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• 1. [Article] Essays on the Recreational Value of Avian Biodiversity

  This dissertation uses a convenience sample of members of eBird, a large citizen science project maintained by the Cornell University's Laboratory of Ornithology, to explore the value of avian biodiversity ...

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Essays on the Recreational Value of Avian Biodiversity Author: Kolstoe, Sonja Year: 2016 This dissertation uses a convenience sample of members of eBird, a large citizen science project maintained by the Cornell University's Laboratory of Ornithology, to explore the value of avian biodiversity to bird watchers. Panel data (i.e. longitudinal data) are highly desirable for preference estimation. Fortuitously, the diaries of birding excursions by eBird members provide a rich source of spatial data on trips taken, over time by the same individuals, to a variety of birding destinations. Origin and destination data can be combined with exogenous species prevalence information. These combined data sources permit estimation of utility-theoretic choice models that allow derivation of the marginal utilities of avian biodiversity measures as well as the marginal utility of net income (i.e. consumption of other goods and services). Ratios of these marginal utilities yield marginal willingness to pay (MWTP) estimates for numbers of bird species (or numbers of species of different types, in richer specifications). MWTP for levels of other attributes of birding destinations are also derived (e.g. ecosystem type, management regime, seasonal variations, a time trend).\\ The chapters are organized as follows: Chapter 2 is a stand-alone paper that demonstrates the feasibility of a travel-cost based random utility model with the eBird data. This chapter focuses on measuring the total number of bird species at each birding hotspot in Washington and Oregon states. This chapter does not differentiate among types of birders beyond using their recent birding activities in an analysis of habit formation or variety-seeking behavior. For this model, beyond past behavior, a representative consumer is postulated. Chapter 3 starts from the basic specifications identified in Chapter 2 and explores heterogeneous preferences among consumers as well as their preferences for species richness and for different categories of birds. This chapter explores whether different types of birds are relatively more attractive to different types of birders (for example, by gender or by age or by neighborhood characteristics and educational attainment). Chapter 4 is an extension of the work in Chapter 3 to explore how changing site attributes in the face of climate change effects birder welfare. This dissertation includes previously unpublished co-authored material. Title: Essays on the Recreational Value of Avian Biodiversity Author: Kolstoe, Sonja Year: 2016 This dissertation uses a convenience sample of members of eBird, a large citizen science project maintained by the Cornell University's Laboratory of Ornithology, to explore the value of avian biodiversity to bird watchers. Panel data (i.e. longitudinal data) are highly desirable for preference estimation. Fortuitously, the diaries of birding excursions by eBird members provide a rich source of spatial data on trips taken, over time by the same individuals, to a variety of birding destinations. Origin and destination data can be combined with exogenous species prevalence information. These combined data sources permit estimation of utility-theoretic choice models that allow derivation of the marginal utilities of avian biodiversity measures as well as the marginal utility of net income (i.e. consumption of other goods and services). Ratios of these marginal utilities yield marginal willingness to pay (MWTP) estimates for numbers of bird species (or numbers of species of different types, in richer specifications). MWTP for levels of other attributes of birding destinations are also derived (e.g. ecosystem type, management regime, seasonal variations, a time trend).\\ The chapters are organized as follows: Chapter 2 is a stand-alone paper that demonstrates the feasibility of a travel-cost based random utility model with the eBird data. This chapter focuses on measuring the total number of bird species at each birding hotspot in Washington and Oregon states. This chapter does not differentiate among types of birders beyond using their recent birding activities in an analysis of habit formation or variety-seeking behavior. For this model, beyond past behavior, a representative consumer is postulated. Chapter 3 starts from the basic specifications identified in Chapter 2 and explores heterogeneous preferences among consumers as well as their preferences for species richness and for different categories of birds. This chapter explores whether different types of birds are relatively more attractive to different types of birders (for example, by gender or by age or by neighborhood characteristics and educational attainment). Chapter 4 is an extension of the work in Chapter 3 to explore how changing site attributes in the face of climate change effects birder welfare. This dissertation includes previously unpublished co-authored material. Close

• 2. [Article] Evolutionary Biology for the 21st Century

  This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by Public Library of Science and can be found at: http://www.plos.org/.

