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Within a context of beef feedlots and feed-crop production systems, we surveyed farmers to identify their perceived monetary value for the manure they used or could have used. Value is contextual with respect to a number of socio-economic, environmental, regulatory, and physical factors, which influence farmer’s inclinations about how they manage manure. The most desirable manure management strategies are likely practiced by those who perceive its value highest, and, conversely, the least desirable manure management strategies are likely practiced by those who assign the lowest value to it. This study considered factors that affect or relate to farmer perceptions of manure’s value. Using quantile regression, we observed variations in how farmers perceived the value of manure, considering farm and farmer characteristics, farming practices, select preferences, and whether or not they used manure on their own cropland. For example, we found that livestock producers who grow feed for their own cattle value manure differently compared to crop producers who do not manage cattle, most likely due to perceived need. Added years of experience in farming lowered the farmer’s perception of manure’s value. Additionally, extra tillage required when using manure was seen by farmers not as a burden but rather as a benefit.
Erich von Stroheim; Dana Loyd Keske Hoag. Valuing Cattle Manure as an Agricultural Resource for Efficiency and Environmental Sustainability. Sustainability 2021, 13, 9375 .
AMA StyleErich von Stroheim, Dana Loyd Keske Hoag. Valuing Cattle Manure as an Agricultural Resource for Efficiency and Environmental Sustainability. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (16):9375.
Chicago/Turabian StyleErich von Stroheim; Dana Loyd Keske Hoag. 2021. "Valuing Cattle Manure as an Agricultural Resource for Efficiency and Environmental Sustainability." Sustainability 13, no. 16: 9375.
Biosecurity implemented on the poultry farms in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), in the form of preparedness against any possible outbreak of disease, is critical for farm survival, safety, and development. Little information on the status of biosecurity readiness for containing any outbreak of poultry disease is available. This study was conducted to evaluate the status of biosecurity on commercial poultry farms in the UAE. Four categories of biosecurity measures/actions: isolation, human and traffic flow, cleaning, and disinfection, and adoption of vaccination protocols were considered. All 37 licensed commercial poultry farms in the country were enrolled in the study’s survey. Cumulative Distribution Functions (CDFs) and Artificial Neural Network statistical (ANN) methods were used for ranking biosecurity on farms, including a breakdown for large and small farms, and to identify areas that require improvements. The ANN is used to correlate preparedness in the focus areas to the poultry farms’ biophysical and business characteristics, such as the number of yearly flock cycles, farm capacity, the total area of the farms, density, and the number of biosecurity workers. This study finds that more stringent implementation of vaccination protocol, isolation, and human and vehicle-flow controls for disinfection are most needed. The study also revealed that poultry farms address biosecurity preparedness differently based on the type of production on large or small farms, and for broilers or layers.
Eihab Fathelrahman; Adel El Awad; Ahmed Yousif Mohamed; Yassir Eltahir; Hussein Hassanin; Mohamed Elfatih Mohamed; Dana L. K. Hoag. Biosecurity Preparedness Analysis for Poultry Large and Small Farms in the United Arab Emirates. Agriculture 2020, 10, 426 .
AMA StyleEihab Fathelrahman, Adel El Awad, Ahmed Yousif Mohamed, Yassir Eltahir, Hussein Hassanin, Mohamed Elfatih Mohamed, Dana L. K. Hoag. Biosecurity Preparedness Analysis for Poultry Large and Small Farms in the United Arab Emirates. Agriculture. 2020; 10 (10):426.
Chicago/Turabian StyleEihab Fathelrahman; Adel El Awad; Ahmed Yousif Mohamed; Yassir Eltahir; Hussein Hassanin; Mohamed Elfatih Mohamed; Dana L. K. Hoag. 2020. "Biosecurity Preparedness Analysis for Poultry Large and Small Farms in the United Arab Emirates." Agriculture 10, no. 10: 426.
This paper explores the sustainable intensification possibilities facing smallholder farmers in Ethiopia. We examine the internal consistency of jointly achieving “sustainable” “intensification” by exploring the factors that lead to complementarity or tradeoffs in the outcomes. A cross-sectional survey of farms was examined in multiple regions of Ethiopia’s Highlands. The results show that some farmers can achieve both sustainability and intensification, while many do not, or cannot achieve both at the same time. We found that some actions have a common impact on both sustainability and intensification, while other factors only affect one outcome. Access to agricultural loans and farm mechanization significantly increases the likelihood of succeeding in sustainable intensification. Access to land will be critical for agricultural sustainability while access to farming information and technical services will drive agricultural intensification. Overall, opportunities to improve both sustainability and intensification are weak, but the opportunity to improve one without sacrificing the other are realistic. The results contribute to the ongoing debate on sustainable intensification and help policy makers explore alternatives for managing different intensification and sustainability scenarios to achieve agricultural development goals.
Vine Mutyasira; Dana Hoag; Dustin L. Pendell; Dale T. Manning. Is Sustainable Intensification Possible? Evidence from Ethiopia. Sustainability 2018, 10, 4174 .
