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Additionality and Forest Conservation Regulation for Residential Development
Author(s) -
Newburn David A.,
Ferris Jeffrey S.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
american journal of agricultural economics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.949
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1467-8276
pISSN - 0002-9092
DOI - 10.1093/ajae/aax038
Subject(s) - additionality , forest cover , cover (algebra) , fragmentation (computing) , forest fragmentation , forest ecology , agroforestry , geography , environmental resource management , forestry , environmental science , ecology , ecosystem , habitat , biology , mechanical engineering , engineering
We analyze the potential effects that a unique forest conservation regulation has on residential development, and assess the additionality in forest cover due to this regulation. We combine panel data on forest cover change from satellite imagery and parcel‐level modeling on residential development, including residential subdivisions occurring before and after the regulation is adopted. Our results suggest that after adoption, there was a 21% increase in forest cover within subdivisions relative to the amount without the regulation. The heterogeneous effects of this regulation suggest that on average, forest cover increased for parcels with lower levels of existing forest cover. However, parcels with the highest levels of forest cover continue to have significant decreases in forest cover, despite the regulation, thereby resulting in fragmentation in regions with the most intact forest cover.