- person milieu that constitutes stress exposure and experience can vary substantially between individuals, and the modifiable elements of these exposures and experiences are individual-specific. With recent advances in smartphone and sensing technologies, it is now possible to conduct idiographic assessment in users' own environment, leveraging the full-range observations of actions and experiences that result in differential response to naturally occurring events. The aim of this paper is to explore the hypothesis that an ideographic N-of-1 model can better capture an individual's stress- behavior pathway (or the lack thereof) and provide useful person-specific predictors of exercise behavior. This paper used the data collected in an observational study in 79 participants who were followed for up to a 1-year period, wherein their physical activity was continuously and objectively monitored by actigraphy and their stress experience was recorded via ecological momentary assessment on a mobile app. In addition, our analyses considered exogenous and environmental variables retrieved from public archive such as day in a week, daylight time, temperature and precipitation. Leveraging the multiple data sources, we developed prediction algorithms for exercise behavior using random forest and classification tree techniques using a nomothetic approach and an N-of-1 approach. The two approaches were compared based on classification errors in predicting personalized exercise behavior. Eight factors were selected by random forest for the nomothetic decision model, which was used to predict whether a participant would exercise on a particular day. The predictors included previous exercise behavior, emotional factors (e.g., midday stress), external factors such as weather (e.g., temperature), and self-determination factors (e.g., expectation of exercise). The nomothetic model yielded an average classification error of 36%. The ideographic N-of-1 models used on average about two predictors for each individual, and had an average classification error of 25%, which represented an improvement of 11 percentage points. Compared to the traditional one-size-fits-all, nomothetic model that generalizes population-evidence for individuals, the proposed N-of-1 model can better capture the individual difference in their stressbehavior pathways. In this paper, we demonstrate it is feasible to perform personalized exercise behavior prediction, mainly made possible by mobile health technology and machine learning analytics. Schattauer GmbH.

  16. 26 CFR 25.2512-3 - Valuation of interest in businesses.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... AND GIFT TAXES GIFT TAX; GIFTS MADE AFTER DECEMBER 31, 1954 Transfers § 25.2512-3 Valuation of... with the return, including copies of reports of examinations of the business made by accountants...

  17. Children's Health Valuation Handbook (2003)

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Reference tool for analysts conducting economic analyses of EPA policies when those policies are expected to affect risks to children's health. State of knowledge on valuation of children's health is in it's infancy, so informative and not prescriptive.

  18. Santa Cruz River Options

    EPA Science Inventory

    This presentation summarizes qualitative research insights gained during development of a nonmarket valuation survey for changes to the Santa Cruz River in Southern Arizona. Qualitative research provides an important avenue for understanding how the public interprets valuation s...

  19. We Took on the Oil Giant: Good Night, Goliath.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dombrowski, Richard J.

    1988-01-01

    The small school district of Channahon, Illinois challenged the assessed valuation of a local oil refinery, won the appeal, and negotiated a settlement with the company to stabilize the assessed valuation through 1990. (MLF)

  20. Designing for psychological change: individuals' reward and cost valuations in weight management.

    PubMed

    Hsu, Anne; Blandford, Ann

    2014-06-26

    Knowledge of the psychological constructs that underlie behavior offers valuable design opportunities for persuasive systems. We use the decision theory, which describes how behavior is underpinned by reward-cost valuations, as a framework for investigating such psychological constructs to deliver design objectives for weight management technologies. We applied a decision theory-based analysis in the domain of weight management to understand the rewards and costs that surround individuals' weight management behaviors, with the aim of uncovering design opportunities for weight management technologies. We conducted qualitative interviews with 15 participants who were or had been trying to lose weight. Thematic analysis was used to extract themes that covered the rewards and costs surrounding weight management behaviors. We supplemented our qualitative study with a quantitative survey of 100 respondents investigating the extent to which they agreed with statements reflecting themes from the qualitative study. The primary obstacles to weight management were the rewards associated with unhealthy choices, such as the pleasures of unhealthy foods and unrestricted consumption in social situations, and the significant efforts required to change habits, plan, and exercise. Psychological constructs that supported positive weight management included feeling good after making healthy choices, being good to oneself, experiencing healthy yet still delicious foods, and receiving social support and encouraging messages (although opinions about encouraging messages was mixed). A rewards-costs driven enquiry revealed a wide range of psychological constructs that contribute to discouraging and supporting weight management. The constructs extracted from our qualitative study were verified by our quantitative survey, in which the majority of respondents also reported similar thoughts and feelings. This understanding of the rewards and costs surrounding weight management offers a range of new opportunities for the design of weight management technologies that enhance the encouraging factors and alleviate the discouraging ones.

  1. Did people "buy" what was "sold"? A qualitative evaluation of a contingent valuation survey information set for gains in life expectancy.

    PubMed

    Baker, R; Bartczak, A; Chilton, S; Metcalf, H

    2014-01-15

    A number of stated preferences studies have estimated a monetary value for the gains in life expectancy resulting from pollution control, using a Value of a Life Year (VOLY) approach. However, life expectancy gains are a complex concept and no attempt has been made, to date, to investigate peoples' understanding of what it is they are being asked to value. Past practice has been to focus on the outcome of a policy i.e. a gain to the average person of X months', providing no details on how the individual receives, or experiences this gain, a potentially important attribute to value. This paper sets up and reports the results from a structured debriefing exercise to qualitatively investigate an alternative approach which explicitly emphasises how this gain is delivered (on-going reductions in the risk of death). We find that, for the majority of respondents, the approach is effective in communicating the on-going nature of the gain and reduces or eliminates the use of the (incorrect) heuristic that it is an 'add-on' at the end of life, in poor health. Further refinements are required, however, to communicate the cumulative nature of these risk reductions and the lack of impact on quality of life. The lesson for stated preference studies in general is that structured debriefings can be very useful, highlighting such issues as the persistence of ill-defined attributes and the difficulties that respondents may encounter setting aside their preferences over attributes of the good that should not be included in the valuation. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Preference-based disease-specific health-related quality of life instrument for glaucoma: a mixed methods study protocol.

    PubMed

    Muratov, Sergei; Podbielski, Dominik W; Jack, Susan M; Ahmed, Iqbal Ike K; Mitchell, Levine A H; Baltaziak, Monika; Xie, Feng

    2016-11-08

    A primary objective of healthcare services is to improve patients' health and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Glaucoma, which affects a substantial proportion of the world population, has a significant detrimental impact on HRQoL. Although there are a number of glaucoma-specific questionnaires to measure HRQoL, none is preference-based which prevent them from being used in health economic evaluation. The proposed study is aimed to develop a preference-based instrument that is capable of capturing important effects specific to glaucoma and treatments on HRQoL and is scored based on the patients' preferences. A sequential, exploratory mixed methods design will be used to guide the development and evaluation of the HRQoL instrument. The study consists of several stages to be implemented sequentially: item identification, item selection, validation and valuation. The instrument items will be identified and selected through a literature review and the conduct of a qualitative study. Validation will be conducted to establish psychometric properties of the instrument followed by a valuation exercise to derive utility scores for the health states described. This study has been approved by the Trillium Health Partners Research Ethics Board (ID number 753). All personal information will be de-identified with the identification code kept in a secured location including the rest of the study data. Only qualified and study-related personnel will be allowed to access the data. The results of the study will be distributed widely through peer-reviewed journals, conferences and internal meetings. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

  3. Combining accounting approaches to practice valuation.

    PubMed

    Schwartzben, D; Finkler, S A

    1998-06-01

    Healthcare organizations that wish to acquire physician or ambulatory care practices can choose from a variety of practice valuation approaches. Basic accounting methods assess the value of a physician practice on the basis of a historical, balance-sheet description of tangible assets. Yet these methods alone are inadequate to determine the true financial value of a practice. By using a combination of accounting approaches to practice valuation that consider factors such as fair market value, opportunity cost, and discounted cash flow over a defined time period, organizations can more accurately assess a practice's actual value.

  4. Pharmacological and Expectancy Effects of a Low Amount of Alcohol Drinking on Outcome Valuation and Risk Perception in Males and Females

    PubMed Central

    Tsurugizawa, Tomokazu; Tokuda, Shinsuke; Harada, Tokiko; Takahashi, Taiki; Sadato, Norihiro

    2016-01-01

    The high-dose, alcohol-induced influences on risk perception and loss aversion depend on sex. On the other hand, low-dose alcohol has less effect on risky behavior. However, the effect of low-dose alcohol on subjective valuation of gain or loss and also the effect of placebo (expectancy of alcohol) on risk perception have not been fully investigated. We investigated the effects of low-dose alcohol (0.02 g/100 ml blood alcohol concentration) and placebo effects on subjective risk perception and subjective valuation of uncertain gain and loss in females and males. Participants in the control group and the placebo group were served alcohol-free, wine-flavored beverage and participants of alcohol group were served wine (14% alcohol). The placebo group was not informed that the drink was not alcohol but the control group was informed. Then paper–pencil tasks for subjective risk perception and valuation of gain or loss were performed 45 min after drinking the beverage. The participants were asked to draw the line on a 180 mm scale for each question. The placebo effects as well as the low-dose alcohol effects were observed in subjective valuations of gain or loss. Except for effect of beverages, a gender difference was also observed for subjective likelihood. The females estimated a low-probability loss as more likely and estimated a high-probability gain as less likely than did the males. From the Stevens’ law fitting analysis, the placebo, not alcohol, significantly induced the psychophysical effect of the subjective valuation of gain or loss. These results indicate that the psychological effects of expectancy of alcohol (placebo) could be a major factor in changing the subjective valuation of gain or loss over the pharmacological effects of a small amount of alcohol (like a glass of wine). Furthermore, these results also indicate that gender differences should be taken into account when investigating pharmacological or psychological effect on decision-making. PMID:27100898

  5. Economic Valuation of Mortality Risk Reduction - Volumes 1 and 2 (2004)

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Reports prepared on economic valuation of mortality risk reduction using information collected from sstated preference surveys of individuals, as well as using information on revealed behavior from safety expenditures in context of automobile purchases.

  6. Workshop: Benefits Transfer Workshop Proceedings (2005)

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    The objective of the workshop was to provide a forum for informed discussion regarding the practice of benefits transfer, the use of valuation databases for such, and the general relevance of valuation and benefits transfer to environmental decision making

  7. EPA Use of Ecological Nonmarket Valuation

    EPA Science Inventory

    This essay was motivated by a workshop at which numerous investigators presented advancements in nonmarket valuation . Much of the research, and the workshop itself were US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) funded, and indeed the typical expected application was environmental...

  8. 26 CFR 20.2031-3 - Valuation of interests in businesses.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... individual or a corporation, would pay for the interest to a willing seller, neither being under any... § 20.2031-2 relating to the valuation of corporate stock, to the extent applicable. Special attention...

  9. 26 CFR 20.2031-3 - Valuation of interests in businesses.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... individual or a corporation, would pay for the interest to a willing seller, neither being under any... § 20.2031-2 relating to the valuation of corporate stock, to the extent applicable. Special attention...

  10. 26 CFR 20.2031-3 - Valuation of interests in businesses.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... individual or a corporation, would pay for the interest to a willing seller, neither being under any... § 20.2031-2 relating to the valuation of corporate stock, to the extent applicable. Special attention...

  11. 26 CFR 20.2031-3 - Valuation of interests in businesses.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... individual or a corporation, would pay for the interest to a willing seller, neither being under any... § 20.2031-2 relating to the valuation of corporate stock, to the extent applicable. Special attention...

  12. Society's Survival: Equal Educational Opportunities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Buchmiller, Archie

    1972-01-01

    Discusses the property valuation system which is available for taxation by school districts to finance their educational programs. Contends that a shift in classification from property valuation to income may not solve the regional disparities in district wealth. (RJ)

  13. Public provision of four-wheeled walkers: contingent valuation study of economic benefit.

    PubMed

    Haines, Terry; Brown, Cassandra; Morrison, Jan

    2008-09-01

    To quantify the economic value of publicly provided four-wheeled walkers as judged by recipients in Queensland, Australia. Contingent valuation study using willingness-to-pay approach. A sample of 49 Australian older adults who received a publicly funded four-wheeled walker in the past 3 months completed the survey via telephone. A discrete choice bidding response format with a randomly selected starting bid was employed to glean valuations. This approach yielded only one non-response, and one zero dollar response. The mean (standard deviation) valuation provided was $ A 290 ($ A 167), which was $ A 84 in excess of the price paid by the public provider agency to purchase the equipment. Starting bid was significantly associated with values provided. The current public provision program of four-wheeled walkers is likely to generate net societal benefit. These findings coupled with arguments based on equity build a moderate case for the continuation of this program.

