Browsing by Author "Alig, R."
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- Assessing socioeconomic impacts of climate change on U.S. forests, wood-product markets and forest recreationIrland, L.; Adams, D.; Alig, R.; Betz, C.; Chen, Chi Chung; Hutchins, M.; McCarl, Bruce A.; Skog, K.; Sohngen, B. (Washington, D.C.: American Institute of Biological Sciences, 2001)In this paper we discuss the problems of projecting social and economic changes affecting forests and review recent efforts to assess the wood-market impacts of possible climate changes. To illustrate the range of conditions encountered in projecting socioeconomic change linked to forests, we consider two markedly different uses: forest products markets and forest recreation. In the case of forest products, we use an existing forest-sector model to arrive at new simulation results concerning the impacts of climate change. The impact of climate change on recreation has received less attention; here we consider a case study of downhill skiing. Other important forest values were not treated explicitly in this research. Our primary emphasis is on methods and issues in the socioeconomic assessment process. Our efforts may be viewed as an exercise in human ecology, studying complex interactions between human societies and their forests. We close with suggestions for future research.
- Effects of global climate change on the U.S. forest sector: Response functions derived from a dynamic resource and market simulatorMcCarl, Bruce A.; Adams, D.; Alig, R.; Burton, D.; Chen, Chi Chung (Oldendorf, Germany: Inter-Research Science Center, 2000)This paper assesses the economic repercussions global climate change may have on the United States forest sector. The authors apply an economic forest sector model that accounts for a wide range of possible biological forest responses to climate change. Results are inputs for response functions, which yield overviews of the impacts caused by climate change. They found that the welfare of producers 30-40 years in the future is at greatest risk. However, overall impacts on both producers and consumers are relatively small, possibly due to the capacity of the forest sector to adjust, thus mitigating some of the effects of climate change.