AMA StyleVine Mutyasira, Dana Hoag, Dustin L. Pendell, Dale T. Manning. Is Sustainable Intensification Possible? Evidence from Ethiopia. Sustainability. 2018; 10 (11):4174.
Chicago/Turabian StyleVine Mutyasira; Dana Hoag; Dustin L. Pendell; Dale T. Manning. 2018. "Is Sustainable Intensification Possible? Evidence from Ethiopia." Sustainability 10, no. 11: 4174.
This paper estimates the shadow price of CO2 from burning maize straw in the Chinese agricultural sector and explores the related policy implications for decision makers. Using a quadratic directional distance function, we evaluate the production inefficiency and shadow prices of CO2 reduction for the seven major maize-producing provinces in China for 1996–2014. In general, the efficiency improves over time. Shandong province ranked as the top one with full efficiency considering both economic and environmental impacts as of 2014. The mean shadow price for the CO2 emission was 0.45 yuan/kg (US$75/t), whereas the province-specific shadow prices varied within the interval bounded by 0 and 0.913 yuan/ha (US$152/t). The marginal abatement cost curve was downward-sloped and indicated the need for curbing CO2 emission in areas exhibiting the highest pollution rates. Given the marginal abatement cost patterns, the transaction costs associated with implementation of the conservation practices (tillage) should not exceed 335 yuan/ha in order to ensure the welfare gains. This government-provided payment would compensate farmers for yield reductions in favor of implementing conservation practices that would substantially reduce CO2 emissions.
Lingling Hou; Catherine Keske; Dana Hoag; Tomas Balezentis; Xiaobing Wang. Abatement costs of emissions from burning maize straw in major maize regions of China: Balancing food security with the environment. Journal of Cleaner Production 2018, 208, 178 -187.
AMA StyleLingling Hou, Catherine Keske, Dana Hoag, Tomas Balezentis, Xiaobing Wang. Abatement costs of emissions from burning maize straw in major maize regions of China: Balancing food security with the environment. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2018; 208 ():178-187.
Chicago/Turabian StyleLingling Hou; Catherine Keske; Dana Hoag; Tomas Balezentis; Xiaobing Wang. 2018. "Abatement costs of emissions from burning maize straw in major maize regions of China: Balancing food security with the environment." Journal of Cleaner Production 208, no. : 178-187.
Global population growth will require substantial increases in agricultural production worldwide. Yet, despite growing concern about the environmental and social impacts of increased agricultural productivity, no consensus exists on the appropriate method for assessing the appropriate tradeoffs for sustainability. To address this need, this paper proposes the use of Data Envelope Analysis to create an index that permits assessment of the relative sustainability of smallholder farms in a given region, with minimal external interpretation about how individual farmers weight tradeoffs on their own farms. The method is applied to the Ethiopian highlands to explore the determinants of economic, social and environmental sustainability in the region's agricultural sector. Econometric model results suggest that farmers felt that farm size, market access, access to off farm income, agricultural loans, and access to agricultural extension and demonstration plots are key drivers of agricultural sustainability at the farm-level. Differences in agro-ecological conditions and region-specific factors were also significant determinants of relative farm sustainability. This underscores the importance of geographical targeting and tailoring of interventions to increase farm sustainability.
Vine Mutyasira; Dana Hoag; Dustin Pendell; Dale T. Manning; Melaku Berhe. Assessing the relative sustainability of smallholder farming systems in Ethiopian highlands. Agricultural Systems 2018, 167, 83 -91.
AMA StyleVine Mutyasira, Dana Hoag, Dustin Pendell, Dale T. Manning, Melaku Berhe. Assessing the relative sustainability of smallholder farming systems in Ethiopian highlands. Agricultural Systems. 2018; 167 ():83-91.
Chicago/Turabian StyleVine Mutyasira; Dana Hoag; Dustin Pendell; Dale T. Manning; Melaku Berhe. 2018. "Assessing the relative sustainability of smallholder farming systems in Ethiopian highlands." Agricultural Systems 167, no. : 83-91.
A blended actual and hypothetical vertical ecosystem services stacking scenario is developed for a water quality trading (WQT) program in North Carolina. Demand is estimated for total nitrogen reduction and simulated for total phosphorous reduction. Nitrogen and phosphorus are complementary pollutants jointly produced by a single conservation practice, riparian buffers. The supply of reduction is based on the amount of riparian buffers that would be implemented by farmers at a given offering price for WQT credits. Nitrogen reduction is the primary ecosystem service that already has a market in the form of a WQT program. Phosphorus reduction is a hypothetical, secondary ecosystem service that we introduce to evaluate ecosystem stacking. We specifically evaluate stacking in thin markets, where there are few buyers and/or sellers. Our detailed analysis shows that the relative size of demand for different services plays a profound role in the success of stacking when markets are thin; and many if not most ecosystem markets are thin. A secondary service with relatively low demand will either be too small (insufficient) to generate any new credits, or, in a non-competitive market with few sellers, produce no additionality of the secondary service (double dipping). In these two cases, sponsors of the secondary market should not make payments since they will receive no additional benefits above what would have been achieved under conservation practices implemented for the primary ecosystem service. We find that ecosystem stacking is most likely to generate more revenue to producers and to reduce pollution emissions when demand for the secondary service is comparable in magnitude to the primary service. Accurate assessment of relative demand can help policy makers determine where stacking might work, and help purchasers avoid paying for services without results, especially where markets are thin.