  14. Hierarchical competitions subserving multi-attribute choice

    PubMed Central

    Hunt, Laurence T; Dolan, Raymond J; Behrens, Timothy EJ

    2015-01-01

    Valuation is a key tenet of decision neuroscience, where it is generally assumed that different attributes of competing options are assimilated into unitary values. Such values are central to current neural models of choice. By contrast, psychological studies emphasize complex interactions between choice and valuation. Principles of neuronal selection also suggest competitive inhibition may occur in early valuation stages, before option selection. Here, we show behavior in multi-attribute choice is best explained by a model involving competition at multiple levels of representation. This hierarchical model also explains neural signals in human brain regions previously linked to valuation, including striatum, parietal and prefrontal cortex, where activity represents competition within-attribute, competition between attributes, and option selection. This multi-layered inhibition framework challenges the assumption that option values are computed before choice. Instead our results indicate a canonical competition mechanism throughout all stages of a processing hierarchy, not simply at a final choice stage. PMID:25306549

  15. Valuation of imaging centers: alternative methods and detailed description of the discounted cash flow approach.

    PubMed

    Russell, Philip J

    2007-01-01

    Medical imaging centers are an increasingly integral part of the medical services landscape in America. There are many instances in which owners and potential buyers of these enterprises want to ascertain the value of the businesses. There is an industry of professionals who provide expert valuation services for many types of businesses using various recognized alternative methods, some of which are more appropriate than others when valuing an imaging center. The federal government has prescribed parameters for all valuations if they lead to transactions in which fair market value is mandated, and it also expects transactions to adhere to more generalized laws relating to entities that provide services to Medicare patients. Radiologists who own, or who are contemplating ownership of, imaging center operations need to understand the principles of valuation, specifically the factors that are involved in a discounted cash flow determination of fair market value.

  16. Fair Package Assignment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lahaie, Sébastien; Parkes, David C.

    We consider the problem of fair allocation in the package assignment model, where a set of indivisible items, held by single seller, must be efficiently allocated to agents with quasi-linear utilities. A fair assignment is one that is efficient and envy-free. We consider a model where bidders have superadditive valuations, meaning that items are pure complements. Our central result is that core outcomes are fair and even coalition-fair over this domain, while fair distributions may not even exist for general valuations. Of relevance to auction design, we also establish that the core is equivalent to the set of anonymous-price competitive equilibria, and that superadditive valuations are a maximal domain that guarantees the existence of anonymous-price competitive equilibrium. Our results are analogs of core equivalence results for linear prices in the standard assignment model, and for nonlinear, non-anonymous prices in the package assignment model with general valuations.

  17. Assessment of environmental change and its socio-economic impacts in the mangrove ecological zone of the Niger Delta, Nigeria

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    James, Godstime Kadiri

    The Niger Delta, located in the central part of Southern Nigeria, is endowed with immense Mangrove resources, estimated to be the fourth largest in the world. The term Mangrove refers to salt tolerant species of trees or shrubs that grow on shores and in estuaries located in the coastal tropics and sub-tropical regions of the world. They support highly productive marine food chains. However, Mangrove ecosystems are in serious decline around the world due to the rapid increase in maritime commerce and exploration of mineral resources in the last few decades. These pressures often have immediate consequences on sensitive coastal environments and can potentially impact future human use of coastal space and resources. This dynamic process presents unique opportunities for research to explore the nature and consequences of these pressures. This dissertation focused on the Mangrove ecological zone of the Niger Delta, where resource exploitation and indigenous use of the environment are in direct conflict with important socio-economic implications. Environmental accounting metrics derived from the Driver-Pressure-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) framework were used to assess changes in the spatial extent of the Niger Delta Mangrove ecosystem and the socio-economic impacts of the observed changes. Landsat remotely sensed satellite data from the mid-1980s through 2003 was used to assess change in the spatial extent of the Mangrove vegetation in the region. A total of 21,340 hectares of Mangrove forest was determined to be lost over the study period. Field research in the region confirmed that this loss was primarily driven by urbanization and activities of the multinational oil and gas corporations operating in the region. To estimate the socio-economic impacts of the Mangrove loss in the region, neoclassical economic valuation and participatory social valuation approaches were adopted. Results from the economic valuation revealed that the net present value of future income stream discounted over a 30 year period at 20 percent discount rate in 2008 was between 642.20/ha and 2,852.62/ha. Consequently, the welfare loss due to the loss of 21,340 hectares of mangrove was between 13,704,548 and 60,874,911. The study also established, for the first time, the high social value of the Niger Delta Mangroves.

  18. Valuing EQ-5D-5L health states 'in context' using a discrete choice experiment.

    PubMed

    Cole, Amanda; Shah, Koonal; Mulhern, Brendan; Feng, Yan; Devlin, Nancy

    2018-05-01

    In health state valuation studies, health states are typically presented as a series of sentences, each describing a health dimension and severity 'level'. Differences in the severity levels can be subtle, and confusion about which is 'worse' can lead to logically inconsistent valuation data. A solution could be to mimic the way patients self-report health, where the ordinal structure of levels is clear. We develop and test the feasibility of presenting EQ-5D-5L health states in the 'context' of the entire EQ-5D-5L descriptive system. An online two-arm discrete choice experiment was conducted in the UK (n = 993). Respondents were randomly allocated to a control (standard presentation) or 'context' arm. Each respondent completed 16 paired comparison tasks and feedback questions about the tasks. Differences across arms were assessed using regression analyses. Presenting health states 'in context' can significantly reduce the selection of logically dominated health states, particularly for labels 'severe' and 'extreme' (χ 2  = 46.02, p < 0.001). Preferences differ significantly between arms (likelihood ratio statistic = 42.00, p < 0.05). Comparing conditional logit modeling results, coefficients are ordered as expected for both arms, but the magnitude of decrements between levels is larger for the context arm. Health state presentation is a key consideration in the design of valuation studies. Presenting health states 'in context' affects valuation data and reduces logical inconsistencies. Our results could have implications for other valuation tasks such as time trade-off, and for the valuation of other preference-based measures.

  19. Valuation of preference-based measures: can existing preference data be used to generate better estimates?

    PubMed

    Kharroubi, Samer A

    2018-06-05

    Experimental studies to develop valuations of health state descriptive systems like EQ-5D or SF-6D need to be conducted in different countries, because social and cultural differences are likely to lead to systematically different valuations. There is a scope utilize the evidence in one country to help with the design and the analysis of a study in another, for this to enable the generation of utility estimates of the second country much more precisely than would have been possible when collecting and analyzing the country's data alone. We analyze SF-6D valuation data elicited from representative samples corresponding to the Hong Kong (HK) and United Kingdom (UK) general adult populations through the use of the standard gamble technique to value 197 and 249 health states respectively. We apply a nonparametric Bayesian model to estimate a HK value set using the UK dataset as informative prior to improve its estimation. Estimates are compared to a HK value set estimated using HK values alone using mean predictions and root mean square error. The novel method of modelling utility functions permitted the UK valuations to contribute significant prior information to the Hong Kong analysis. The results suggest that using HK data alongside the existing UK data produces HK utility estimates better than using the HK study data by itself. The promising results suggest that existing preference data could be combined with valuation study in a new country to generate preference weights, making own country value sets more achievable for low and middle income countries. Further research is encouraged.

  20. A pragmatic randomised controlled trial of hydrotherapy and land exercises on overall well being and quality of life in rheumatoid arthritis

    PubMed Central

    Eversden, Lis; Maggs, Fiona; Nightingale, Peter; Jobanputra, Paresh

    2007-01-01

    Background Hydrotherapy is highly valued by people with rheumatoid arthritis yet few studies have compared the benefits of exercises in heated water against exercises on land. In particular, data on quality of life is rarely reported. This is especially important because patients treated with hydrotherapy often report an enhanced sense of well-being. We report a randomised controlled trial in which we compared the effects of hydrotherapy with exercises on land on overall response to treatment, physical function and quality of life in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Methods One hundred and fifteen patients with RA were randomised to receive a weekly 30-minute session of hydrotherapy or similar exercises on land for 6 weeks. Our primary outcome was a self-rated global impression of change – a measure of treatment effect on a 7-point scale ranging from 1(very much worse) to 7 (very much better) assessed immediately on completion of treatment. Secondary outcomes including EuroQol health related quality of life, EuroQol health status valuation, HAQ, 10 metre walk time and pain scores were collected at baseline, after treatment and 3 months later. Binary outcomes were analysed by Fisher's exact test and continuous variables by Wilcoxon or Mann-Whitney tests. Results Baseline characteristics of the two groups were comparable. Significantly more patients treated with hydrotherapy (40/46, 87%) were much better or very much better than the patients treated with land exercise (19/40, 47.5%), p < 0.001 Fisher's exact test. Eleven patients allocated land exercise failed to complete treatment compared with 4 patients allocated hydrotherapy (p = 0.09). Sensitivity analyses confirmed an advantage for hydrotherapy if we assumed non-completers would all not have responded (response rates 70% versus 38%; p < 0.001) or if we assumed that non-completers would have had the same response as completers (response rates 82% versus 55% p = 0.002). Ten metre walk time improved after treatment in both cases (median pre-treatment time for both groups combined 10.9 seconds, post-treatment 9.1 s, and 3 months later 9.6 s). There was however no difference between treatment groups. Similarly there were no significant differences between groups in terms of changes to HAQ, EQ-5D utility score, EQ VAS and pain VAS. Conclusion Patients with RA treated with hydrotherapy are more likely to report feeling much better or very much better than those treated with land exercises immediately on completion of the treatment programme. This perceived benefit was not reflected by differences between groups in 10-metre walk times, functional scores, quality of life measures and pain scores. PMID:17331241

  1. A pragmatic randomised controlled trial of hydrotherapy and land exercises on overall well being and quality of life in rheumatoid arthritis.

    PubMed

    Eversden, Lis; Maggs, Fiona; Nightingale, Peter; Jobanputra, Paresh

    2007-03-01

    Hydrotherapy is highly valued by people with rheumatoid arthritis yet few studies have compared the benefits of exercises in heated water against exercises on land. In particular, data on quality of life is rarely reported. This is especially important because patients treated with hydrotherapy often report an enhanced sense of well-being. We report a randomised controlled trial in which we compared the effects of hydrotherapy with exercises on land on overall response to treatment, physical function and quality of life in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. One hundred and fifteen patients with RA were randomised to receive a weekly 30-minute session of hydrotherapy or similar exercises on land for 6 weeks. Our primary outcome was a self-rated global impression of change--a measure of treatment effect on a 7-point scale ranging from 1(very much worse) to 7 (very much better) assessed immediately on completion of treatment. Secondary outcomes including EuroQol health related quality of life, EuroQol health status valuation, HAQ, 10 metre walk time and pain scores were collected at baseline, after treatment and 3 months later. Binary outcomes were analysed by Fisher's exact test and continuous variables by Wilcoxon or Mann-Whitney tests. Baseline characteristics of the two groups were comparable. Significantly more patients treated with hydrotherapy (40/46, 87%) were much better or very much better than the patients treated with land exercise (19/40, 47.5%), p < 0.001 Fisher's exact test. Eleven patients allocated land exercise failed to complete treatment compared with 4 patients allocated hydrotherapy (p = 0.09). Sensitivity analyses confirmed an advantage for hydrotherapy if we assumed non-completers would all not have responded (response rates 70% versus 38%; p < 0.001) or if we assumed that non-completers would have had the same response as completers (response rates 82% versus 55% p = 0.002). Ten metre walk time improved after treatment in both cases (median pre-treatment time for both groups combined 10.9 seconds, post-treatment 9.1 s, and 3 months later 9.6 s). There was however no difference between treatment groups. Similarly there were no significant differences between groups in terms of changes to HAQ, EQ-5D utility score, EQ VAS and pain VAS. Patients with RA treated with hydrotherapy are more likely to report feeling much better or very much better than those treated with land exercises immediately on completion of the treatment programme. This perceived benefit was not reflected by differences between groups in 10-metre walk times, functional scores, quality of life measures and pain scores.

