RFF The Natural World

Policy Monitor: U.S. Experience with Transferable Development Rights

Optimal spatial control of biological invasions

Ex Post Evaluation of Forest Conservation Policies Using Remote Sensing Data: An Introduction and Practical Guide

Biodiversity, Ecosystem Services, and Land Use: Comparing Three Federal Policies

Zoning on the Urban Fringe: Results from a New Approach to Modeling Land and Housing Markets

Policy Monitor: U.S. Experience with Transferable Development Rights

Potential Biodiversity Benefits from International Programs to Reduce Carbon Emissions from Deforestation

Conservation Return on Investment Analysis: A Review of Results, Methods, and New Directions

Adapting Environmental Policy for the Developing World

Researchers from Environment for Development centers investigated some of the challenges faced by policymakers in developing countries, including the economic impacts of public health issues and the effects of climate change on agricultural productivity.

An Empirical Analysis of China?s State-Owned Forests

Effective Pollution Control Policy for China

China?s Sloping Land Conversion Program: Does Expansion Equal Success?

Forestland Reform in China: A Choice Experiment on Farmers? Property Rights Preferences

The Value of Scarce Water: Measuring the Inefficiency of Municipal Regulations

How the United States Can Support REDD+ Programs

Efforts to reduce deforestation in developing tropical countries continue to provide promising opportunities to limit greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions while simultaneously addressing development concerns.

The Census of Marine Life

Video: RFF University Fellow Jesse Ausubel shares the scientifically rich, visually captivating results from a 10-year survey of the Earth?s oceans at an RFF seminar, ?The Census of Marine Life.?

The Benefits of Reducing Chesapeake Bay Pollution

Maureen Cropper and William Isaac outline the benefits of achieving EPA?s total maximum daily load targets for the Chesapeake Bay.

The Benefits of Achieving the Chesapeake Bay TMDLs (Total Maximum Daily Loads): A Scoping Study

Hurricanes: Who should pay?

A Bioeconomic Model of Community Incentives for Wildlife Management Under CAMPFIRE

Contributions of the U.S. State Park System to Nature Recreation

Forests in Climate Policy: Technical, Institutional and Economic Issues in Measurement and Monitoring

Forest Carbon Offsets: Possibilities and Limitations

Seeing the Forests and the Trees: Technological and Regulatory Impediments for Global Carbon Monitoring

The Value of Information: Methodological Frontiers and New Applications

Earth Observations in a National Space Strategy

U.S. Policy Options for Reducing Tropical Deforestation: What Can be Done?

In a new Discussion Paper, RFF scholars propose a ?whole-of-government? approach for slowing and reversing tropical forest loss to engage the full suite of policy levers in the federal government.

Forests, Biodiversity and Avoided Deforestation in Latin America

A Whole-of-Government Approach to Reducing Tropical Deforestation

Renewable Energy in Antarctica and the Power of Being Bold

On June 15, RFF hosted polar explorer and environmental leader Robert Swan (OBE) at a Policy Leadership Forum, where he spoke on energy resources and strategies for sustainable global economic growth.

Natural Resource Scarcity and the Fear of ?Resource Wars?

As Congress continues to debate the causes and effects of higher oil prices, RFF Senior Fellow Joel Darmstadter reviews lessons learned about how the perceived scarcity of natural resources?for example, oil, copper, and rare earths?may cloud some countries? hope for a robust economic future.

Guest commentary: The economics of flooding

Managing Dependencies in Forest Offset Projects: Toward a More Complete Evaluation of Reversal Risk

Meeting the World?s Natural Resource Needs: Confrontation (or Worse) Ahead?

Ecosystem Good and Service Co-Effects of Terrestrial Carbon Sequestration: Implications for the US Geological Survey?s Land Carbon Methodology

Conditional Cash Transfers and Payments for Environmental Services A Conceptual Framework for Explaining and Judging Differences in Outcomes

Coordinating Ecological and Economic Research: Introducing rff.org/cmew

In this Q&A, Director of RFF's Center for the Management of Ecological Wealth (CMEW) Jim Boyd explains how the center extends RFF?s work on natural resource, energy, and climate issues. Learn more about CMEW?s work here.

International Forest Conservation: A Survey of Key Staff in the 112th Congress

Models for Demography of Plant Populations

Capturing Diversity and Interspecific Variability in Allometries: A Hierarchical Approach

Why Mississippi Floods Were Expected

Choice Experiments in Environmental Impact Assessment: The Case of the Toro 3 Hydroelectric Project and the Recreo Verde Tourist Center in Costa Rica

Sustainable Agricultural Practices and Agricultural Productivity in Ethiopia: Does Agroecology Matter?