Marzieh Motallebi; Dana L. Hoag; Ali Tasdighi; Mazdak Arabi; Deanna L. Osmond; Randall B. Boone. The impact of relative individual ecosystem demand on stacking ecosystem credit markets. Ecosystem Services 2018, 29, 137 -144.
AMA StyleMarzieh Motallebi, Dana L. Hoag, Ali Tasdighi, Mazdak Arabi, Deanna L. Osmond, Randall B. Boone. The impact of relative individual ecosystem demand on stacking ecosystem credit markets. Ecosystem Services. 2018; 29 ():137-144.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMarzieh Motallebi; Dana L. Hoag; Ali Tasdighi; Mazdak Arabi; Deanna L. Osmond; Randall B. Boone. 2018. "The impact of relative individual ecosystem demand on stacking ecosystem credit markets." Ecosystem Services 29, no. : 137-144.
A water quality trading (WQT) program was promulgated in North Carolina to address water quality issues related to nutrients in the highly urbanizing Jordan Lake Watershed. Although WQT programs are appealing in theory, the concept has not proved feasible in several attempts between point and nonpoint polluters in the United States. Many application hurdles that create wedges between success and failure have been evaluated in the literature. Most programs, however, face multiple hurdles; eliminating one may not clear a pathway to success. Therefore, we identify and evaluate the combined impact of four different wedges including baseline, transaction cost, trading ratio, and trading cost in the Jordan Lake Watershed program. Unfortunately, when applied to the Jordan Lake program, the analysis clearly shows that a traditional WQT program will not be feasible or address nutrient management needs in a meaningful way. The hurdles individually would be difficult to overcome, but together they appear to be unsurmountable. This analysis shows that there is enough information to pre-identify potential hurdles that could inform policy makers where, and how, the concept might work. It would have saved time, energy, and financial resources if North Carolina had done so before embarking to implement their program in the Jordan Lake Watershed.
Marzieh Motallebi; Dana L. Hoag; Ali Tasdighi; Mazdak Arabi; Deanna L. Osmond. An economic inquisition of water quality trading programs, with a case study of Jordan Lake, NC. Journal of Environmental Management 2017, 193, 483 -490.
AMA StyleMarzieh Motallebi, Dana L. Hoag, Ali Tasdighi, Mazdak Arabi, Deanna L. Osmond. An economic inquisition of water quality trading programs, with a case study of Jordan Lake, NC. Journal of Environmental Management. 2017; 193 ():483-490.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMarzieh Motallebi; Dana L. Hoag; Ali Tasdighi; Mazdak Arabi; Deanna L. Osmond. 2017. "An economic inquisition of water quality trading programs, with a case study of Jordan Lake, NC." Journal of Environmental Management 193, no. : 483-490.
The livestock sector serves as a foremost source of revenue for rural people, particularly in many developing countries. Among the livestock species, sheep and goats are the main source of livelihood for rural people in Ethiopia; they can quickly multiply, resilient and are easily convertible to cash to meet financial needs of the rural producers. The multiple contributions of sheep and goat and other livestock to rural farmers are however being challenged by climate change and variability. Farmers are responding to the impacts of climate change by adopting different mechanisms, where choices are largely dependent on many factors. This study, therefore, aims to analyze the determinants of choices of adaptation practices to climate change that causes scarcity of feed, heat stress, shortage of water and pasture on sheep and goat production. The study used 318 sample households drawn from potential livestock producing districts representing 3 agro-ecological settings. Data was analyzed using simple descriptive statistical tools, a multivariate probit model and Ordinary Least Squares (OLS). Most of the respondents (98.6 %) noted that climate is changing. Respondents’ perception is that climate change is expressed through increased temperature (88 %) and decline in rainfall (73 %) over the last 10 years. The most commonly used adaptation strategy was marketing during forage shock (96.5 %), followed by home feeding (89.6 %). The estimation from the multivariate probit model showed that access to information, farming experience, number of households in one village, distance to main market, income of household, and agro-ecological settings influenced farmers’ adaptation choices to climate change. Furthermore, OLS revealed that the adaptation strategies had positive influence on the household income.
Fikeremaryam Birara Feleke; Melaku Berhe; Getachew Gebru; Dana Hoag. Determinants of adaptation choices to climate change by sheep and goat farmers in Northern Ethiopia: the case of Southern and Central Tigray, Ethiopia. SpringerPlus 2016, 5, 1 -15.
AMA StyleFikeremaryam Birara Feleke, Melaku Berhe, Getachew Gebru, Dana Hoag. Determinants of adaptation choices to climate change by sheep and goat farmers in Northern Ethiopia: the case of Southern and Central Tigray, Ethiopia. SpringerPlus. 2016; 5 (1):1-15.