  2. CAN CONTINGENT VALUATION MEASURE PASSIVE USE VALUES

    EPA Science Inventory

    Contingent valuation (CV) is the only method currently available for practically measuring passive-use values. Because proposed laws may require that environmental regulations pass a benefit-cost test, CV has become central to the policy debate on environmental protection. Crit...

  3. Workshop: Valuation of Ecological Benefits: Improving the Science Behind Policy Decisions (2005)

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Two-day workshop includes research examining the benefits of improved coastal water quality, the value of improved fresh water quality, advances in the stated preference valuation method, balancing conservation and urban growth, and valuing biodiversity.

  4. HOW PEOPLE RESPOND TO CONTINGENT VALUATION QUESTIONS

    EPA Science Inventory

    The purpose of the project is to understand better how individuals interpret and respond to contingent valuation (CV) questions. The research will address three issues: the reliability of the referendum questions format, the importance of reminding respondents about subst...

  5. Mise à jour technique sur la physiologie et l'évaluation du liquide amniotique.

    PubMed

    Lim, Kenneth I; Butt, Kimberly; Naud, Kentia; Smithies, Mila

    2017-01-01

    RéSULTATS: SOURCES DES DONNéES PROBANTES: Nous avons effectué une recherche sur MEDLINE et Kfinder pour trouver des articles pertinents, puis avons examiné les bibliographies des articles retenus, notamment des revues Cochrane et des articles de revue récents. Les données recueillies ont été analysées par le Comité d'imagerie diagnostique de la Société des obstétriciens et gynécologues du Canada. Les recommandations ont été classées selon les critères établis par le Groupe d'étude canadien sur les soins de santé préventifs (Tableau 1). AVANTAGES, DéSAVANTAGES ET COûTS: En obstétrique moderne, l'évaluation du volume de liquide amniotique par échographie fait partie intégrante de l'évaluation fœtale. Toute anomalie donne lieu à une intervention obstétricale et à des examens approfondis. Au Canada, il n'existe aucune définition normalisée associée à l'estimation du volume de liquide amniotique ni aucune approche d'évaluation uniforme. Plusieurs essais randomisés semblent indiquer que l'évaluation de poche unique, plutôt que de plusieurs poches (indice de liquide amniotique), diminue les interventions obstétricales sans augmenter l'incidence de résultats indésirables. La littérature récente laisse croire que des changements légers, mais détectables du liquide amniotique peuvent survenir une heure ou deux suivant des manœuvres physiologiques normales, ce qui pourrait expliquer la variabilité et le manque de cohérence des résultats d'évaluations répétées en peu de temps et ainsi créer de la confusion et donner lieu à d'autres examens. Le présent article vise à décrire les limites de l'évaluation du volume de liquide amniotique, à promouvoir une méthode d'évaluation normalisée et à proposer un ensemble commun de définitions. DéCLARATIONS SOMMAIRES: RECOMMANDATION. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  6. Remembering the Forest While Viewing the Trees: Evolutionary Thinking in the Teaching of Molecular Biology

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Saraswati, Sitaraman; Sitaraman, Ramakrishnan

    2014-01-01

    Given the centrality of evolutionary theory to the study of biology, we present a strategy for reinforcing its importance by appropriately recontextualizing classic and well-known experiments that are not explicitly linked with evolution in conventional texts. This exercise gives students an appreciation of the applicability of the theory of…

  7. Ecosystems in the Backyard: Preparing a Diverse Outdoor Environment for Primary (Ages Three to Six) Children

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Verschuur, Mary B.

    2013-01-01

    Mary Verschuur chronicles the outdoor work of Lincoln Montessori School in prairie, forest, and indoor greenhouse environments, pointing out the application of the prepared environment principles to the natural world. Implicit to the design are opportunities for caring, including various practical life exercises with outdoor tools blended into…

  8. Land-Use Planning in the Chaco Plain (Burruyacú, Argentina): Part 2: Generating a Consensus Plan to Mitigate Land-Use Conflicts and Minimize Land Degradation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Recatalá Boix, Luis; Zinck, Joseph Alfred

    2008-08-01

    The Burruyacú district (Tucumán province, Northwest Argentina) has been traditionally an area with rural activities based on the exploitation of the Chaco forest for timber and livestock browsing. Since the 1960s, local institutions started promoting soybean due to favorable land conditions and good market prices. Soybean extension, as from the 1970s, has resulted in important reduction of the Chaco forest and also caused physical soil degradation, especially soil compaction and erosion. A land-use-planning exercise was carried out using the Land-Use Planning and Information System (LUPIS) as a spatial decision support system. LUPIS facilitates the generation of alternative land-use plans by adjusting the relative importance attributed by multiple stakeholders to preference and avoidance policies. The system leads to the allocation of competing land uses to land map units in accordance with their preferred resource requirements, conditional upon the resource base of the area and the stakeholders’ demands. After generating a land use plan for each stakeholder category identified in the study area, including commercial farmers, conservative/conventional farmers, and conservationists, a consensus plan was established to address the land-use conflicts between mechanized agriculture, traditional agriculture and forest conservation, and to mitigate soil degradation caused by extensive dry-farming. Although the planning exercise did not directly involve the stakeholders, the results are sufficiently practical and realistic to suggest that the approach could be extended to the entire Chaco plain region.

  9. Modelling hydrological processes and analysing water-related ecosystem services of Western Siberian lowland basins

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schmalz, Britta; Kiesel, Jens; Kruse, Marion; Pfannerstill, Matthias; Sheludkov, Artyom; Khoroshavin, Vitaliy; Veshkurseva, Tatyana; Müller, Felix; Fohrer, Nicola

    2015-04-01

    For discussing and planning sustainable land management of river basins, stakeholders need suitable information on spatio-temporal patterns of hydrological components and ecosystem services. The ecosystem services concept, i.e., services provided by ecosystems that contribute to human welfare benefits, contributes comprehensive information for sustainable river management. This study shows an approach to use ecohydrological modelling results for quantifying and assessing water-related ecosystem services in three lowland river basins in Western Siberia, a region which is of global significance in terms of carbon sequestration, agricultural production and biodiversity preservation. Using the ecohydrological model SWAT, the three basins Pyschma (16762 km²), Vagai (3348 km²) and Loktinka (373 km²) were modelled following a gradient from the landscape units taiga, pre-taiga to forest steppe. For a correct representation of the Siberian lowland hydrology, the consideration of snow melt and retention of surface runoff as well as the implementation of a second groundwater aquifer was of great importance. Good to satisfying model performances were obtained for the extreme hydrological conditions. The simulated SWAT output variables of different hydrological processes were used as indicators for the two regulating services water flow and erosion regulation. The model results were translated into a relative ecosystem service valuation scale. The resulting ecosystem service maps show different spatial and seasonal patterns. Although the high resolution modelling results are averaged out within the aggregated relative valuation scale, seasonal differences can be depicted: during snowmelt, low relevant regulation can be determined, especially for water flow regulation, but a very high relevant regulation was calculated for the vegetation period during summer and for the winter period. The SWAT model serves as a suitable quantification method for the assessment of water-related ecosystem services on different spatial scales and ecoregions of the Western Siberian lowlands.

  10. Workshop: Using Contingent Valuation to Measure Non-Market Values (1994)

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Workshop co-hosted by USEPA and Dept of Energy on using contingent valuation to measure non-market values for improvement in health and the environment. Includes transcripts of presentations and discussion by attendees, later published as a book.

  11. Survey data on factors affecting negotiation of professional fees between Estate Valuers and their clients when the mortgage is financed by bank loan: A case study of mortgage valuations in Ikeja, Lagos State, Nigeria.

    PubMed

    Iroham, Chukwuemeka O; Okagbue, Hilary I; Ogunkoya, Olalekan A; Owolabi, James D

    2017-06-01

    In this article, two sets of questionnaires were administered to professionals and clients (commercial banks) on their willingness to negotiate the professional fees charged by the Estate Valuers assuming that the mortgage in valuation was financed by bank loan. A range of fees options were provided. Other factors such as the business environment and mortgage valuation can influence the negotiated fees when the data obtained from the survey data is analyzed.

  12. Scaling Stream Flow Response to Forest Disturbance: the SID Project

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Buttle, J. M.; Beall, F. D.; Creed, I. F.; Gordon, A. M.; Mackereth, R.; McLaughlin, J. W.; Sibley, P. K.

    2004-05-01

    We do not have a good understanding of the hydrologic implications of forest harvesting in Ontario, either for current or alternative management approaches. Attempts to address these implications face a three-fold problem: data on hydrologic response to forest disturbance in Ontario are lacking; most studies of these responses have been in regions with forest cover and hydrologic conditions that differ from the Ontario context; and these studies have generally been conducted at relatively small scales (<1 km2). It is generally assumed that hydrologic changes induced by forest disturbance should diminish with increasing scale due to the buffering capacity of large drainage basins. Recent modeling exercises and reanalysis of paired-basin results call this widespread applicability of this assumption into question, with important implications for assessing the cumulative impacts of forest disturbance on basin stream flow. The SID (Scalable Indicators of Disturbance) project combines stream flow monitoring across basin scales with the RHESSys modeling framework to identify forest disturbance impacts on stream flow characteristics in Ontario's major forest ecozones. As a precursor to identifying stream flow response to forest disturbance, we are examining the relative control of basin geology, topography, typology and topology on stream flow characteristics under undisturbed conditions. This will assist in identifying the dominant hydrologic processes controlling basin stream flow that must be incorporated into the RHESSys model framework in order to emulate forest disturbance and its hydrologic impacts. We present preliminary results on stream flow characteristics in a low-relief boreal forest landscape, and explore how the dominant processes influencing these characteristics change with basin scale in this landscape under both reference and disturbance conditions.

  13. The improved business valuation model for RFID company based on the community mining method.

    PubMed

    Li, Shugang; Yu, Zhaoxu

    2017-01-01

    Nowadays, the appetite for the investment and mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity in RFID companies is growing rapidly. Although the huge number of papers have addressed the topic of business valuation models based on statistical methods or neural network methods, only a few are dedicated to constructing a general framework for business valuation that improves the performance with network graph (NG) and the corresponding community mining (CM) method. In this study, an NG based business valuation model is proposed, where real options approach (ROA) integrating CM method is designed to predict the company's net profit as well as estimate the company value. Three improvements are made in the proposed valuation model: Firstly, our model figures out the credibility of the node belonging to each community and clusters the network according to the evolutionary Bayesian method. Secondly, the improved bacterial foraging optimization algorithm (IBFOA) is adopted to calculate the optimized Bayesian posterior probability function. Finally, in IBFOA, bi-objective method is used to assess the accuracy of prediction, and these two objectives are combined into one objective function using a new Pareto boundary method. The proposed method returns lower forecasting error than 10 well-known forecasting models on 3 different time interval valuing tasks for the real-life simulation of RFID companies.

  14. Economic valuation of ecosystem services: discussion and application.

    PubMed

    Lazo, Jeffrey K

    2002-11-01

    Ecosystems provide a wide range of services that improve human welfare. Changes in ecosystems imply potential changes in the generation of these ecosystem services and thus changes in welfare. In the lingo of economists, these welfare changes are measured as changes in economic values--increases in welfare being benefits and decreases in welfare being costs. For instance, individuals may benefit from, and thus value, reductions in risks to endangered species. Yet values for many changes in ecosystem services are not captured in market transactions, and thus measuring these values requires nonmarket valuation methods. This paper discusses ecosystem services and values from the viewpoint of an economist, explains what is meant by the valuation of ecosystems, and provides an overview of methods for valuation of ecosystem services. An example is presented from a recent natural resource damage assessment--the Green Bay total value equivalency study. Resources in the Lower Fox River and Green Bay in Wisconsin have been injured by polychlorinated biphenyl contamination from numerous paper mills along the river over several decades. The Green Bay study examines individuals' preferences and values for reducing ecosystem risks and improving ecosystem services and how these values are related to individuals' awareness of and use of ecosystem services in the area. The study uses methods from nonmarket valuation to scale potential restoration projects.

