Grantee Research Project Results
2002 Progress Report: Economics of Conserving Ecosystem Integrity with Residential Development around Vernal Pools
EPA Grant Number: R829384Title: Economics of Conserving Ecosystem Integrity with Residential Development around Vernal Pools
Investigators: Swallow, Stephen K. , Paton, Peter
Institution: University of Rhode Island
EPA Project Officer: Hahn, Intaek
Project Period: January 1, 2002 through December 31, 2005 (Extended to August 31, 2006)
Project Period Covered by this Report: January 1, 2002 through December 31, 2003
Project Amount: $200,017
RFA: Decision-Making and Valuation for Environmental Policy (2001) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Environmental Justice
Objective:
The overall objective of this research project is to develop a framework for identifying and understanding the economic and ecological factors that influence society’s ability to maintain well-functioning ecosystems in the face of sprawl or urban development. Particular emphasis is given to modeling the effects of residential development on amphibian metapopulations dependent upon vernal pools and upland habitats connecting these pools. The specific objectives of this research project are to: (1) assess the baseline value of foregone opportunities for development and amphibian metapopulations that can be anticipated after rural residential development expands under current regulations; (2) evaluate the economic and ecological factors affecting the cost of maintaining metapopulations for an assemblage of amphibians, as represented by vernal pool ecosystems in southern New England; and (3) examine the economic and ecological implications of alternative regulatory or development incentive mechanisms that influence the probability of land development within or around vernal pool based ecosystems.
Progress Summary:
Research during this period focused on two major work efforts. The first effort, development of a land classification framework to be used in the conceptual model, began by identifying key land parcel attributes that affect the probability of land being developed or the probability of amphibian metapopulation persistence. Literature reviews identified several key factors, including road density, housing density, distance between roads, houses, and vernal pools, traffic, quantity of forested upland, and landscape fragmentation. Investigation of the literature on the land development process discovered that land rents are based not only on distance to the nearest preserved open space, but also on the current amount of nearby unprotected, undeveloped land. These land rents capture the values associated with the aesthetics of being close to nature, but also values related to privacy and reduced traffic congestion. This has led to a “leapfrog” pattern of residential development in rural areas at the urban fringe. Our model will need to incorporate this fragmented spatial arrangement of land parcels.
For amphibian metapopulation persistence, land use attributes can be divided into: (1) those affecting the upland habitat immediately surrounding vernal pools where amphibians over-winter (i.e., migration parameters) and (2) those affecting the permeability of the landscape connecting one vernal pool to its neighbors (i.e., dispersal parameters). Investigation of the literature on amphibian conservation biology showed a major lack of empirical research related to the effects of residential development on amphibian metapopulations (though, as described below, we have a set of empirical data that we are in the process of analyzing). Although a number of studies have looked at the effects of roads, these were typically conducted in a forested landscape. Other studies indicated, for at least some amphibian species, an aversion to crossing open fields (undeveloped land in an early stage of succession) or cropland. No studies were found measuring the permeability of manicured lawns for amphibians. This is of relevance to our modeling effort, as housing density may not be the appropriate critical factor. Rather, the size and quantity (i.e., number of fragments) of manicured lawns may be more significant. Personal communications with several ecologists during an amphibian workshop did not provide any assistance. Our conceptual model and simulations will need to include multiple “lawn crossing” scenarios.
The second major effort involved analysis of previously collected amphibian egg mass count data to identify quantitative relationships between land use characteristics and viability of metapopulations. Initial regression results indicated no significant effect of residential development on either of the amphibian species for which we have data. This led us to engage in an extensive (and time-consuming) reconfiguration and enhancement of the data. Several new geographic information system layers, incorporating actual road and housing densities (captured from aerial photographs) in a series of concentric circles around each vernal pool, are being added. We expect that this increase in detail will result in improved significance of residential land use attributes at least in the inner most circles.
Future Activities:
We will continue to develop an analytical model relating residential development and amphibian metapopulation dynamics, based on the land development attributes previously identified. It is anticipated that this model will be presented at a conference in the summer of 2003. Based on the analytical model, a computer simulation will be developed to perform more detailed sensitivity analysis of model parameters. In addition, further monitoring of the relevant literature and analysis of our empirical vernal pool data will continue. Results from these efforts will assist in the parameterization of our simulation model.
Journal Articles on this Report : 3 Displayed | Download in RIS Format
Other project views: | All 26 publications | 11 publications in selected types | All 7 journal articles |
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Type | Citation | ||
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Egan RS, Paton PWC. Within-pond parameters affecting oviposition by wood frogs and spotted salamanders. Wetlands 2004;24(1):1-13. |
R829384 (2002) R829384 (2003) R829384 (2004) R829384 (Final) |
Exit Exit |
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Egan RS, Paton PWC. Assessing the influence of landscape structure on pond-breeding amphibians across a rural-urban gradient in Rhode Island. Conservation Biology (submitted, 2004). |
R829384 (2002) |
not available |
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Paton PWC, Yong W. Non-random migration by pond-breeding amphibians across a fragmented landscape. Journal of Herpetology (submitted, 2004). |
R829384 (2002) |
not available |
Supplemental Keywords:
indicators, ecosystem indicators, landscape indicators, amphibian, frogs, salamanders, anthropogenic stresses, sustainable development, Northeast, policy analysis, community based, decision-making, public policy, wetland regulation, conservation biology, conservation reserve network, cost-effective ecosystem protection, economic, social, and behavioral science research program, ecosystem protection/environmental exposure and risk, ecology and ecosystems, economics and decision-making, ecosystem protection, ecosystem/assessment/indicators, social science, conserving ecosystem integrity, cost effectiveness, ecological exposure, ecosystem integrity, ecosystem integrity and residential development, environmental policy, environmental values, residential development, vernal pool ecosystems, vernal pools,, RFA, Economic, Social, & Behavioral Science Research Program, Scientific Discipline, Ecosystem Protection/Environmental Exposure & Risk, Ecosystem/Assessment/Indicators, Ecosystem Protection, Economics, decision-making, Ecology and Ecosystems, Economics & Decision Making, Social Science, ecological exposure, ecosystem integrity, vernal pool ecosystems, decision making, wetland regulation, cost-effective ecosystem protection, environmental values, environmental policy, residential development, ecosystem integrity and residential development, vernal pools, community-based, conservation biology, public policy, cost-effective ecosysem protection, conserving ecosystem integrityProgress and Final Reports:
Original AbstractThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.