Chicago/Turabian StyleFikeremaryam Birara Feleke; Melaku Berhe; Getachew Gebru; Dana Hoag. 2016. "Determinants of adaptation choices to climate change by sheep and goat farmers in Northern Ethiopia: the case of Southern and Central Tigray, Ethiopia." SpringerPlus 5, no. 1: 1-15.
Journal articleIFPRI3; ISIEPTDP
Eleanor Milne; Ermias Aynekulu; Andre Bationo; Niels H. Batjes; Randall Boone; Rich Conant; Jonathan Davies; Niall Hanan; Dana Hoag; Jeffrey E. Herrick; Walter Knausenberger; Constance Neely; Jesse Njoka; Moffatt Ngugi; Bill Parton; Keith Paustian; Robin Reid; Mohamed Said; Keith Shepherd; David Swift; Philip Thornton; Stephen Williams; Sue Miller; Ephraim Nkonya. Grazing lands in Sub-Saharan Africa and their potential role in climate change mitigation: What we do and don't know. Environmental Development 2016, 19, 70 -74.
AMA StyleEleanor Milne, Ermias Aynekulu, Andre Bationo, Niels H. Batjes, Randall Boone, Rich Conant, Jonathan Davies, Niall Hanan, Dana Hoag, Jeffrey E. Herrick, Walter Knausenberger, Constance Neely, Jesse Njoka, Moffatt Ngugi, Bill Parton, Keith Paustian, Robin Reid, Mohamed Said, Keith Shepherd, David Swift, Philip Thornton, Stephen Williams, Sue Miller, Ephraim Nkonya. Grazing lands in Sub-Saharan Africa and their potential role in climate change mitigation: What we do and don't know. Environmental Development. 2016; 19 ():70-74.
Chicago/Turabian StyleEleanor Milne; Ermias Aynekulu; Andre Bationo; Niels H. Batjes; Randall Boone; Rich Conant; Jonathan Davies; Niall Hanan; Dana Hoag; Jeffrey E. Herrick; Walter Knausenberger; Constance Neely; Jesse Njoka; Moffatt Ngugi; Bill Parton; Keith Paustian; Robin Reid; Mohamed Said; Keith Shepherd; David Swift; Philip Thornton; Stephen Williams; Sue Miller; Ephraim Nkonya. 2016. "Grazing lands in Sub-Saharan Africa and their potential role in climate change mitigation: What we do and don't know." Environmental Development 19, no. : 70-74.
Over half of lakes, reservoirs, and ponds in the United States are threatened or impaired, mostly by nutrients. One policy to improve water quality is water quality trading (WQT). While the concept is appealing, adoption of conservation practices in these programs has been anemic at best. Using a case study in the newly-formed WQT market in Jordan Lake, North Carolina, we propose that part of the problem is a large adoption premium (AP) for this program. AP is the amount that farmers require over and above direct adoption costs to participate. In this study, farmers were asked at in-person interviews about their willingness to accept (WTA) a payment to adopt a particular conservation practice (riparian buffers) in order to generate and sell credits. We compared farmers’ WTA to their direct cost of participation, which allowed us to estimate an AP. On average, the AP more than doubles the cost of purchasing credits. The AP sums all of the known indirect costs already cited in the literature, and more, into a single value and is relatively simple to estimate. Knowing the AP would improve the ability of policy makers to accurately estimate what is needed to boost adoption rates in WQT programs and other conservation programs as well.
Marzieh Motallebi; Caela O’Connell; Dana L. Hoag; Deanna L. Osmond. Role of Conservation Adoption Premiums on Participation in Water Quality Trading Programs. Water 2016, 8, 245 .
AMA StyleMarzieh Motallebi, Caela O’Connell, Dana L. Hoag, Deanna L. Osmond. Role of Conservation Adoption Premiums on Participation in Water Quality Trading Programs. Water. 2016; 8 (6):245.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMarzieh Motallebi; Caela O’Connell; Dana L. Hoag; Deanna L. Osmond. 2016. "Role of Conservation Adoption Premiums on Participation in Water Quality Trading Programs." Water 8, no. 6: 245.
This study proposes the use of marginal abatement cost curves to calculate environmental damages of agricultural systems in China's Loess Plateau. Total system costs and revenues, management characteristics and pollution attributes are imputed into a directional output distance function, which is then used to determine shadow prices and abatement cost curves for soil and nitrogen loss. Marginal abatement costs curves are an effective way to compare economic and conservation tradeoffs when field-specific data are scarce. The results show that sustainable agricultural practices can balance soil conservation and agricultural production; land need not be retired, as is current policy.
Lingling Hou; Dana L.K. Hoag; Catherine M.H. Keske. Abatement costs of soil conservation in China's Loess Plateau: Balancing income with conservation in an agricultural system. Journal of Environmental Management 2015, 149, 1 -8.