  15. An Initial Design of ISO 19152:2012 LADM Based Valuation and Taxation Data Model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Çağdaş, V.; Kara, A.; van Oosterom, P.; Lemmen, C.; Işıkdağ, Ü.; Kathmann, R.; Stubkjær, E.

    2016-10-01

    A fiscal registry or database is supposed to record geometric, legal, physical, economic, and environmental characteristics in relation to property units, which are subject to immovable property valuation and taxation. Apart from procedural standards, there is no internationally accepted data standard that defines the semantics of fiscal databases. The ISO 19152:2012 Land Administration Domain Model (LADM), as an international land administration standard focuses on legal requirements, but considers out of scope specifications of external information systems including valuation and taxation databases. However, it provides a formalism which allows for an extension that responds to the fiscal requirements. This paper introduces an initial version of a LADM - Fiscal Extension Module for the specification of databases used in immovable property valuation and taxation. The extension module is designed to facilitate all stages of immovable property taxation, namely the identification of properties and taxpayers, assessment of properties through single or mass appraisal procedures, automatic generation of sales statistics, and the management of tax collection, dealing with arrears and appeals. It is expected that the initial version will be refined through further activities held by a possible joint working group under FIG Commission 7 (Cadastre and Land Management) and FIG Commission 9 (Valuation and the Management of Real Estate) in collaboration with other relevant international bodies.

  16. Congruence or discrepancy? Comparing patients' health valuations and physicians' treatment goals for rehabilitation for patients with chronic conditions.

    PubMed

    Nagl, Michaela; Farin, Erik

    2012-03-01

    The aim of this study was to test the congruence of patients' health valuations and physicians' treatment goals for the rehabilitation of chronically ill patients. In addition, patient characteristics associated with greater or less congruence were to be determined. In a questionnaire study, patients' health valuations and physicians' goals were assessed in three chronic conditions [breast cancer (BC), chronic ischemic heart disease (CIHD), and chronic back pain (CBP)] using a ranking method. Sociodemographic variables and health-related quality of life were assessed as patient-related factors that influence congruence. Congruence was determined at the group (Spearman's ρ) and individual levels (percentage of congruence). Patient-related influencing factors were calculated after a simple imputation using multiple logistic regression analysis. At the group level, there were often only low correlations. The mean percentage of congruence was 34.7% (BC), 48.5% (CIHD), and 31.9% (CBP). Patients with BC or CIHD who have a higher level of education showed greater congruence. Our results indicate some high discrepancy rates between physicians' treatment goals and patients' health valuations. It is possible that patients have preferences that do not correspond well with realistic rehabilitation goals or that physicians do not take patients' individual health valuations sufficiently into consideration when setting goals.

  17. The improved business valuation model for RFID company based on the community mining method

    PubMed Central

    Li, Shugang; Yu, Zhaoxu

    2017-01-01

    Nowadays, the appetite for the investment and mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity in RFID companies is growing rapidly. Although the huge number of papers have addressed the topic of business valuation models based on statistical methods or neural network methods, only a few are dedicated to constructing a general framework for business valuation that improves the performance with network graph (NG) and the corresponding community mining (CM) method. In this study, an NG based business valuation model is proposed, where real options approach (ROA) integrating CM method is designed to predict the company’s net profit as well as estimate the company value. Three improvements are made in the proposed valuation model: Firstly, our model figures out the credibility of the node belonging to each community and clusters the network according to the evolutionary Bayesian method. Secondly, the improved bacterial foraging optimization algorithm (IBFOA) is adopted to calculate the optimized Bayesian posterior probability function. Finally, in IBFOA, bi-objective method is used to assess the accuracy of prediction, and these two objectives are combined into one objective function using a new Pareto boundary method. The proposed method returns lower forecasting error than 10 well-known forecasting models on 3 different time interval valuing tasks for the real-life simulation of RFID companies. PMID:28459815

  18. Lessons Learned from 2 Decades of Modelling Forest Dead Organic Matter and Soil Carbon at the National Scale

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shaw, C.; Kurz, W. A.; Metsaranta, J.; Bona, K. A.; Hararuk, O.; Smyth, C.

    2017-12-01

    The Carbon Budget Model of the Canadian Forest Sector (CBM-CFS3) is a forest carbon budget model that operates on individual stands. It is applied from regional to national-scales in Canada for national and international reporting of GHG emissions and removals and in support of analyses of forest sector mitigation options and other scientific and policy questions. This presentation will review the history and continuous improvement process of representations of dead organic matter (DOM) and soil carbon modelling. Early model versions in which dead organic matter (DOM) pools only included litter, downed deadwood and soil, to the current version where these pools are estimated separately to better compare model estimates against field measurements, or new pools have been added. Uncertainty analyses consistently point at soil C pools as large sources of uncertainty. With the new ground plot measurements from the National Forest Inventory, and with a newly compiled forest soil carbon database, we have recently completed a model data assimilation exercise that helped reduce parameter uncertainties. Lessons learned from the continuous improvement process will be summarised and we will discuss how model modification have led to improved representation of DOM and soil carbon dynamics. We conclude by suggesting future research priorities that can advance DOM and soil carbon modelling in Canadian forest ecosystems.

  19. Influence of forest management systems on natural resource use and provision of ecosystem services in Tanzania.

    PubMed

    Strauch, Ayron M; Rurai, Masegeri T; Almedom, Astier M

    2016-09-15

    Social, religious and economic facets of rural livelihoods in Sub-Saharan Africa are heavily dependent on natural resources, but improper resource management, drought, and social instability frequently lead to their unsustainable exploitation. In rural Tanzania, natural resources are often governed locally by informal systems of traditional resource management (TRM), defined as cultural practices developed within the context of social and religious institutions over hundreds of years. However, following independence from colonial rule, centralized governments began to exercise jurisdictional control over natural resources. Following decades of mismanagement that resulted in lost ecosystem services, communities demanded change. To improve resource protection and participation in management among stakeholders, the Tanzanian government began to decentralize management programs in the early 2000s. We investigated these two differing management approaches (traditional and decentralized government) in Sonjo communities, to examine local perceptions of resource governance, management influences on forest use, and their consequences for forest and water resources. While 97% of households understood the regulations governing traditionally-managed forests, this was true for only 39% of households for government-managed forests, leading to differences in forest use. Traditional management practices resulted in improved forest condition and surface water quality. This research provides an essential case study demonstrating the importance of TRM in shaping decision frameworks for natural resource planning and management. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. 76 FR 15939 - Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Annual Wholesale Trade Survey

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-03-22

    ... first classification is asked to provide sales, e-commerce, inventories, method of inventory valuation... asked to provide sales, e-commerce, inventories, method of inventory valuation, inventories held outside... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Census Bureau Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Annual...

  1. 76 FR 51348 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-08-18

    ... asked to provide sales, e-commerce, inventories, method of inventory valuation, inventories held outside... sales, e-commerce, inventories, method of inventory valuation, inventories held outside the United... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request The Department of Commerce will...

  2. ECOLOGICAL AND SOCIALECONOMIC BENEFITS OF RESTORING AND-IMPAIRED STREAMS: EMERGY-BASED VALUATION

    EPA Science Inventory

    Sound environmental decisions require an integrated, systemic method of valuation that accurately accounts for environmental and social, as well as economic, costs and benefits. More inclusive methods are particularly needed for assessing ecological benefits because these are so...

  3. VALUATION OF ECOLOGICAL RESOURCES: INTEGRATION OF ECOLOGY AND SOCIOECONOMICS IN ENVIRONMENTAL DECISION MAKING

    EPA Science Inventory

    In October 2003, a Pellston Workshop on Valuation of Ecological Resources was organized by SETAC to examine the integration of ecological assessment and socioeconomics to improve environmental decision-making. The workshop brought together a multidisciplinary group of distinguis...

  4. MORTALITY RISK VALUATION AND STATED PREFERENCE METHODS: AN EXPLORATORY STUDY

    EPA Science Inventory

    The purposes of this project are: (1) to improve understanding of cognitive processes involved in the valuation of mortality risk reductions that occur in an environmental pollution context, and (2) to translate this understanding into survey language appropriate for future stat...

  5. Valuation of buyout options in comprehensive development agreements : final report, December 2009.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2009-12-01

    This project investigates the feasibility of and develops an economic valuation model for buyout options in : Comprehensive Development Agreements (CDAs). A CDA is a form of public-private partnership in which : the right to price and collect revenue...

  6. 29 CFR 4281.11 - Valuation dates.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 29 Labor 9 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Valuation dates. 4281.11 Section 4281.11 Labor Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) PENSION BENEFIT GUARANTY CORPORATION INSOLVENCY, REORGANIZATION, TERMINATION, AND OTHER RULES APPLICABLE TO MULTIEMPLOYER PLANS DUTIES OF PLAN SPONSOR FOLLOWING MASS WITHDRAWAL...

  7. Environmental Economics for Watershed Restoration: Valuation for Non-Economists

    EPA Science Inventory

    EPA economists completed research projects and summarized related valuation methods and case studies, mostly dealing with acid mine drainage. Their recent book (edited by Thurston, et al.) is intended to make stakeholders more comfortable talking about economic jargon and to info...

  8. EXPERIMENTAL TESTS OF PROVISION RULES IN CONJOINT ANALYSIS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL VALUATION

    EPA Science Inventory

    In recent years there has been increasing use of conjoint analysis for environmental valuation. With conjoint analysis applications, respondents are simply asked to reveal their preferences - no published conjoint applications explicitly or implicitly describe how a good will ...

  9. 46 CFR 309.2 - Definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 8 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Definitions. 309.2 Section 309.2 Shipping MARITIME ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION EMERGENCY OPERATIONS VALUES FOR WAR RISK INSURANCE § 309.2 Definitions. (a) Ship Valuation Committee means the Ship Valuation Committee referred to in Maritime...

  10. 46 CFR 309.2 - Definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 8 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Definitions. 309.2 Section 309.2 Shipping MARITIME ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION EMERGENCY OPERATIONS VALUES FOR WAR RISK INSURANCE § 309.2 Definitions. (a) Ship Valuation Committee means the Ship Valuation Committee referred to in Maritime...

  11. 46 CFR 309.2 - Definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 8 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Definitions. 309.2 Section 309.2 Shipping MARITIME ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION EMERGENCY OPERATIONS VALUES FOR WAR RISK INSURANCE § 309.2 Definitions. (a) Ship Valuation Committee means the Ship Valuation Committee referred to in Maritime...

  12. 46 CFR 309.2 - Definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 8 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Definitions. 309.2 Section 309.2 Shipping MARITIME ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION EMERGENCY OPERATIONS VALUES FOR WAR RISK INSURANCE § 309.2 Definitions. (a) Ship Valuation Committee means the Ship Valuation Committee referred to in Maritime...

  13. 46 CFR 309.2 - Definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 8 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Definitions. 309.2 Section 309.2 Shipping MARITIME ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION EMERGENCY OPERATIONS VALUES FOR WAR RISK INSURANCE § 309.2 Definitions. (a) Ship Valuation Committee means the Ship Valuation Committee referred to in Maritime...

  14. 78 FR 20244 - Product Valuation

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-04-04

    ... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Office of Natural Resources Revenue 30 CFR Part 1206 Product Valuation CFR Correction In FR Doc. 2013-07512, appearing on page 19100, in the Federal Register of Friday, March 29, 2013, the subagency heading ``Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement'' is corrected to...

  15. Option Price Estimates for Water Quality Improvements: A Contingent Valuation Study for the Monongahela River (1985)

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This paper presents the findings from a contingent valuation survey designed to estimate the option price bids for the improved recreation resulting from enhanced water quality in the Pennsylvania portion of the Monongahela River.

  16. Benefit-cost analysis of spruce budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana Clem.) control: incorporating market and non-market values.