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Evolutionary Biology for the 21st Century Author: Orr, H. Allen, Hibbett, David, Hoekstra, Hopi E., Brodie, E. D. III, Turner, Thomas L., Mindell, David P., Soltis, Pamela S., Arnold, Stevan J., Monteiro, Antonia, Bejerano, Gill, Petrov, Dmitri A., Renner, Susanne S., Moritz, Craig, Losos, Jonathan B., Ricklefs, Robert E. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by Public Library of Science and can be found at: http://www.plos.org/. Title: Evolutionary Biology for the 21st Century Author: Orr, H. Allen, Hibbett, David, Hoekstra, Hopi E., Brodie, E. D. III, Turner, Thomas L., Mindell, David P., Soltis, Pamela S., Arnold, Stevan J., Monteiro, Antonia, Bejerano, Gill, Petrov, Dmitri A., Renner, Susanne S., Moritz, Craig, Losos, Jonathan B., Ricklefs, Robert E. This is the publisher’s final pdf. The published article is copyrighted by Public Library of Science and can be found at: http://www.plos.org/. Close

• 3. [Article] Adapting to Climate Change on Western Public Lands: Addressing the Ecological Effects of Domestic, Wild, and Feral Ungulates

  NEWS COVERAGE: A news release based on this journal publication, which is written for a lay audience and has been approved by an author of the study, is available online: http://bit.ly/XFBYe2

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Adapting to Climate Change on Western Public Lands: Addressing the Ecological Effects of Domestic, Wild, and Feral Ungulates Author: DellaSala, Dominick A., Donahue, Deborah L., Rhodes, Jonathan J., O'Brien, Mary H., Beschta, Robert L., Fleischner, Thomas L., Karr, James R., Deacon-Williams, Cindy NEWS COVERAGE: A news release based on this journal publication, which is written for a lay audience and has been approved by an author of the study, is available online: http://bit.ly/XFBYe2 Title: Adapting to Climate Change on Western Public Lands: Addressing the Ecological Effects of Domestic, Wild, and Feral Ungulates Author: DellaSala, Dominick A., Donahue, Deborah L., Rhodes, Jonathan J., O'Brien, Mary H., Beschta, Robert L., Fleischner, Thomas L., Karr, James R., Deacon-Williams, Cindy NEWS COVERAGE: A news release based on this journal publication, which is written for a lay audience and has been approved by an author of the study, is available online: http://bit.ly/XFBYe2 Close

• 4. [Article] Reducing Livestock Effects on Public Lands in the Western United States as the Climate Changes: A Reply to Svejcar et al.

  This is an author's peer-reviewed final manuscript, as accepted by the publisher. The published article is copyrighted by Springer and can be found at: http://link.springer.com/journal/267.

  Citation × Citation Citation Abstract Copy Title: Reducing Livestock Effects on Public Lands in the Western United States as the Climate Changes: A Reply to Svejcar et al. Author: DellaSala, Dominick A., Donahue, Debra L., Rhodes, Jonathan J., O'Brien, Mary H., Beschta, Robert L., Fleischner, Thomas L., Karr, James R., Williams, Cindy Deacon This is an author's peer-reviewed final manuscript, as accepted by the publisher. The published article is copyrighted by Springer and can be found at: http://link.springer.com/journal/267. Title: Reducing Livestock Effects on Public Lands in the Western United States as the Climate Changes: A Reply to Svejcar et al. Author: DellaSala, Dominick A., Donahue, Debra L., Rhodes, Jonathan J., O'Brien, Mary H., Beschta, Robert L., Fleischner, Thomas L., Karr, James R., Williams, Cindy Deacon This is an author's peer-reviewed final manuscript, as accepted by the publisher. The published article is copyrighted by Springer and can be found at: http://link.springer.com/journal/267. Close