AMA StyleLingling Hou, Dana L.K. Hoag, Catherine M.H. Keske. Abatement costs of soil conservation in China's Loess Plateau: Balancing income with conservation in an agricultural system. Journal of Environmental Management. 2015; 149 ():1-8.
Chicago/Turabian StyleLingling Hou; Dana L.K. Hoag; Catherine M.H. Keske. 2015. "Abatement costs of soil conservation in China's Loess Plateau: Balancing income with conservation in an agricultural system." Journal of Environmental Management 149, no. : 1-8.
Sheep and goat production systems in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) operate under scarce natural resource constraints. A cross-sectional survey that covered 661 mixed farms, including major sheep and goat production, was conducted in the three regions of Abu Dhabi Emirate (Al-Ain, Western Region and Abu Dhabi city) during 2012. A Cobb-Douglas, double-logarithmic stochastic frontier production function and maximum likelihood estimation were applied to estimate important economic derivatives and the associated risk of small ruminant production in this arid area. The highest impact of an input on the output level was found to be labor for raising sheep and alfalfa grass for raising goats. Both labor and alfalfa variables were found to be overutilized for sheep and goat production, respectively. Overall, the results indicate that average technical efficiency is 0.62 for raising sheep and only 0.34 for raising goats in the study area. Technical efficiency analysis included measuring the frequency of farms at each level of estimated technical efficiency in the range between zero and one. Zero for the technical efficiency coefficient indicates a lack of technical efficiency in resource use. The results of this study indicated that only 1% of the sheep farms show a technical efficiency coefficient of 0.25 or less; the same can be said for 41% of goat producers. However, these technical efficiencies were found to be more than 0.75 for 12% and 5% of the sheep and goat farms, respectively. Overall, goat farming in the UAE was found to be less efficient than sheep production. The results also indicated that flock size and type of breed were the most influential factors relative to other factors, and both show a positive relationship with technical efficiency. Other than flock size, factors, such as owners’ years of experience and management practices, were found to be more influential on goat farming system efficiency relative to sheep farming.
Eihab Fathelrahman; Sherin Sherif; Dana L. K. Hoag. Small Ruminant Production System Efficiency under Abu-Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Arid Land Conditions. Agriculture 2014, 4, 288 -307.
AMA StyleEihab Fathelrahman, Sherin Sherif, Dana L. K. Hoag. Small Ruminant Production System Efficiency under Abu-Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Arid Land Conditions. Agriculture. 2014; 4 (4):288-307.
Chicago/Turabian StyleEihab Fathelrahman; Sherin Sherif; Dana L. K. Hoag. 2014. "Small Ruminant Production System Efficiency under Abu-Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Arid Land Conditions." Agriculture 4, no. 4: 288-307.
To integrate lessons from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), National Institute of Food and Agriculture–Conservation Effects Assessment Project (NIFA CEAP) program, key informant (KI) interviews were conducted in all 13 project areas. The purpose of these interviews was to supplement technical information about watersheds, their contaminants, modeling, economics, and key findings. We interviewed a wide range of people to develop a systematic look at individual project results, synthesize meanings, and derive principles useful in guiding future watershed management. Findings revealed common themes, which tended to align with KI categories, regardless of location. For instance, farmers and ranchers often understood water quality problems as well as federal and state personnel and university employees do. Conservation adoption by farmers was related to perceived need, cost, and convenience of the practice, as well as practice specifics and individual situations. Possible implications of these findings are advanced.
Brad R. Woods; A. E. Luloff; Deanna Osmond; Dana Hoag. Toward a Synthesis: Lessons from Thirteen Cropland Watershed-Scale Studies. Society & Natural Resources 2014, 27, 341 -357.
AMA StyleBrad R. Woods, A. E. Luloff, Deanna Osmond, Dana Hoag. Toward a Synthesis: Lessons from Thirteen Cropland Watershed-Scale Studies. Society & Natural Resources. 2014; 27 (4):341-357.
Chicago/Turabian StyleBrad R. Woods; A. E. Luloff; Deanna Osmond; Dana Hoag. 2014. "Toward a Synthesis: Lessons from Thirteen Cropland Watershed-Scale Studies." Society & Natural Resources 27, no. 4: 341-357.
[1] Implementation of nonpoint source (NPS) pollution control strategies at the watershed scale hinges on abating pollutant movement from the landscape to water bodies at minimum cost. This paper presents an integrated simulation‐optimization approach for targeted implementation of agricultural conservation practices at the watershed scale. A multiobjective genetic algorithm (NSGA‐II) with mixed discrete‐continuous decision variables was coupled with a distributed watershed model, Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT), to identify optimal types and locations of conservation practices for nutrient and pesticide control at the watershed scale. Previous optimization studies have used binary representation of nonpoint source pollution controls, even though many could be better characterized as continuous variables. In this study, a novel discrete‐continuous decision variable, also known as mixed‐variable, representation was used to enhance the versatility of the approach by evaluating more options during the search process. Application of the proposed framework in the Eagle Creek Watershed, Indiana, indicated that the optimal suite of conservation practices from the mixed‐variable NSGA‐II was more effective in meeting water quality targets at lower costs than the solution from binary‐variable optimization. However, the mixed‐variable approach was considerably more computationally demanding for assessing tradeoffs between environmental and economic factors. A method for hybridization of binary and mixed‐variable NSGA‐II methods in the context of nonpoint source pollution control practices was developed to enhance the computational efficiency of the optimization procedure. As a result, the number of model simulations required for convergence to the Pareto‐optimal solutions was reduced by 96%. The conceptual complexity and computational requirements of optimization‐based approaches are impediments to their wider application for targeted implementation of NPS pollution control strategies. The methods and finding of this study address these issues and could result in a more effective implementation of management strategies at the watershed scale.