    PubMed

    Chang, Wei-Yew; Lantz, Van A; Hennigar, Chris R; MacLean, David A

    2012-01-01

    This study employs a benefit-cost analysis framework to estimate market and non-market benefits and costs of controlling future spruce budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana) outbreaks on Crown forest lands in New Brunswick, Canada. We used: (i) an advanced timber supply model to project potential timber volume saved, timber value benefits, and costs of pest control efforts; and (ii) a recent contingent valuation method analysis that evaluated non-market benefits (i.e., changes in recreation opportunities and existence values) of controlling future spruce budworm outbreaks in the Province. A total of six alternative scenarios were evaluated, including two uncontrolled future budworm outbreak severities (moderate vs. severe) and, for each severity, three control program levels (protecting 10%, 20%, or 40% of the susceptible Crown land forest area). The economic criteria used to evaluate each scenario included benefit-cost ratios and net present values. Under severe outbreak conditions, results indicated that the highest benefit-cost ratio (4.04) occurred when protecting 10% (284,000 ha) of the susceptible area, and the highest net present value ($111 M) occurred when protecting 20% (568,000 ha) of the susceptible area. Under moderate outbreak conditions, the highest benefit-cost ratio (3.24) and net present value ($58.7 M) occurred when protecting 10% (284,000 ha) of the susceptible area. Inclusion of non-market values generally increased the benefit-cost ratios and net present values of the control programs, and in some cases, led to higher levels of control being supported. Results of this study highlight the importance of including non-market values into the decision making process of forest pest management. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Improved Approximation Algorithms for Item Pricing with Bounded Degree and Valuation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hamane, Ryoso; Itoh, Toshiya

    When a store sells items to customers, the store wishes to decide the prices of the items to maximize its profit. If the store sells the items with low (resp. high) prices, the customers buy more (resp. less) items, which provides less profit to the store. It would be hard for the store to decide the prices of items. Assume that a store has a set V of n items and there is a set C of m customers who wish to buy those items. The goal of the store is to decide the price of each item to maximize its profit. We refer to this maximization problem as an item pricing problem. We classify the item pricing problems according to how many items the store can sell or how the customers valuate the items. If the store can sell every item i with unlimited (resp. limited) amount, we refer to this as unlimited supply (resp. limited supply). We say that the item pricing problem is single-minded if each customer j∈C wishes to buy a set ej⊆V of items and assigns valuation w(ej)≥0. For the single-minded item pricing problems (in unlimited supply), Balcan and Blum regarded them as weighted k-hypergraphs and gave several approximation algorithms. In this paper, we focus on the (pseudo) degree of k-hypergraphs and the valuation ratio, i. e., the ratio between the smallest and the largest valuations. Then for the single-minded item pricing problems (in unlimited supply), we show improved approximation algorithms (for k-hypergraphs, general graphs, bipartite graphs, etc.) with respect to the maximum (pseudo) degree and the valuation ratio.

  18. A comparison of Hong Kong and United Kingdom SF-6D health states valuations using a nonparametric Bayesian method.

    PubMed

    Kharroubi, Samer A; Brazier, John E; McGhee, Sarah

    2014-06-01

    There is interest in the extent to which valuations of health may differ between different countries and cultures, but few studies have compared preference values of health states obtained in different countries. The present study applies a nonparametric model to estimate and compare two HK and UK standard gamble values for six-dimensional health state short form (derived from short-form 36 health survey) (SF-6D) health states using Bayesian methods. The data set is the HK and UK SF-6D valuation studies in which two samples of 197 and 249 states defined by the SF-6D were valued by representative samples of the HK and UK general populations, respectively, both using the standard gamble technique. We estimated a function applicable across both countries that explicitly accounts for the differences between them, and is estimated using the data from both countries. The results suggest that differences in SF-6D health state valuations between the UK and HK general populations are potentially important. In particular, the valuations of Hong Kong were meaningfully higher than those of the United Kingdom for most of the selected SF-6D health states. The magnitude of these country-specific differences in health state valuation depended, however, in a complex way on the levels of individual dimensions. The new Bayesian nonparametric method is a powerful approach for analyzing data from multiple nationalities or ethnic groups to understand the differences between them and potentially to estimate the underlying utility functions more efficiently. Copyright © 2014 International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Scoring the importance of tropical forest landscapes with local people: patterns and insights.

    PubMed

    Sheil, Douglas; Liswanti, Nining

    2006-07-01

    Good natural resource management is scarce in many remote tropical regions. Improved management requires better local consultation, but accessing and understanding the preferences and concerns of stakeholders can be difficult. Scoring, where items are numerically rated in relation to each other, is simple and seems applicable even in situations where capacity and funds are limited, but managers rarely use such methods. Here we investigate scoring with seven indigenous communities threatened by forest loss in Kalimantan, Indonesia. We aimed to clarify the forest's multifaceted importance, using replication, cross-check exercises, and interviews. Results are sometimes surprising, but generally explained by additional investigation that sometimes provides new insights. The consistency of scoring results increases in line with community literacy and wealth. Various benefits and pitfalls are identified and examined. Aside from revealing and clarifying local preferences, scoring has unexplored potential as a quantitative technique. Scoring is an underappreciated management tool with wide potential.

  20. Dissociable Contributions of Imagination and Willpower to the Malleability of Human Patience.

    PubMed

    Jenkins, Adrianna C; Hsu, Ming

    2017-07-01

    The ability to exercise patience is important for human functioning. Although it is known that patience can be promoted by using top-down control, or willpower, to override impatient impulses, patience is also malleable-in particular, susceptible to framing effects-in ways that are difficult to explain using willpower alone. So far, the mechanisms underlying framing effects on patience have been elusive. We investigated the role of imagination in these effects. In a behavioral experiment (Experiment 1), a classic framing manipulation (sequence framing) increased self-reported and independently coded imagination during intertemporal choice. In an investigation of neural responses during decision making (Experiment 2), sequence framing increased the extent to which patience was related to activation in brain regions associated with imagination, relative to activation in regions associated with willpower, and increased functional connectivity of brain regions associated with imagination, but not willpower, relative to regions associated with valuation. Our results suggest that sequence framing can increase the role of imagination in decision making without increasing the exertion of willpower.

  1. Evaluating Trade-offs of a Large, Infrequent Diversion for Restoration of a Forested Wetland and Associated Ecosystem Services in the Mississippi delta

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Day, J.; Rutherford, J.; Weigman, A.; D'Elia, C.

    2017-12-01

    Flood control levees have eliminated the supply of sediment to Mississippi delta coastal wetlands, putting the delta on a trajectory for submergence in the 21st century. River diversions have been proposed as a method to provide a sustainable supply of sediment to the delta. Operating river diversions based on the size and frequency of natural crevasse events that were large (>5000 m3/s) and infrequent (active < once a year). This study assesses tradeoffs for a large, infrequent diversion into the forested wetlands of the Maurepas Swamp using a 2-dimensional model, that predicts land building is simulated for several diversion sizes and intermittencies. A cost-benefit analysis (CBA) was conducted by combining model results with an ecosystem service valuation (ESV) and estimated costs. Land building is proportional to diversion size and inversely proportional to years inactive. Because benefits are assumed to scale linearly with land gain, and costs increase with diversion size, there are disadvantages to operating large diversions less often, compared to smaller diversions more often. However, infrequent operation would provide additional ES benefits to the broader Lake Pontchartrain ecosystem by minimizing long-term changes to water quality and salinity, reducing inundation time, and allowing for greater consolidation of soils between diversion pulses. Compared to diversions, marsh creation costs increase over time due to sea level rise and energy costs.

  2. Effects of physical therapist-guided quadriceps-strengthening exercises for the treatment of patellofemoral pain syndrome: a systematic review.

    PubMed

    Kooiker, Laura; Van De Port, Ingrid G L; Weir, Adam; Moen, Maarten H

    2014-06-01

    Systematic literature review. To summarize the evidence for physical therapist-guided quadriceps-strengthening exercises as a treatment for patellofemoral pain syndrome. Although quadriceps strengthening is often included in the plan of care for patellofemoral pain syndrome, a systematic review published in 2003 found only limited evidence that exercise was more effective than no exercise for this common condition. The PubMed, Embase/MEDLINE, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases, from inception to January 9, 2014, were searched for randomized controlled trials comparing the use of quadriceps-strengthening exercises to interventions consisting of advice/information or a placebo. Outcomes of interest were pain measures and function, as measured with self-report questionnaires. The methodological quality of the randomized controlled trials was assessed with the Physiotherapy Evidence Database scale. Results were summarized using a best-evidence synthesis and graphically illustrated using forest plots without meta-analysis. Seven studies were included in the literature review. These studies reported strong evidence that isolated quadriceps strengthening is more effective in reducing pain and improving function than advice and information alone. In addition, compared to advice and information or placebo, there was strong evidence that quadriceps-strengthening exercises combined with other interventions may be more effective in reducing pain immediately postintervention and after 12 months, but not in improving function. The literature provides strong evidence for the use of quadriceps-strengthening exercises, with or without other interventions, for the treatment of patellofemoral pain syndrome.

  3. 30 CFR 281.29 - Royalty valuation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Royalty valuation. 281.29 Section 281.29 Mineral Resources MINERALS MANAGEMENT SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR OFFSHORE LEASING OF MINERALS OTHER THAN OIL, GAS, AND SULPHUR IN THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF Financial Considerations § 281.29...

  4. 78 FR 68089 - Proposed Information Collection; Visibility Valuation Survey

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-11-13

    ... DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR National Park Service [NPS-WASO-NRSS-SSD-14447; PPWONRADA0, PPMRSNR1Y.NA0000] Proposed Information Collection; Visibility Valuation Survey AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior. ACTION: Notice; request for comments. SUMMARY: We (National Park Service) will ask the Office of...

  5. Contingent Valuation Assessment of the Economic Damages of Pollution to Marine Recreational Fishing (1989)

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Paper develops a fully utility-theoretic model for the demand for recreational fishing access days, applied to a sample of Texas Gulf Coast anglers. The model employs contingent valuation and travel cost data jointly to calibrate a utility function.

  6. Crowd-sourcing relative preferences for ecosystem services in the St. Louis River AOC

    EPA Science Inventory

    Analysis of ecosystem service tradeoffs among project scenarios is more reliable when valuation data are available. Empirical valuation data are expensive and difficult to collect. As a possible alternative or supplement to empirical data, we downloaded and classified images from...

  7. 48 CFR 211.274-3 - Policy for valuation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 3 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Policy for valuation. 211.274-3 Section 211.274-3 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEFENSE ACQUISITION REGULATIONS SYSTEM...) The Government's unit acquisition cost of subassemblies, components, and parts embedded in delivered...

  8. 15 CFR 296.6 - Valuation of transfers.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... 15 Commerce and Foreign Trade 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Valuation of transfers. 296.6 Section 296.6 Commerce and Foreign Trade Regulations Relating to Commerce and Foreign Trade NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE NIST EXTRAMURAL PROGRAMS TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION...

  9. 15 CFR 296.6 - Valuation of transfers.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... 15 Commerce and Foreign Trade 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Valuation of transfers. 296.6 Section 296.6 Commerce and Foreign Trade Regulations Relating to Commerce and Foreign Trade NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE NIST EXTRAMURAL PROGRAMS TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION...

  10. 15 CFR 296.6 - Valuation of transfers.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 15 Commerce and Foreign Trade 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Valuation of transfers. 296.6 Section 296.6 Commerce and Foreign Trade Regulations Relating to Commerce and Foreign Trade NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE NIST EXTRAMURAL PROGRAMS TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION...

  11. 15 CFR 296.6 - Valuation of transfers.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... 15 Commerce and Foreign Trade 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Valuation of transfers. 296.6 Section 296.6 Commerce and Foreign Trade Regulations Relating to Commerce and Foreign Trade NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE NIST EXTRAMURAL PROGRAMS TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION...

  12. 15 CFR 296.6 - Valuation of transfers.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 15 Commerce and Foreign Trade 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Valuation of transfers. 296.6 Section 296.6 Commerce and Foreign Trade Regulations Relating to Commerce and Foreign Trade NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE NIST EXTRAMURAL PROGRAMS TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION...

  13. Response to "Alternative Measures of School District Wealth" by Allan Odden

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Johns, Roe L.

    1977-01-01

    Argues against John's suggestion that state equalization aid to local school districts should be based on measures of per-capita income and assessed property valuation per capita, rather than on measures of local tax revenue and assessed property valuation per pupil. (JG)

  14. Considerations on patent valuation based on patent classification and citation in biotechnological field

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mihara, Kenji

    Regarding innovation measurement utilizing patent information, a number of researchers are making great efforts to measure a "patent value (patent quality)." For patent valuation, patent classification and citation are often utilized as patent information. Also, biotechnological field is attracting attention from the viewpoint of application to environmental or medical study, and considerable researches on patent valuation are ongoing in this technical field. However, it is not enough recognized that researchers cannot be too careful when they deal with classification information in the biotech field because patent classification structure in this field is not well-established. And also, it is not known enough that citation patterns of both academic papers and patent documents are so complicated that the patterns cannot be easily generalized. In this article, the issues above were verified from a position based on working experiences of biotech patent examiner at Japan Patent Office, and considerations and implications were given on what patent valuation should be.

