Elena Calvo

Optimal Forest Management in the Presence of Intraspecific Competition

The Escalator Boxcar Train method is used to solve the distributed optimal control problems of forest management numerically. It takes into account intraspecific competition for scarce resources such as light, space, and nutrients during reproduction, growth, and mortality. It provides an alternative to gradient projection methods and Markov processes. It is implemented with standard software. The application is on the optimal forest management regime in the presence of intraspecific competition.

A dynamic analysis of nonpoint pollution control instruments in agriculture

Nonpoint pollution from agriculture is an emerging issue in the environmental policy of the European Union. Dynamic optimisation techniques are important in nonpoint pollution, and neglect of dynamic aspects may seriously mislead the proper design of policy measures. This paper presents an empirical assessment of nitrogen pollution abatement in the Ebro basin of northeastern Spain. The aim is to contribute to the ongoing policy discussion by ranking several emission control measures. Results indicate that nitrogen-based instruments are more cost efficient than water-based instruments. This finding questions the reliance of the Water Framework Directive on water pricing to improve water quality. The study also provides welfare, quasi-rent and pollution information for each crop and control measure. This information could be useful when discriminating abatement measures by crop type, in cases of valuable ecosystems and heavy nitrogen damage costs.

Agriculture and climate change: Potential for mitigation in Spain

Agriculture and forestry activities are one of the many sources of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, but they are also sources of low-cost opportunities to mitigate these emissions compared to other economic sectors. This paper provides a first estimate of the potential for mitigation in the whole Spanish agriculture. A set of mitigation measures are selected for their cost-effectiveness and abatement potential and an efficient mix of these measures is identified with reference to a social cost of carbon of 40 €/tCO2e. This mix of measures includes adjusting crop fertilization and managing forests for carbon sequestration. Results indicate that by using the efficient mix of mitigation measures the annual abatement potential could reach 10 million tCO2e, which represents 28% of current agricultural emissions in Spain. This potential could further increase if the social cost of carbon rises covering the costs of applying manure to crops. Results indicate also that economic instruments such as input and emission taxes could be only ancillary measures to address mitigation in agriculture. These findings can be used to support the mitigation efforts in Spain and guide policymakers in the design of country-level mitigation strategies.