Mehdi Ahmadi; Mazdak Arabi; Dana L. Hoag; Bernard A. Engel. A mixed discrete-continuous variable multiobjective genetic algorithm for targeted implementation of nonpoint source pollution control practices. Water Resources Research 2013, 49, 8344 -8356.
AMA StyleMehdi Ahmadi, Mazdak Arabi, Dana L. Hoag, Bernard A. Engel. A mixed discrete-continuous variable multiobjective genetic algorithm for targeted implementation of nonpoint source pollution control practices. Water Resources Research. 2013; 49 (12):8344-8356.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMehdi Ahmadi; Mazdak Arabi; Dana L. Hoag; Bernard A. Engel. 2013. "A mixed discrete-continuous variable multiobjective genetic algorithm for targeted implementation of nonpoint source pollution control practices." Water Resources Research 49, no. 12: 8344-8356.
This paper models the economic feasibility of growing the oilseed crop Camelina sativa (“camelina”) in the western United States to produce value-added protein feed supplement and an SVO-based biofuel. Modeled in eastern Colorado, this study demonstrates that camelina can be grown profitably both as a commodity and as an energy biofuel. These findings, along with the stochastic crop rotation budget and profitability sensitivity analysis, reflect unique contributions to the literature. The study's stochastic break-even analysis demonstrates a 0.51 probability of growing camelina profitably when diesel prices reach 1.15 $ L−1. Results also show that the sale of camelina meal has the greatest impact on profitability. Yet once the price of diesel fuel exceeds 0.90 $ L−1, the farmer generates more revenue from the ability to offset diesel fuel purchases than the revenues generated from the sale of camelina meal. A risk analysis using second degree stochastic dominance demonstrates that a risk-averse farmer would choose to grow camelina if the price of diesel equals or exceeds 1.31 $ L−1. The article concludes that camelina can offset on-farm diesel use, making it economically feasible for farmers to grow their own fuel. As a result, camelina production may increase farm income, diversify rural economic development, and contribute to the attainment of energy policy goals.
Catherine M.H. Keske; Dana L. Hoag; Andrew Brandess; Jerry J. Johnson. Is it economically feasible for farmers to grow their own fuel? A study of Camelina sativa produced in the western United States as an on-farm biofuel. Biomass and Bioenergy 2013, 54, 89 -99.
AMA StyleCatherine M.H. Keske, Dana L. Hoag, Andrew Brandess, Jerry J. Johnson. Is it economically feasible for farmers to grow their own fuel? A study of Camelina sativa produced in the western United States as an on-farm biofuel. Biomass and Bioenergy. 2013; 54 ():89-99.
Chicago/Turabian StyleCatherine M.H. Keske; Dana L. Hoag; Andrew Brandess; Jerry J. Johnson. 2013. "Is it economically feasible for farmers to grow their own fuel? A study of Camelina sativa produced in the western United States as an on-farm biofuel." Biomass and Bioenergy 54, no. : 89-99.
For resource decisions to make the most possible progress toward achieving agency mandates, managers must work with stakeholders and may need to at least partially accommodate some of their key underlying interests. To accommodate stakeholder interests, while also substantively working toward fulfilling legal mandates, managers must understand the sociopolitical factors that influence the decision-making process. We coin the phrase disparate stakeholder management (DSM) to describe situations with disparate stakeholders and disparate management solutions. A DSM approach (DSMA) requires decision makers to combine concepts from many sciences, thus releasing them from disciplinary bonds that often constrain innovation and effectiveness. We combined three distinct approaches to develop a DSMA that assisted in developing a comprehensive range of elk and bison management alternatives in the Southern Greater Yellowstone Area. The DSMA illustrated the extent of compromise between meeting legal agency mandates and accommodating the preferences of certain stakeholder groups.
Lynne Koontz; Dana Hoag; Don Delong. Disparate Stakeholder Management: The Case of Elk and Bison Feeding in Southern Greater Yellowstone. Society & Natural Resources 2013, 26, 339 -355.
AMA StyleLynne Koontz, Dana Hoag, Don Delong. Disparate Stakeholder Management: The Case of Elk and Bison Feeding in Southern Greater Yellowstone. Society & Natural Resources. 2013; 26 (3):339-355.