  15. A dynamic code for economic object valuation in prefrontal cortex neurons

    PubMed Central

    Tsutsui, Ken-Ichiro; Grabenhorst, Fabian; Kobayashi, Shunsuke; Schultz, Wolfram

    2016-01-01

    Neuronal reward valuations provide the physiological basis for economic behaviour. Yet, how such valuations are converted to economic decisions remains unclear. Here we show that the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) implements a flexible value code based on object-specific valuations by single neurons. As monkeys perform a reward-based foraging task, individual DLPFC neurons signal the value of specific choice objects derived from recent experience. These neuronal object values satisfy principles of competitive choice mechanisms, track performance fluctuations and follow predictions of a classical behavioural model (Herrnstein’s matching law). Individual neurons dynamically encode both, the updating of object values from recently experienced rewards, and their subsequent conversion to object choices during decision-making. Decoding from unselected populations enables a read-out of motivational and decision variables not emphasized by individual neurons. These findings suggest a dynamic single-neuron and population value code in DLPFC that advances from reward experiences to economic object values and future choices. PMID:27618960

  16. Ecological economics of soil erosion: a review of the current state of knowledge.

    PubMed

    Adhikari, Bhim; Nadella, Karthik

    2011-02-01

    The economics of land degradation has received relatively little attention until recent years. Although a number of studies have undertaken valuation of ecosystem services ranging from the global to the micro level, and quite a few studies have attempted to quantify the costs of soil erosion, studies that address the full costs of land degradation are still scarce. In this review, we attempt to analyze different land resource modeling and valuation techniques applied in earlier research and the type of data used in these analyses, and to assess their utility for different forms of land resource and management appraisal. We also report on the strengths and weaknesses of different valuation techniques used in studies on the economics of soil erosion, and the relevance of these valuation techniques. We make a case for the need for more appropriate models that can make the analysis more robust in estimating the economic costs of land degradation while recognizing the spatial heterogeneity in biophysical and economic conditions. © 2011 New York Academy of Sciences.

  17. Seeing the Forest through the Trees: Helping Students Appreciate Life's Diversity by Building the Tree of Life

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Staub, Nancy L.; Pauw, Peter G.; Pauw, Daniel

    2006-01-01

    Introductory biology students can be overwhelmed by the diversity of life. By focusing on learning characteristics of individual taxa, they often lose and miss the larger perspective--that all taxa are connected through evolution, resulting in the Tree of Life. In this article, the authors present an exercise that helps students develop an…

  18. 36 CFR 251.14 - Conditions, rules and regulations to govern exercise of timber rights reserved in conveyance to...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... locality for sales of similar National Forest timber and timber products. (4) Slash and debris resulting... rates for equipment or manpower furnished by operator. (9) Only one cutting shall be made on any portion... will result. (b) The conditions, rules and regulations set forth in paragraphs (a)(1) through (14) of...

  19. 36 CFR 251.14 - Conditions, rules and regulations to govern exercise of timber rights reserved in conveyance to...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... locality for sales of similar National Forest timber and timber products. (4) Slash and debris resulting... rates for equipment or manpower furnished by operator. (9) Only one cutting shall be made on any portion... will result. (b) The conditions, rules and regulations set forth in paragraphs (a)(1) through (14) of...

  20. 36 CFR 251.14 - Conditions, rules and regulations to govern exercise of timber rights reserved in conveyance to...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... locality for sales of similar National Forest timber and timber products. (4) Slash and debris resulting... rates for equipment or manpower furnished by operator. (9) Only one cutting shall be made on any portion... will result. (b) The conditions, rules and regulations set forth in paragraphs (a)(1) through (14) of...

  1. 36 CFR 251.14 - Conditions, rules and regulations to govern exercise of timber rights reserved in conveyance to...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... locality for sales of similar National Forest timber and timber products. (4) Slash and debris resulting... rates for equipment or manpower furnished by operator. (9) Only one cutting shall be made on any portion... will result. (b) The conditions, rules and regulations set forth in paragraphs (a)(1) through (14) of...

  2. 36 CFR 251.14 - Conditions, rules and regulations to govern exercise of timber rights reserved in conveyance to...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... locality for sales of similar National Forest timber and timber products. (4) Slash and debris resulting... rates for equipment or manpower furnished by operator. (9) Only one cutting shall be made on any portion... will result. (b) The conditions, rules and regulations set forth in paragraphs (a)(1) through (14) of...

  3. Pricing risk and ambiguity: the effect of perspective taking.

    PubMed

    Trautmann, Stefan T; Schmidt, Ulrich

    2012-01-01

    In the valuation of uncertain prospects, a difference is often observed between selling and buying perspectives. This paper distinguishes between risk (known probabilities) and ambiguity (unknown probabilities) in decisions under uncertainty and shows that the valuation disparity increases under ambiguity compared to risk. It is found that both the comparative versus noncomparative evaluation of risky and ambiguous prospects and the uniqueness of the valuation perspective (either seller or buyer) moderate this increase in the disparity under ambiguity. The finding is consistent with recent theoretical accounts of pricing under uncertainty. We discuss implications for market behaviour and for the ambiguity paradigm as a research tool.

  4. Mergers and acquisitions: new arrangements in health care. Part 1.

    PubMed

    Grant, E A

    1988-02-01

    Mergers and acquisitions are assuming a more important role in the healthcare industry today. These transactions require various issues be considered, such as valuation, capital planning, and so forth. In this article, the first in a five-part series on mergers and acquisitions, the fundamental methods and techniques of valuation are discussed. Some of these valuation methods, including comparative market transactions and free cash flow, are explained and examples are used to help potential purchasers and sellers to determine an organization's true value. Other articles in this series will include legal issues, tax implications, purchase investigations, and capital planning for mergers and acquisitions.

  5. Putting the environment into the NPV calculation -- Quantifying pipeline environmental costs

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Dott, D.R.; Wirasinghe, S.C.; Chakma, A.

    1996-12-31

    Pipeline projects impact the environment through soil and habitat disturbance, noise during construction and compressor operation, river crossing disturbance and the risk of rupture. Assigning monetary value to these negative project consequences enables the environment to be represented in the project cost-benefit analysis. This paper presents the mechanics and implications of two environmental valuation techniques: (1) the contingent valuation method and (2) the stated preference method. The use of environmental value at the project economic-evaluation stage is explained. A summary of research done on relevant environmental attribute valuation is presented and discussed. Recommendations for further research in the field aremore » made.« less

  6. 7 CFR 3015.53 - Valuation of donated services.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 15 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Valuation of donated services. 3015.53 Section 3015.53 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) OFFICE OF THE CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE UNIFORM FEDERAL ASSISTANCE REGULATIONS Cost-Sharing or Matching § 3015...

  7. 7 CFR 3015.55 - Valuation of donated equipment, buildings, and land.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 15 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Valuation of donated equipment, buildings, and land. 3015.55 Section 3015.55 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) OFFICE OF THE CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE UNIFORM FEDERAL ASSISTANCE REGULATIONS Cost...

  8. Topics in Finance Part IV--Valuation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Laux, Judy

    2010-01-01

    This article looks at security valuation from the perspective of the financial manager, accenting the relationships to stockholder wealth maximization (SWM), risk and return, and potential agency problems. It also covers some of the pertinent literature related to how investors and creditors price the stocks and bonds of corporations.

  9. Incorporating sociocultural phenomena into ecosystem-service valuation: The importance of critical pluralism

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Ecosystem services (ES) scholarship has largely focused on monetary valuation and the material contributions of ecosystems to human well-being. Increasingly, research is calling for a deeper understanding of how less tangible, non-material values shape management and stakeholder decisions. Such rese...

  10. The Q theory of investment, the capital asset pricing model, and asset valuation: a synthesis.

    PubMed

    McDonald, John F

    2004-05-01

    The paper combines Tobin's Q theory of real investment with the capital asset pricing model to produce a new and relatively simple procedure for the valuation of real assets using the income approach. Applications of the new method are provided.

  11. 29 CFR 4281.17 - Asset valuation methods-in general.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 29 Labor 9 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Asset valuation methods-in general. 4281.17 Section 4281.17 Labor Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) PENSION BENEFIT GUARANTY CORPORATION INSOLVENCY, REORGANIZATION, TERMINATION, AND OTHER RULES APPLICABLE TO MULTIEMPLOYER PLANS DUTIES OF PLAN SPONSOR FOLLOWING...

  12. 29 CFR 4281.13 - Benefit valuation methods-in general.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 29 Labor 9 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Benefit valuation methods-in general. 4281.13 Section 4281.13 Labor Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) PENSION BENEFIT GUARANTY CORPORATION INSOLVENCY, REORGANIZATION, TERMINATION, AND OTHER RULES APPLICABLE TO MULTIEMPLOYER PLANS DUTIES OF PLAN SPONSOR FOLLOWING...

  13. 48 CFR 211.274-3 - Policy for valuation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 3 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Policy for valuation. 211.274-3 Section 211.274-3 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEFENSE ACQUISITION REGULATIONS SYSTEM... unit acquisition cost of subassemblies, components, and parts embedded in delivered items need not be...

  14. 48 CFR 211.274-3 - Policy for valuation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 3 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Policy for valuation. 211.274-3 Section 211.274-3 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEFENSE ACQUISITION REGULATIONS SYSTEM... unit acquisition cost of subassemblies, components, and parts embedded in delivered items need not be...

  15. 48 CFR 211.274-3 - Policy for valuation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Policy for valuation. 211.274-3 Section 211.274-3 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEFENSE ACQUISITION REGULATIONS SYSTEM... unit acquisition cost of subassemblies, components, and parts embedded in delivered items need not be...

  16. 48 CFR 211.274-3 - Policy for valuation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 3 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Policy for valuation. 211.274-3 Section 211.274-3 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEFENSE ACQUISITION REGULATIONS SYSTEM... unit acquisition cost of subassemblies, components, and parts embedded in delivered items need not be...

  17. 23 CFR 645.111 - Right-of-way.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... existing location beause it holds the fee, an easement, or another real property interest, the damaging or... for highway purposes. (b) The utility shall determine and make a written valuation of the replacement... valuation shall be accomplished prior to negotiation for acquisition. (c) Acquisition of replacement right...

  18. [Crisis in the valuation, emotional labor and occupational burnout among teachers of religion].

    PubMed

    Lachowska, Bogusława; Starczewski, Karol

    2015-01-01

    This article presents an analysis of the relationship between the crisis of values and in the valuation, the strategy of emotional labor, and occupational burnout in the group of lay teachers of religion. In addition, the role of emotional labor as a mediator of the relationship between the crisis of values and burnout was analyzed. Three strategies of emotional labor were considered in the study: surface acting, deep acting, and expression of naturally felt emotions. The study was conducted in a group of 169 lay teachers of religion (males - 24%, females - 76%), using the Questionnaire for Investigating Crisis in Valuation developed by Oleś, the Maslach Burnout Inventory, and the Emotional Labour Scale developed by Diefendorff, Croyle and Gosserand. The crisis of values and in the valuation is an important factor responsible for occupational burnout in the group of lay teachers of religion. Surface acting and expression of naturally felt emotions mediate the relationship between crisis in the valuation and emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and lack of personal accomplishment. Surface acting increases, while the expression of naturally felt emotions decreases occupational burnout. Deep acting is not related with occupational burnout. It is justified to seek factors favoring the expression of naturally felt emotions, and also those reducing surface acting. This work is available in Open Access model and licensed under a CC BY-NC 3.0 PL license.

  19. The dorsomedial prefrontal cortex mediates the interaction between moral and aesthetic valuation: a TMS study on the beauty-is-good stereotype.

