Ram K. Shrestha

Value of recreational fishing in the Brazilian Pantanal: a travel cost analysis using count data models.

Abstract Recreational fishing value of the Brazilian Pantanal is measured using travel cost method (TCM). We compare non-linear, Poisson and negative binomial count data models to estimate recreational fishing trip demands. The count data and truncated models are used primarily to account for non-negative integer and truncation properties of recreational fishing trips as suggested by the recreation valuation literature. The results reveal that non-linear and truncated count data models perform relatively well in our study. The economic values of recreational fishing in terms of consumer surplus (CS) are derived using non-linear and truncated models. We estimate the CS values from

Testing a meta-analysis model for benefit transfer in international outdoor recreation

540.54 to

Meta-Analytic Benefit Transfer of Outdoor Recreation Economic Values: Testing Out-of-Sample Convergent Validity

869.57 per trip resulting in the total social welfare estimate range from

Effect of Ranchland Attributes on Recreational Hunting in Florida: A Hedonic Price Analysis

35 to

Visitor Preferences and Values for Water-Based Recreation: A Case Study of the Ocala National Forest

56 million. The study demonstrates a relatively high value of recreational fishing in the Pantanal in comparison to similar studies conducted in other parts of the world. The findings of this study would be important for resource management decisions in the Pantanal and could serve as a reference in valuing similar resources in other ecosystems around the world.

Estimating the Cost of Preserving Private Lands in Florida: An Hedonic Analysis

The economic values of outdoor recreation are estimated using a benefit transfer approach in which one applies existing consumer surplus measures to value the resources at a new site. In this article, a benefit transfer study was conducted based on meta-analysis of existing research in outdoor recreation use values of the United States from 1967 to 1998. The meta-analysis method was used to estimate a meta-regression model, resulting in a benefit transfer function that could be applied to estimate a wide range of recreation activity values in other countries. The estimated meta-model was tested using original out-of-sample studies from countries around the world for international benefit transfer purposes. The tests reveal that there is mixed evidence in using meta-analysis of existing studies in outdoor recreation in the United States to value the recreational resources in other countries that are used by tourists. In the best case, 18 correlation coefficients between meta-predicted and out-of-sample values were positive and significant at the 5% level or greater, but nine of the 18 t-tests indicated a significant difference between the two sets of values at the 10% level. However, the absolute average percentage error of the meta-predictions was 28%, which may be acceptable for many benefit transfer applications.

Improving Environmental Quality in South Florida through Silvopasture: An Economic Approach

A benefit transfer approach to recreationeconomic valuation using meta-analysis isexamined. Since the meta- regression modeltakes into account some of the study specificeffects on willingness to pay (WTP) estimates,benefit transfer using meta-analysis couldyield a valid WTP estimate of unstudiedrecreation resources. The convergent validityof the meta-analytic benefit transfer is testedusing out-of-sample original studies from theU.S. The analyses are performed usingpercentage difference, paired t-test,regression and correlation tests. The testsreveal mixed results on convergence betweenestimated WTP using meta-analytic benefittransfer function (BTF) and out-of-sampleoriginal WTP values. There is a fairly highpercentage difference between the estimated andoriginal WTP values (80–88%), and the meandifferences are statistically significant asshown by paired t-tests. However, correlationand regression results consistently showsignificant positive relationships betweennational BTF estimated and original WTP valuesindicating some level of convergence. Theresults show that the national BTF outperformthe regional BTF indicating a potential of thenational BTF for recreation benefit transferwhen a “first best” primary valuation study isnot affordable.

Exploring the potential for silvopasture adoption in south-central Florida: an application of SWOT-AHP method

Recreational hunting has been an attractive enterprise for some ranchers who are interested in supplementing their income from cattle. Ranchland attributes-such as parcel size, tree cover, and proximity to urban centers-are expected to influence hunters’ preferences and, thus, hunting lease payments. We estimated the effects of these attributes on hunting revenues using a hedonic model. The results reveal that trees and vegetation cover on ranchlands have a positive impact on hunting revenues, indicating opportunities for silvopasture practices. Those ranchers in Florida who maintain about 22% trees and other vegetation cover receive

Assessing the suitability of community-based management for the Nyungwe Forest Reserve, Rwanda

16.15 acre per year from hunting leases, but doubling the cover would generate only an additional

Valuing nature-based recreation in public natural areas of the Apalachicola River region, Florida

3.20 per acre per year.