Chicago/Turabian StyleLynne Koontz; Dana Hoag; Don Delong. 2013. "Disparate Stakeholder Management: The Case of Elk and Bison Feeding in Southern Greater Yellowstone." Society & Natural Resources 26, no. 3: 339-355.
This study uses biophysical values derived for the Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) of North and South Dakota, in conjunction with value transfer methods, to assess environmental and economic tradeoffs under different policy-relevant land-use scenarios over a 20-year period. The ecosystem service valuation is carried out by comparing the biophysical and economic values of three focal services (i.e. carbon sequestration, reduction in sedimentation, and waterfowl production) across three focal land uses in the region [i.e. native prairie grasslands, lands enrolled in the Conservation Reserve and Wetlands Reserve Programs (CRP/WRP), and cropland]. This study finds that CRP/WRP lands cannot mitigate (hectare for hectare) the loss of native prairie from a social welfare standpoint. Land use scenarios where native prairie loss was minimized, and CRP/WRP lands were increased, provided the most societal benefit. The scenario modeling projected native prairie conversion to cropland over the next 20 years would result in a social welfare loss valued at over $4 billion when considering the study's three ecosystem services, and a net loss of about $3.4 billion when reductions in commodity production are accounted for.
William R. Gascoigne; Dana Hoag; Lynne Koontz; Brian A. Tangen; Terry L. Shaffer; Robert A. Gleason. Valuing ecosystem and economic services across land-use scenarios in the Prairie Pothole Region of the Dakotas, USA. Ecological Economics 2011, 70, 1715 -1725.
AMA StyleWilliam R. Gascoigne, Dana Hoag, Lynne Koontz, Brian A. Tangen, Terry L. Shaffer, Robert A. Gleason. Valuing ecosystem and economic services across land-use scenarios in the Prairie Pothole Region of the Dakotas, USA. Ecological Economics. 2011; 70 (10):1715-1725.
Chicago/Turabian StyleWilliam R. Gascoigne; Dana Hoag; Lynne Koontz; Brian A. Tangen; Terry L. Shaffer; Robert A. Gleason. 2011. "Valuing ecosystem and economic services across land-use scenarios in the Prairie Pothole Region of the Dakotas, USA." Ecological Economics 70, no. 10: 1715-1725.
This study applied a broad continuum of risk analysis methods including mean-variance and coefficient of variation (CV) statistical criteria, second-degree stochastic dominance (SSD), stochastic dominance with respect to a function (SDRF), and stochastic efficiency with respect to a function (SERF) for comparing income-risk efficiency sustainability of conventional and reduced tillage systems. Fourteen years (1990–2003) of economic budget data derived from 35 treatments on 36 experimental plots under corn (Zea mays L.) and soybean (Glycine max L.) at the Iowa State University Northeast Research Station near Nashua, IA, USA were used. In addition to the other analyses, a visually-based Stoplight or “probability of target value” procedure was employed for displaying gross margin and net return probability distribution information. Mean-variance and CV analysis of the economic measures alone provided somewhat contradictive and inconclusive sustainability rankings, i.e., corn/soybean gross margin and net return showed that different tillage system alternatives were the highest ranked depending on the criterion and type of crop. Stochastic dominance analysis results were similar for SSD and SDRF in that both the conventional and reduced tillage system alternatives were highly ranked depending on the type of crop and tillage system. For the SERF analysis, results were dependent on the type of crop and level of risk aversion. The conventional tillage system was preferred for both corn and soybean for the Stoplight analysis. The results of this study are unique in that they highlight the potential of both traditional stochastic dominance and SERF methods for distinguishing economically sustainable choices between different tillage systems across a range of risk aversion. This study also indicates that the SERF risk analysis method appears to be a useful and easily understood tool to assist farm managers, experimental researchers, and potentially policy makers and advisers on problems involving agricultural risk and sustainability.
Eihab M. Fathelrahman; James C. Ascough Ii; Dana L. Hoag; Robert W. Malone; Philip Heilman; Lori J. Wiles; Ramesh S. Kanwar. Continuum of Risk Analysis Methods to Assess Tillage System Sustainability at the Experimental Plot Level. Sustainability 2011, 3, 1035 -1063.
AMA StyleEihab M. Fathelrahman, James C. Ascough Ii, Dana L. Hoag, Robert W. Malone, Philip Heilman, Lori J. Wiles, Ramesh S. Kanwar. Continuum of Risk Analysis Methods to Assess Tillage System Sustainability at the Experimental Plot Level. Sustainability. 2011; 3 (7):1035-1063.
Chicago/Turabian StyleEihab M. Fathelrahman; James C. Ascough Ii; Dana L. Hoag; Robert W. Malone; Philip Heilman; Lori J. Wiles; Ramesh S. Kanwar. 2011. "Continuum of Risk Analysis Methods to Assess Tillage System Sustainability at the Experimental Plot Level." Sustainability 3, no. 7: 1035-1063.
