Optimum cutting age for timber resources with carbon sequestration

Determining the optimum cutting age for timber resources has proved to be a very challenging problem for both economists and silviculturists. Based upon Samuelson's seminal work on this issue, the majority of economists have concluded that the optimum felling age occurs at a time when the net marginal benefits fall below the current rate of interest. Recently, concern about climate change has increased the importance of forestry projects, since trees act as natural biological scrubbers by removing CO₂ from the atmosphere. By incorporating these carbon sequestration benefits, this paper re-determines the optimum cutting age using a multiple rotation model. The results of this reformulation show that, in afforestation projects, trees should remain in the ground longer than the period suggested by a timber-only model in order to absorb more CO₂.     

Public preferences for timeliness and quality of mine site rehabilitation. The case of bauxite mining in Western Australia

Government departments that regulate environmental management for mining have a range of choices about the timing and quality of rehabilitation. Economic theory suggests that the cost incurred by firms should relate to the social cost of the environmental damage, however, there has been little work done on non-market values for mine rehabilitation. This study uses choice modelling to assess these issues for bauxite mining in state owned native forest in south-west Australia. The results show that the public place a relatively high value on the re-creation of vertebrate habitat and would prefer in situ mine rehabilitation over environmental offsets. Alcoa's current rehabilitation practices appear to be supported by the preferences revealed in this study.     

Geologic vs. geographic constraints on cement resources

This study evaluates the importance of geologic and geographic factors in constraining the location of limestone mining operations for the production of cement in the Great Lakes region of the United States. Cities and their infrastructure require abundant cement, which is manufactured from limestone and other quarry products, but expansion of cities limits the locations of these operations. Possible locations of limestone and cement operations are controlled by geologic factors including distribution and mineralogy of geologic formations as well as depth of overburden, and geographic factors including location of wetlands, cities, and other surface features that preclude development of quarries and manufacturing operations. Overlay analysis was used to evaluate the importance of these factors. Results show that, although limestone underlies about a third of the region, almost 50 percent of this limestone is unavailable for quarrying due to coverage by the built environment, protected natural areas, or excessive overburden thickness. When characteristics such as limestone quality are also accounted for, accessible resources shrink to as little as 2 percent of the total land area. Although the remaining 2 percent of land area may supply local needs for some years, geologic factors clearly must be included in long-term regional land use planning.     

On technical change in the elasticities of resource inputs

This article analyses growth of an economy where the substitutability between non-renewable and renewable resource inputs changes over time. We allow for exogenous technical change in the elasticity of substitution (EoS) between these two types of resources as well as for biased factor-augmenting technical change. Our main results are: (1) sustained technical change in the EoS is enough to overcome resource constraints; (2) productivity-enhancing technical change is most beneficial when directed to the resource which is currently most important for production; (3) the speed of productivity-enhancing technical change is crucial for its usefulness to overcome resource constraints; (4) sustainability depends critically on the type of technical change.     

International environmental agreements with support

We augment the standard cartel formation game from non-cooperative coalition theory, often applied in the context of international environmental agreements, with the possibility that singletons support coalition formation without becoming coalition members themselves. We assume their support takes the form of a monetary transfer to the coalition, in order to induce larger coalitions, higher levels of public good provision and higher payoffs. We show that, under mild conditions on the costs and benefits of contributing to the public good (e.g. abatement of greenhouse gas emissions), there exist equilibria with support. Allowing for support increases payoffs to each of three types of agents: members, supporters and free-riders.     

Mining and corruption

This study examines the links between mineral dependency and corruption. Specifically, it develops a cross-section econometric model that estimates the effects of per capita income, fuel exports, non-fuel exports, and average per unit value of mineral exports on corruption.     

Citizen funds and Dutch Disease in developing countries

Are Alaska-style citizen revenue distribution funds the solution to the resource curse in developing countries as their proponents conjecture? Unfortunately it appears not. First, it is questionable whether developing countries have the institutional capacity to implement and operate such funds successfully. Second, citizen funds are unlikely to have any substantial impact on governance and their macroeconomic effects are uncertain. Finally, as a comparative case study of the three natural resource-intensive economies that successfully steered clear of excessive real appreciation and crowding out of the non-minerals tradables sector—Botswana, Indonesia and Norway—shows, citizen funds are likely to carry detrimental indirect effects on the ability of governments to surmount the Dutch Disease.     

典型工业沿海区域的大气环境腐蚀性评价

目的 利用现役金属材料对工业沿海区域所处不同大气环境进行环境腐蚀性评价,并研究不同金属材料的腐蚀行为差异性,探讨工业沿海大气环境下金属材料的耐蚀性选择。方法 在不同大气环境下,选择现役金属材料Q235、16MnNi和L415开展1 a的户外曝晒试验,并利用质量损失分析、扫描电镜等手段,通过对金属基材进行腐蚀机理研究,评价大气环境的腐蚀性。结果 Q235、16MnNi和L415等3种钢在不同区域沿海工业大气环境下的腐蚀行为受大气腐蚀环境的影响较大,腐蚀产物中含有一定量的Cl和S。同种金属材料表面锈层的特殊结构,使得其基体与大气环境中的腐蚀因子相接触,引发了金属材料在不同大气腐蚀环境中不同腐蚀行为的差异性。结论 工业沿海区域的大气环境中,大气腐蚀性差异由酸循环腐蚀机制形成。3种钢材在腐蚀初期,由于锈层多孔隙结构和可溶性腐蚀产物形成,加重了腐蚀程度。黄岛区域、曹妃甸区域、岚山区域和湛江区域的大气腐蚀等级分别为C2、C3、C2、C3级。     

荷木树干CO2释放通量的个体间差异及树干液流的效应

为研究荷木(Schima superba)个体间树干CO2释放通量(Es)的差异以及树干液流对Es的影响,提高森林生态系统呼吸计算准确性,利用红外气体分析仪及自制式气室于2009年湿季和干季监测了华南荷木人工林5棵样树的Es,并同步监测了树干温度(θs)、气温及液流密度.结果显示:θs与气温之间呈显著线形正相关;Es与树干温度之间存在显著指数函数关系;Es干湿季的差异显著,并呈现明显的季节变化;5株样树之间Es存在显著差异,平均Es分别为3.12、3.60、5.52、6.98、8.09μmol m-2 s-1;同时,样树之间树干CO2释放通量的温度系数(Q10)差异显著(1.97～4.24之间).Tree1、Tree2和Tree4白天的Es与液流速度(v)显著正相关,白天的标准化树干CO2释放通量(R25,温度为25℃时的Es)高于晚上.荷木Es个体之间及时间上的差异主要受树干温度、生长状况和液流速度的影响.图3表6参35     

日本虎斑猛水蚤的重金属急性毒性及其作为标准测试生物的潜在意义

以静态实验法研究重金属Cu、Cd、Pb和Zn单独以及两两联合对日本虎斑猛水蚤(Tigriopus japonicus)的急性毒性效应,并分析其是否适宜作为我国海水重金属毒性测试的标准生物.结果显示,单独作用下,cu、Cd、Pb和Zn对受试生物的24 hLC50分别为0.26、0.14、0.40和0.65 mg·L-1,...