Publications

Dissertation

General Equilibrium Ecological Model in Practical Use (Advisor: John T. Tschirhart)

Abstract

The research presented in this dissertation is guided by the question of how to improve the General Equilibrium Ecological Model (GEEM) as a realistic population model, and how to incorporate GEEM in a dynamic resource management model.
The first part of this dissertation (Chapter 2) extends GEEM from an 8 to a 13-species marine system with multiple predator-prey relations, and provides simulations of the ecosystem dynamics under various influences, especially human activities. Functional and numerical responses in GEEM as a population model are also derived and discussed.
The second part of the dissertation (Chapter 3 and 4) addresses the application of GEEM in economic models, including deriving a reduced form of GEEM (R-GEEM) so that the variables from GEEM can be easily integrated with the economic model, and applying R-GEEM to dynamic optimization problems with multiple species harvesting and endangered species protection plans.

You can download my dissertation by clicking here.

Reports and Conference Papers

Finnoff, Gong, and Tschirhart. “Develop an Integrated Regional Economic-Ecological
Model of Alaska Fisheries.” Final Report to Alaska Fisheries Science Center, Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission. Nov., 2005.

Finnoff, Gong, and Tschirhart.Joint Determination to Assess the Economic Importance of Ecosystem Services.AERE Summer Workshop, Mystic, Connecticut, June, 2007. This paper is downloadable from the AERE website.

Other Working papers

Interview Effects in Environmental Surveys (with David Aadland)

Abstract

We investigate whether interview effects are present during willingness-to-pay (WTP) surveys for environmental goods. The existence of interview effects, especially those related to the race and gender of the interviewer, has been well documented for a variety of survey topics. Environmental valuation surveys, due to the limited experience agents typically have with environmental goods, are prime candidates for interview effects. We test for interview effects using a survey of recycling behavior administered to over 4000 households. The dataset includes a rich variety of interview and household characteristics, which we interact to isolate the type of households and interview variables that are most prone to interview effects. The estimates support the hypothesis that interview characteristics have a direct effect on respondents’ WTP for recycling services.

You can download this paper by clicking here.

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