The inter-mountain west is one of the most highly urbanized and rapidly growing regions in the United States. Conservation easements are one common tool used to protect rural and agricultural land from urban development. This paper examines the attitudinal and demographic characteristics of agricultural landowners to predict adoption of conservation easements. The study has two primary objectives: (1) to broaden the literature on sense of place and place attachment by including a measure of economic dependence as one dimension, and (2) to examine the relation of this dimension with attitudes towards land trusts and participation in conservation easements. Agricultural landowners (N = 2266) in Colorado and Wyoming were surveyed about their sense of place for their land, their attitudes towards land trusts, and perceived need for land conservation. Factor analysis of 12 measures of sense of place indicated that place identity, conservation ethic, and economic dependence ere distinct dimensions of sense of place among agricultural landowners. Logistic regression analyses revealed that economic dependence had a significant and negative relation with landowner's trust of and trusts and placement of a conservation easement on agricultural land, whereas a conservation ethic and spiritual attachment are positively related. Two main implications for land trusts are that time spent contacting landowners is time well spent and intake questionnaires could be used to screen and owners for both a conservation ethic and a sense of economic dependence providing information hat might improve the possibility of reaching an easement agreement.
Jennifer Eileen Cross; Catherine M. Keske; Michael G. Lacy; Dana L.K. Hoag; Christopher T. Bastian. Adoption of conservation easements among agricultural landowners in Colorado and Wyoming: The role of economic dependence and sense of place. Landscape and Urban Planning 2011, 101, 75 -83.
AMA StyleJennifer Eileen Cross, Catherine M. Keske, Michael G. Lacy, Dana L.K. Hoag, Christopher T. Bastian. Adoption of conservation easements among agricultural landowners in Colorado and Wyoming: The role of economic dependence and sense of place. Landscape and Urban Planning. 2011; 101 (1):75-83.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJennifer Eileen Cross; Catherine M. Keske; Michael G. Lacy; Dana L.K. Hoag; Christopher T. Bastian. 2011. "Adoption of conservation easements among agricultural landowners in Colorado and Wyoming: The role of economic dependence and sense of place." Landscape and Urban Planning 101, no. 1: 75-83.
This paper analyzes Colorado corn producers’ preferences over both private- and environmental public-good production system attributes, and tests the robustness of alternative data reconstruction and estimation techniques. Irrigated corn production practices are characterized by intensive water and chemical use, resulting in nonpoint source pollution to water bodies as well as soil erosion problems. Data from a stated preference survey are employed to analyze key attributes of experimentally configured irrigation systems, proposed as alternatives to current practices. Panel mixed logit estimations (and several alternative fixed parameter specifications) uncover consistently positive preferences for profit, risk reduction, and, importantly, systems with less environmental impact in terms of nitrate leaching and soil erosion. The analysis also finds evidence of preference heterogeneity and a complementary relationship between the two environmental attributes. Analysis of this kind can be used by policy makers to predict behavioral responses associated with introduction of new technologies, or to assess welfare implications of agricultural policy changes and stricter environmental regulations. Dans le présent article, nous avons analysé les préférences des producteurs de maïs du Colorado concernant les attributs des systèmes de production de biens environnementaux publics et privés et avons vérifié la robustesse des techniques de rechange pour la reconstruction et l’estimation des données. Les pratiques de production de maïs irrigué sont caractérisées par l’utilisation intensive d’eau et de produits chimiques qui entraîne une pollution diffuse des plans d’eau ainsi que des problèmes d’érosion du sol. Nous avons utilisé des données tirées d’un sondage sur les préférences déclarées pour analyser les principaux attributs des systèmes d’irrigation expérimentaux proposés comme solutions de rechange aux pratiques actuelles. Les estimations du modèle mixte logit (et plusieurs spécifications de paramètres fixes) ont permis de découvrir des préférences uniformément positives concernant les profits, la réduction des risques et les systèmes ayant moins d’impact environnemental du point de vue du lessivage des nitrates et de l’érosion du sol. L’analyse a également montré l’hétérogénéité des préférences et l’existence d’un lien complémentaire entre les deux attributs environnementaux. Les décideurs pourraient utiliser ce genre d’analyse pour prévoir les réactions comportementales liées à l’introduction de nouvelles technologies ou pour évaluer les répercussions des changements de politique agricole et des règlements environnementaux plus stricts sur le bien-être.
Craig A. Bond; Dana L. Hoag; Gorm Kipperberg. Agricultural Producers and the Environment: A Stated Preference Analysis of Colorado Corn Producers. Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics/Revue canadienne d'agroeconomie 2011, 59, 127 -144.
AMA StyleCraig A. Bond, Dana L. Hoag, Gorm Kipperberg. Agricultural Producers and the Environment: A Stated Preference Analysis of Colorado Corn Producers. Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics/Revue canadienne d'agroeconomie. 2011; 59 (1):127-144.
Chicago/Turabian StyleCraig A. Bond; Dana L. Hoag; Gorm Kipperberg. 2011. "Agricultural Producers and the Environment: A Stated Preference Analysis of Colorado Corn Producers." Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics/Revue canadienne d'agroeconomie 59, no. 1: 127-144.