Revised benefits and costs of eradicating the red imported fire ant
| Publication Type: | Report |
| Year of Publication: | 2009 |
| Authors: | G. Antony, Scanlan, J., Francis, A., Kloessing, K., Nguyen, Y. |
| Date Published: | 16 January, 2009 |
| Institution: | No 48151, 2009 Conference (53rd), February 11-13, 2009, Cairns, Australia, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society |
| Abstract: | *[The key to assessing ecosystem values lost to RIFA in the modelled impact zone is benefit transfer. The original values were for a US ecosystem that is less productive than that of the RIFA impact zone, & assessed for a society whose environmental preferences are similar to Australia's. Subjective measures of the RIFA impact on specific ecosystem values were used to discount the transferred ecosystem-service values according to the expected spread of the ants. The present value of RIFA damage in the modelled impact zone has an indicative figure of around $43 billion dollars, with an unknown error margin. This figure would be significantly higher if spread outside the impact zone were also considered. The flows of undiscounted costs & benefits of RIFA eradication within the modelled impact zone are illustrated.] |