Tree Growth Inference and Prediction from Diameter Censuses and Ring Widths

Resolving the Biodiversity Paradox

A Virtual Canopy Generator (V-CaGe) for Modelling Complex Heterogeneous Forest Canopies at High Resolution

Predicting Biodiversity Change: Outside the Climate Envelope, Beyond the Species-Area Curve

Ecosystem Services: Quantification, Policy Applications, and Current Federal Capabilities

Using Space to Control Invasive Species and Reduce Containment Costs

RFF researchers move beyond the ?when? and ?how much? to control invasive species to also consider the ?where? in order to reduce long-term costs and damages.

Optimal Control of Spatial-Dynamic Processes: The Case of Biological Invasions

An Initial SPARROW Model of Land Use and In-Stream Controls on Total Organic Carbon in Streams of the Conterminous United States

The Value of Terroir: Hedonic Estimation of Vineyard Sale Prices

Perspective: The Challenge of Degraded Environments: How Common Biases Impair Effective Policy

Using Natural Capital to Reduce Disaster Risk

Making the case for new empirical research in wildfire economics and policy

The Role of Market Incentives in Environmental Policy

Incorporating ecosystem services in decisions

From Science to Applications: Determinants of Diffusion in the Use of Earth Observations

New Look, Same Magazine!

The fundamentals haven?t changed: you?ll find short, accessible stories by RFF scholars, written without partisan bias or technical jargon. The purpose of the new design is to make it easier to find what you?re looking for as well as easier to read?the type is bigger!

Does Eco-Certification Have Environmental Benefits? Organic Coffee in Costa Rica

Saving America?s Land and Ecosystems

Some 30 million acres in the United States comprise the federal land preservation effort known as the Conservation Reserve Program. An RFF First Wednesday seminar panel discusses the impact of this policy on ecosystem services, agriculture, land use, and more.

Superior Salmon?

As the Food and Drug Administration nears approval of the sale of genetically engineered salmon to American consumers, RFF Visiting Scholar Randall Lutter analyzes the surge of new kinds of fish and meat products ? and the agency?s plans to regulate their labeling.

China: A Resource War Resurgence?

In the latest issue of Resources, Senior Fellow Joel Darmstadter divines facts and fears about China?s energy strategy, including its ongoing, global shopping spree for oil.

Connecting Americans to the Great Outdoors

America?s scenic and natural resources have always been a source of national pride but the evidence is mixed about how often we go outdoors and who among us goes.

Harnessing Ecosystems to Help Endangered Species

A new paper by Visiting Scholar Lynn Scarlett suggests an ecosystem-based approach to listing and protecting threatened animals and plants.

Moving Toward Global Risk-Based Food Safety Policies

In the lead editorial of Risk Analysis, RFF Fellow Sandra Hoffmann introduces a special edition on risk ranking to help ensure safer foods around the world.

A Primer on Oil Spill Liability Law

A complex landscape of damage costs, laws, and private and public interests will determine who pays, when, and how much.

Using Ecosystem Damages in Oil Spill Liability

Assessments of ecological damage would help put a price tag on the gulf coast oil spill, but scientific barriers may ground such efforts.

The Impact of Climate Change on the Forest Industry

Resources Magazine: In a warmer world, forests will overtake tundra regions and extra carbon could boost production, according to new research.

Using Labels to Sow the Seeds for Better Products

For markets such as fruits and vegetables, country labeling and minimum standards could boost profits and quality.

RFF and the 2010 Gulf Coast Oil Spill

With oil-related energy, liability, and regulatory issues again at the forefront, RFF research on these issues provides context and insight into future implications.

Why We Need Accurate Maps of the World?s Forests

Resources Magazine: RFF researchers make the case for better forest maps and the space-based technologies that can make them a reality.

A New Collection of Best Thinking on Current Issues

RFF announces an anthology of thought-provoking and insightful contributions from leading researchers in key climate, environmental, and energy fields. Issues of the Day, a reference for policy practitioners, is now available for sale or download.

Taking the Measure of Forest Carbon

Resources Magazine: A look at the Forest Carbon Index, an ambitious project integrating global datasets to illuminate the geography of the emissions offset market.

Do Ecolabels Really Have Environmental Benefits?

A new study looks at the growing trend in socially-responsible product certification, finding limited evidence that these labels boost environmental or socioeconomic benefits.

Taking Stock of the Biomass Crop Assistance Program

RFF Senior Fellow Roger Sedjo finds that the impacts of a new federal biomass program on wood growers and processors may not be clear-cut.

Valuing ?Windows on the World?

RFF researchers look at alternative ways to measure the value of Earth observation images, including emerging applications for monitoring forest carbon.

Balancing Conservation and Development

New research highlights the economics of critical developing world issues such as deforestation and water supply.

Designing Fishing Quota Programs to Net the Biggest Gains

Kailin Kroetz and RFF Nonresident Fellow James Sanchirico assess the trade-offs involved in designing market-based individual transferable quota (ITQ) programs for fisheries.

Assessing Risk via Expert Elicitation

Nature magazine highlights RFF Senior Fellow Roger Cooke?s use of expert elicitation, and recommends that it be used in gauging climate change risks.