    PubMed

    Ferrari, Chiara; Nadal, Marcos; Schiavi, Susanna; Vecchi, Tomaso; Cela-Conde, Camilo J; Cattaneo, Zaira

    2017-05-01

    Attractive individuals are perceived as possessing more positive personal traits than unattractive individuals. This reliance on aesthetic features to infer moral character suggests a close link between aesthetic and moral valuation. Here we aimed to investigate the neural underpinnings of the interaction between aesthetic and moral valuation by combining transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) with a priming paradigm designed to assess the Beauty-is-Good stereotype. Participants evaluated the trustworthiness of a series of faces (targets), each of which was preceded by an adjective describing desirable, undesirable, or neutral aesthetic qualities (primes). TMS was applied between prime and target to interfere with activity in two regions known to be involved in aesthetic and moral valuation: the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC, a core region in social cognition) and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC, critical in decision making). Our results showed that when TMS was applied over vertex (control) and over the dlPFC, participants judged faces as more trustworthy when preceded by positive than by negative aesthetic primes (as also shown in two behavioral experiments). However, when TMS was applied over the dmPFC, primes had no effect on trustworthiness judgments. A second Experiment corroborated this finding. Our results suggest that mPFC plays a causal role linking moral and aesthetic valuation. © The Author (2017). Published by Oxford University Press.

  20. The dorsomedial prefrontal cortex mediates the interaction between moral and aesthetic valuation: a TMS study on the beauty-is-good stereotype

    PubMed Central

    Ferrari, Chiara; Nadal, Marcos; Schiavi, Susanna; Vecchi, Tomaso; Cela-Conde, Camilo J.

    2017-01-01

    Abstract Attractive individuals are perceived as possessing more positive personal traits than unattractive individuals. This reliance on aesthetic features to infer moral character suggests a close link between aesthetic and moral valuation. Here we aimed to investigate the neural underpinnings of the interaction between aesthetic and moral valuation by combining transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) with a priming paradigm designed to assess the Beauty-is-Good stereotype. Participants evaluated the trustworthiness of a series of faces (targets), each of which was preceded by an adjective describing desirable, undesirable, or neutral aesthetic qualities (primes). TMS was applied between prime and target to interfere with activity in two regions known to be involved in aesthetic and moral valuation: the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC, a core region in social cognition) and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC, critical in decision making). Our results showed that when TMS was applied over vertex (control) and over the dlPFC, participants judged faces as more trustworthy when preceded by positive than by negative aesthetic primes (as also shown in two behavioral experiments). However, when TMS was applied over the dmPFC, primes had no effect on trustworthiness judgments. A second Experiment corroborated this finding. Our results suggest that mPFC plays a causal role linking moral and aesthetic valuation. PMID:28158864

  1. Automation of motor dexterity assessment.

    PubMed

    Heyer, Patrick; Castrejon, Luis R; Orihuela-Espina, Felipe; Sucar, Luis Enrique

    2017-07-01

    Motor dexterity assessment is regularly performed in rehabilitation wards to establish patient status and automatization for such routinary task is sought. A system for automatizing the assessment of motor dexterity based on the Fugl-Meyer scale and with loose restrictions on sensing technologies is presented. The system consists of two main elements: 1) A data representation that abstracts the low level information obtained from a variety of sensors, into a highly separable low dimensionality encoding employing t-distributed Stochastic Neighbourhood Embedding, and, 2) central to this communication, a multi-label classifier that boosts classification rates by exploiting the fact that the classes corresponding to the individual exercises are naturally organized as a network. Depending on the targeted therapeutic movement class labels i.e. exercises scores, are highly correlated-patients who perform well in one, tends to perform well in related exercises-; and critically no node can be used as proxy of others - an exercise does not encode the information of other exercises. Over data from a cohort of 20 patients, the novel classifier outperforms classical Naive Bayes, random forest and variants of support vector machines (ANOVA: p < 0.001). The novel multi-label classification strategy fulfills an automatic system for motor dexterity assessment, with implications for lessening therapist's workloads, reducing healthcare costs and providing support for home-based virtual rehabilitation and telerehabilitation alternatives.

  2. Forgetting the Past: Individual Differences in Recency in Subjective Valuations from Experience

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ashby, Nathaniel J. S.; Rakow, Tim

    2014-01-01

    Recent research investigating decisions from experience suggests that not all information is treated equally in the decision process, with more recently encountered information having a greater impact. We report 2 studies investigating how this differential treatment of sequentially encountered information affects subjective valuations of risky…

  3. Neural Correlates of Affective Influence on Choice

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Piech, Richard M.; Lewis, Jade; Parkinson, Caroline H.; Owen, Adrian M.; Roberts, Angela C.; Downing, Paul E.; Parkinson, John A.

    2010-01-01

    Making the right choice depends crucially on the accurate valuation of the available options in the light of current needs and goals of an individual. Thus, the valuation of identical options can vary considerably with motivational context. The present study investigated the neural structures underlying context dependent evaluation. We instructed…

  4. 44 CFR 206.376 - Loan cancellation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... official financial statements of the local government. (2) “Revenue” means any source of income from taxes... procedures. (1) If the tax rates and other revenues or the tax assessment valuation of property which was not... major disaster, the tax rates and other revenues and tax assessment valuation factors applicable to such...

  5. 7 CFR 3015.54 - Valuation of donated supplies and loaned equipment or space.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 15 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Valuation of donated supplies and loaned equipment or space. 3015.54 Section 3015.54 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) OFFICE OF THE CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE UNIFORM FEDERAL ASSISTANCE REGULATIONS...

  6. 31 CFR 223.9 - Valuation of assets and liabilities.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 31 Money and Finance: Treasury 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Valuation of assets and liabilities. 223.9 Section 223.9 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations Relating to Money and Finance (Continued) FISCAL SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT SERVICE SURETY COMPANIES DOING BUSINESS...

  7. Valuation Challenges of Riparian Restoration in a Dynamic Decision Support Context: What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

    EPA Science Inventory

    A dynamic simulation model is constructed to compare benefit-cost ratios of riparian restoration options for the Middle Rio Grande riparian corridor in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. The model is built from original choice experiment valuation data, regional benefit-transfer studi...

  8. Non-monetary valuation using Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis: Sensitivity of additive aggregation methods to scaling and compensation assumptions

    EPA Science Inventory

    Analytical methods for Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) support the non-monetary valuation of ecosystem services for environmental decision making. Many published case studies transform ecosystem service outcomes into a common metric and aggregate the outcomes to set land ...

  9. Benefit-based tree valuation

    Treesearch

    E.G. McPherson

    2007-01-01

    Benefit-based tree valuation provides alternative estimates of the fair and reasonable value of trees while illustrating the relative contribution of different benefit types. This study compared estimates of tree value obtained using cost- and benefit-based approaches. The cost-based approach used the Council of Landscape and Tree Appraisers trunk formula method, and...

  10. Voter-Weighted Environmental Preferences

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bell, Jason; Huber, Joel; Viscusi, W. Kip

    2009-01-01

    This article examines the political economy of preferences with respect to the environment using a new stated preference survey that presents the first benefit values for national water quality levels. The mean valuation greatly exceeds the median value, as the distribution of valuations is highly skewed. The study couples the survey valuations…

  11. 31 CFR 223.9 - Valuation of assets and liabilities.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 31 Money and Finance: Treasury 2 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Valuation of assets and liabilities. 223.9 Section 223.9 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations Relating to Money and Finance (Continued) FISCAL SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY BUREAU OF THE FISCAL SERVICE SURETY COMPANIES DOING BUSINESS...

  12. 31 CFR 223.9 - Valuation of assets and liabilities.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 2 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Valuation of assets and liabilities. 223.9 Section 223.9 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations Relating to Money and Finance (Continued) FISCAL SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT SERVICE SURETY COMPANIES DOING BUSINESS...

  13. 31 CFR 223.9 - Valuation of assets and liabilities.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 2 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Valuation of assets and liabilities. 223.9 Section 223.9 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations Relating to Money and Finance (Continued) FISCAL SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT SERVICE SURETY COMPANIES DOING BUSINESS...

  14. 31 CFR 223.9 - Valuation of assets and liabilities.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 2 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Valuation of assets and liabilities. 223.9 Section 223.9 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations Relating to Money and Finance (Continued) FISCAL SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT SERVICE SURETY COMPANIES DOING BUSINESS...

  15. 30 CFR 1206.152 - Valuation standards-unprocessed gas.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 30 Mineral Resources 3 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Valuation standards-unprocessed gas. 1206.152 Section 1206.152 Mineral Resources OFFICE OF NATURAL RESOURCES REVENUE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATURAL... section. The notification shall be by letter to the ONRR Director for Office of Natural Resources Revenue...

  16. 30 CFR 1206.153 - Valuation standards-processed gas.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 30 Mineral Resources 3 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Valuation standards-processed gas. 1206.153 Section 1206.153 Mineral Resources OFFICE OF NATURAL RESOURCES REVENUE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATURAL... notification shall be by letter to the ONRR Director for Office of Natural Resources or his/her designee. The...

  17. 30 CFR 1206.152 - Valuation standards-unprocessed gas.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 30 Mineral Resources 3 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Valuation standards-unprocessed gas. 1206.152 Section 1206.152 Mineral Resources OFFICE OF NATURAL RESOURCES REVENUE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATURAL... section. The notification shall be by letter to the ONRR Director for Office of Natural Resources Revenue...

  18. 30 CFR 1206.153 - Valuation standards-processed gas.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 30 Mineral Resources 3 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Valuation standards-processed gas. 1206.153 Section 1206.153 Mineral Resources OFFICE OF NATURAL RESOURCES REVENUE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATURAL... notification shall be by letter to the ONRR Director for Office of Natural Resources or his/her designee. The...

  19. 30 CFR 1206.152 - Valuation standards-unprocessed gas.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 30 Mineral Resources 3 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Valuation standards-unprocessed gas. 1206.152 Section 1206.152 Mineral Resources OFFICE OF NATURAL RESOURCES REVENUE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATURAL... section. The notification shall be by letter to the ONRR Director for Office of Natural Resources Revenue...

  20. 30 CFR 1206.153 - Valuation standards-processed gas.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 30 Mineral Resources 3 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Valuation standards-processed gas. 1206.153 Section 1206.153 Mineral Resources OFFICE OF NATURAL RESOURCES REVENUE, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATURAL... notification shall be by letter to the ONRR Director for Office of Natural Resources or his/her designee. The...

  1. 26 CFR 1.471-2 - Valuation of inventories.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ...-2 Internal Revenue INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY (CONTINUED) INCOME TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES Inventories § 1.471-2 Valuation of inventories. (a) Section 471 provides two tests...-5.) Any goods in an inventory which are unsalable at normal prices or unusable in the normal way...

  2. Using Visual Information to Determine the Subjective Valuation of Public Space for Transportation : Application to Subway Crowding Costs in NYC

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2017-11-30

    The objective of this project is to explore the role of visual information in determining the users subjective valuation of multidimensional trip attributes that are relevant in decision-making, but are neglected in standard travel demand models. ...

  3. 26 CFR 25.2512-6 - Valuation of certain life insurance and annuity contracts; valuation of shares in an open-end...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ...) The fair market value of a share in an open-end investment company (commonly known as a “mutual fund... is a Saturday, Sunday, or holiday), the fair market value of the mutual fund share is the last public...

  4. 26 CFR 20.2031-8 - Valuation of certain life insurance and annuity contracts; valuation of shares in an open-end...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ...) The fair market value of a share in an open-end investment company (commonly known as a “mutual fund..., or holiday), the fair market value of the mutual fund share is the last public redemption price...

  5. A Method for Analyzing Volunteered Geographic Information to Visualize Community Valuation of Ecosystem Services

    EPA Science Inventory

    Volunteered geographic information (VGI) can be used to identify public valuation of ecosystem services in a defined geographic area using photos as a representation of lived experiences. This method can help researchers better survey and report on the values and preferences of s...

  6. 17 CFR 210.12-09 - Valuation and qualifying accounts.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... period Column C—Additions (1)—Charged to costs and expenses (2)—Charged to other accounts—describe Column... qualifying accounts and reserves by descriptive title. Group (a) those valuation and qualifying accounts... accounts. 210.12-09 Section 210.12-09 Commodity and Securities Exchanges SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION...

  7. 13 CFR 108.650 - Requirement to report portfolio valuations to SBA.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 13 Business Credit and Assistance 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Requirement to report portfolio valuations to SBA. 108.650 Section 108.650 Business Credit and Assistance SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION NEW MARKETS VENTURE CAPITAL (âNMVCâ) PROGRAM Recordkeeping, Reporting, and Examination Requirements for NMVC...