Taking a Census of the World?s Forests

Can satellite imagery provide improved measurements of global forests? A new RFF Report asserts that space-based observations will give us the best?and most timely?data on forest inventory.

Climate Change in the Developing World

Rosina Bierbaum says developing countries can?t afford to ignore climate change, and developed nations must aid poorer nations with financing and technology. The three essentials: Act now, act together, and act differently.

Congestion and the Commons

Resources Magazine: Carolyn Fischer and Ramanan Laxminarayan explore the interactions between owned and unowned resource pools, using examples from fisheries and antiobiotics.

Ocean Zoning: A Venerable Idea Bobs to the Surface

As the U.S. closes in on a comprehensive policy to oversee and protect maritime resources, several recent articles draw on RFF research to advocate a ?zone-the-oceans? policy to ensure that the world?s seas ? and the industries that depend on them ? are healthy.

'Forest Carbon Index' Maps the Geography of Climate Solutions

The innovative ?Forest Carbon Index? uses geospatial data to estimate each nation's potential to attract forest carbon investment based on profit potential and country-specific risk factors.

Event: Managing the World?s Forests

At a November 5th seminar, experts discussed challenges in forest data, new research, and the role of forest carbon in evolving U.S. climate change legislation. Video and audio available.

Liability in the Space Business

If a privately owned rocket falls to the ground after being launched under government auspices, who pays for the damages? The answer to that question, which will influence the development of future commercial space enterprises, is explored by RFF researchers in a new discussion paper.

Shaping the Future of America?s Outdoor Resources

Press Release: A new RFF study delves into the status of America?s outdoor resources, the demand for recreation, and the financing of conservation, parks, and open space.

Linking Ecological Science and Economic Preferences

In a new RFF Discussion Paper, Senior Fellows James Boyd and Alan Krupnick examine a key conceptual issue central to effective interdisciplinary collaboration between economists and ecologists.

Could Uncertain Forest Inventories Hinder Carbon Markets?

Incongruities in national forest measures from across the globe could present a stumbling block for the development of international forest policy, says Paul Waggoner.

A New Approach to Reforming the National Flood Insurance Program

Commentary: Adding a federal community flood insurance option could increase coverage, spread risk, and lower premiums, says RFF resident scholar Leonard Shabman.

U.S. Land Retirement Programs Harvest Benefits

Jeffrey Ferris and Juha Siikam?ki review the history and outcomes of the Conservation Reserve Program and Wetlands Reserve Program.

Voluntary Environmental Regulation in Colombia

In a recent RFF Report, Senior Fellow Allen Blackman and his colleagues examine voluntary environmental agreements in Colombia, finding that although they have had limited environmental benefits, they have helped build capacity in environmental management.

Ecosystems and Climate: Managing Change

The challenges facing terrestrial ecosystems in a warming climate are daunting, according to an RFF Report that explores policies and perspectives on making nature more resilient in the face of climate stress.

Achieving Efficient Coordination and Acceptance in Fishery Reform

In a June 29 commentary, Robert Deacon discusses how a policy of assigning fishery harvest rights to groups rather than individuals can achieve gains from coordination that other rights-based management regimes fail to capture.

Overseeing International Forest Conservation Programs

With Congress designing plans to manage international forest conservation, a key question arises?who should be in charge? In a new issue brief, RFF?s Nigel Purvis, Ray Kopp, and Andrew Stevenson offer their suggestion.

Coastal and Marine Environments: Adapting to Climate Change

A new report assesses policy options for addressing climate change impacts on marine and coastal resources. The study is part of a series on U.S. climate adaptation policy being released by RFF.

Climate Change and U.S. Agricultural Policy

More than most sectors, agriculture will feel the impacts of climate change. A new RFF report explores the role for public policy in helping U.S. farmers and ranchers as they develop practices to counter inevitable changes in temperature, rainfall, growing seasons, and soil conditions.

Prioritizing Investments for Improved Biodiversity Conservation Outcomes

In a June 15 commentary, Juha Siikam?ki and Stephen Newbold discuss approaches to improving the cost-effectiveness of biodiversity conservation through better prioritization of conservation alternatives.

New from RFF Press: Water Policy in the Netherlands

The latest book in the Water Policy series explores integrated water resource management in a heavily populated delta region.

Costs and Risks are Escalating

Carolyn Kousky writes about the increasing risk of floods that damage property and take lives in the Midwest.

Where the Sun Does Shine: Will Space Solar Power Ever Be Practical?

Molly Macauley is quoted on the ability of space solar power to compete with other renewable energy technologies.

Saving the Crab - and the Watermen

In this Op-Ed, Leonard Shabman and co-authors Doug Lipton and Tom Miller write about new restrictions on the harvest of female blue crabs in the Chesapeake Bay, and the effects those restrictions have on crabs and harvesters.