  8. Valuing Drinking Water Risk Reductions Using the Contingent Valuation Method: A Methodological Study of Risks from THM and Giardia (1986)

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This study develops contingent valuation methods for measuring the benefits of mortality and morbidity drinking water risk reductions. The major effort was devoted to developing and testing a survey instrument to value low-level risk reductions.

  9. Beyond Level 4: Tying HPT to Valuation of Intangible Assets.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gayeski, Diane

    2001-01-01

    Considers how human performance technology (HPT) can achieve greater recognition in the mainstream business world by developing interventions that are framed in terms of enhancing the overall valuation of the organization's intangible assets. Discusses a consulting model that can be used with clients and stakeholders to identify barriers to…

  10. 26 CFR 25.7520-4 - Transitional rules.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... GIFT TAX; GIFTS MADE AFTER DECEMBER 31, 1954 General Actuarial Valuations § 25.7520-4 Transitional rules. (a) Reliance. If the valuation date is after April 30, 1989, and before June 10, 1994, a donor... an interest in property by gift after December 31, 1988, and before May 1, 1989, retaining an...

  11. 76 FR 30878 - Federal Oil and Gas Valuation

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-05-27

    ... when gas is processed, in lieu of valuing residue gas and extracted liquid products separately... natural gas liquids (NGL) price similar to a ``frac spread'' or a ``processing margin.'' Certain plant... No. ONRR-2011-0005] RIN 1012-AA01 Federal Oil and Gas Valuation AGENCY: Office of Natural Resources...

  12. 77 FR 3606 - Product Valuation

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-01-25

    ... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Office of Natural Resources Revenue 30 CFR Part 1206 Product Valuation CFR Correction 0 In Title 30 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 700 to End, revised as of July 1, 2011, ``ONNR'' is corrected to read ``ONRR'', as set forth in the following table: [[Page 3607

  13. Nitrogen, ecosystem services and environmental justice: How can a spatial valuation approach inform responsible nutrient management?

    EPA Science Inventory

    Spatially-explicit ecosystem service valuation (ESV) allows for the identification of the location and magnitude of services provided by natural ecosystems along with an economic measure of their value based upon benefit transfer. While this provides an important function in term...

  14. Valuation of rangeland ecosystem services

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Gascoigne, W.R.

    2011-01-01

    Economic valuation lends itself well to the anthropocentric orientation of ecosystem services. An economic perspective on ecosystems portrays them as natural assets providing a flow of goods and services valuable to individuals and society collectively. A few examples include the purification of drinking water, reduced risk from flooding and other extreme events, pollination of agricultural crops, climate regulation, and recreation opportunities from plant and animal habitat maintenance, among many others. Once these goods and services are identified and quantified, they can be monetized to complete the valuation process. The monetization of ecosystem goods and services (in the form of dollars) provides a common metric that allows for cross-comparison of attributes and evaluation of differing ecological scenarios. Complicating the monetization process is the fact that most of these goods and services are public and non-market in nature; meaning they are non-rival and non-exclusive and are typically not sold in a traditional market setting where monetary values are revealed. Instead, one must employ non-market valuation techniques, with primary valuation methods typically being very time and resource consuming, intimidating to non-economists, and often impractical. For these reasons, benefit transfer methods have gained popularity. This methodology harnesses the primary collection results of existing studies to make inferences about the economic values of non-market goods and services at an alternative policy site (in place and/or in time). For instance, if a primary valuation study on oak reestablishment on rangelands in southern California yielded a value of $30 per-acre associated with water regulation, this result can be transferred, with some adjustments, to say something about the value of an acre of oaks on rangelands in northern portions of the state. The economic valuation of rangeland ecosystem services has many roles. Economic values may be used as input into analyzing the costs and benefits associated with policies being proposed, or possibly already implemented. For example, with monetized values acting as a common metric, one could compare the 'benefits' of converting a rangeland ecosystem for commercial development (perhaps estimated at the market value of the developed land) with the foregone ecosystem service values (in addition to any land income lost) resulting from that land conversion. Similarly, ecosystem service values can be used to determine the level of return on an investment. rhis is a primary objective for private land conservation organizations who typically have very limited resources. Ecosystem service valuation can also have a role in damage assessments from incidents that require compensation such as oil spills. Additionally, valuation can be very informative when investigating regulatory programs that trade ecological assets such as wetland mitigation programs. Typically these programs are based simply on an 'acre for acre' criterion, and do not take into consideration varying welfare values associated with that ecosystem. Lastly, and most fundamental, ecosystem service valuation serves as a recognition tool for people of all backgrounds. Identifying and valuing ecosystem goods and services on rangelands brings to light the value these natural assets have to human welfare that often remain hidden do to their public and non-market attributes. This type of recognition is vital to the preservation of rangeland ecosystems in the future and the many ecological benefits they provide.

  15. Assessing forest influences on torrential hazards and risks: IRSTEA mission within the European H2020 project NAIAD

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Piton, Guillaume; Tacnet, Jean Marc; Berger, Frédéric; Curt, Corinne; Curt, Thomas; Arnaud, Patrick

    2017-04-01

    NAIAD (NAture Insurance value: Assessment and Demonstration) is a H2020 European project gathering 23 partners interested in ecosystems services related to water. The project more specifically links nature services to the assurance world and aims to operationalise "Natural Assurance Schemes", defined as a range of schemes to internalise the value of ecosystems services, e.g., the buffering role of river systems against water risks, in insurance policies. It is based on an assessment methodology that includes the physical, socio-cultural and valuation aspects of ecosystems services in relation to water, adapted to the institutional frame to align economic incentives and financial flows. Within the NAIAD projet, IRSTEA will more specifically try to highlight the role of mountain forests in torrential flood hazards and risks. The forest eventually acts on hydrology by buffering part of the rainwater. Vegetation has also a key role in soil conservation by curtailing primary sediment production in the hillslopes. Conversely, woody debris dramatically aggravate hazards by clogging bridges and key protections structures as open check dams. Finally this dual role may change in time due to the forest vulnerability to climatic, biologic or physical changes, e.g. after a wildfire. The first project step will be an extensive literature review on all these effects. Secondly indicators describing the torrential systems will be proposed and link to variably pronounced influence of forest. In a third time, case studies will be undertaken. The dramatic flood that occur in the region of Nice in summer 2015 (20 fatalities) will probably be used as a benchmark test. Several scenarios of alternative forest and river managements under varying climate forcing will be tested later. Complete torrential risk assessment studies will be performed on several sites within this project, with and without the forest influences in order to highlight its role. Numerous check dams have been built in headwaters to facilitate reforestation in the past, their influence on the torrential flood triggering (e.g., sediment supply) and transfer (e.g., debris flow propagation) will be assessed. The effectiveness of protections structures as debris basins and woody debris traps will be studied. They are supposed to be key solutions to the drawbacks of woody debris jams resulting from forest standing in catchments, other effects on hydrology and sediment production being quite positive. The issue of uncertainty and its propagation along the whole chain of analysis will be subject to a special effort in our work. The NAIAD project just beginning in 2017, we propose to present the research steps and data treatment chains that are planned to be used along the project. More results and the case studies being under progress.

  16. Interplay between field observations and numerical modeling to understand temporal pulsing of tree root throw processes, Canadian Rockies, Canada

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Martin, Y. E.; Johnson, E. A.; Chaikina, O.

    2013-10-01

    During the cycle of forest disturbance, regeneration, and maturity, tree mortality leading to topple is a regular occurrence. When tree topple occurs relatively soon after mortality and if the tree has attained some threshold diameter at breast height (dbh) at the time of death, then notable amounts of soil may be upheaved along with the root wad. This upheaval may result in sediment transfers and soil production. A combination of field evidence and numerical modeling is used herein to gain insights regarding the temporal dynamics of tree topple, associated root throw processes, and pit-mound microtopography. Results from our model of tree population dynamics demonstrate temporal patterns in root throw processes in subalpine forests of the Canadian Rockies, a region in which forests are affected largely by wildfire disturbance. As the forest regenerates after disturbance, the new cohort of trees has to reach a critical dbh before significant root plate upheaval can occur; in the subalpine forests of the Canadian Rockies, this may take up to ~ 102 years. Once trees begin to reach this critical dbh for root plate upheaval, a period of sporadic root throw arises that is caused by mortality of trees during competition. In due course, another wildfire will occur on the landscape and a period of much increased root throw activity then takes place for the next several decades; tree sizes and, therefore, the amount of sediment disturbance will be greater the longer the time period since the previous fire. Results of previous root throw studies covering a number of regional settings are used to guide an exercise in diffusion modeling with the aim of defining a range of reasonable diffusion coefficients for pit-mound degradation; the most appropriate values to fit the field data ranged from 0.01 m2 y- 1 to 0.1 m2 y- 1. A similar exercise is then undertaken that is guided by our field observations in subalpine forests of the Canadian Rockies. For these forests, the most appropriate range of diffusion coefficients is in the range 0.001 m2 y- 1 to 0.01 m2 y- 1. Finally, the model of tree population dynamics is combined with the model of pit-mound degradation to demonstrate the integration of these combined processes on the appearance of pit-mound microtopography and soil bioturbation in subalpine forests of the Canadian Rockies. We conclude that the appearance of notable pit-mound microtopography is limited to very specific time periods and is not visible for much of the time. Most of the hillslope plot is affected by root throw during the 1000-year model run time.

  17. Egocentric empathy gaps between owners and buyers: misperceptions of the endowment effect.

    PubMed

    Van Boven, L; Dunning, D; Loewenstein, G

    2000-07-01

    In 5 studies, the authors examined people's perceptions of the endowment effect, or the tendency to value an object more once one owns it. In the 1st 2 studies, the authors documented egocentric empathy gaps between owners and buyers regarding the endowment effect: Both owners and buyers overestimated the similarity between their own valuation of a commodity and the valuation of people in the other role. The next 2 studies showed that these empathy gaps may lead to reduced earnings in a market setting. The final study showed that egocentric empathy gaps stem partly from people's misprediction of what their own valuation would be if they were in the other role.

  18. Instream flow assessment and economic valuation: a survey of nonmarket benefits research

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Douglas, Aaron J.; Johnson, Richard L.

    1993-01-01

    Instream flow benefits for United States streams and rivers have recently been investigated by a number of resource economists. These valuation efforts differ in scope, method, and quantitative results. An assessment and review of these valuation efforts is presented. The various sources of differences in non‐market values produced by these studies are explored in some detail. The considerable difficulty of producing estimates of instream flow benefits values that consider all of the pertinent policy and technical issues is delineated in various policy contexts. Evidence is presented that indicates that the considerable policy impact of recent research on this topic is justified despite considerable variation in the magnitude of the estimates.

  19. Transactive Systems Simulation and Valuation Platform Trial Analysis

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Widergren, Steven E.; Hammerstrom, Donald J.; Huang, Qiuhua

    Transactive energy systems use principles of value to coordinate responsive supply and demand in energy systems. Work continues within the Transactive Systems Program, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, to understand the value of, understand the theory behind, and simulate the behaviors of transactive energy systems. This report summarizes recent advances made by this program. The main capability advances include a more comprehensive valuation model, including recommended documentation that should make valuation studies of all sorts more transparent, definition of economic metrics with which transactive mechanisms can be evaluated, and multiple improvementsmore » to the time-simulation environment that is being used to evaluate transactive scenarios.« less

  20. Individualism and the Extended-Self: Cross-Cultural Differences in the Valuation of Authentic Objects

    PubMed Central

    Gjersoe, Nathalia L.; Newman, George E.; Chituc, Vladimir; Hood, Bruce

    2014-01-01

    The current studies examine how valuation of authentic items varies as a function of culture. We find that U.S. respondents value authentic items associated with individual persons (a sweater or an artwork) more than Indian respondents, but that both cultures value authentic objects not associated with persons (a dinosaur bone or a moon rock) equally. These differences cannot be attributed to more general cultural differences in the value assigned to authenticity. Rather, the results support the hypothesis that individualistic cultures place a greater value on objects associated with unique persons and in so doing, offer the first evidence for how valuation of certain authentic items may vary cross-culturally. PMID:24658437

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