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Biodiversity, Biocomplexity, and the Economics of Genetic Dissimilarity

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  • Lynn Mainwaring

Abstract

Some economists have advocated the use of measures of genetic dissimilarity to guide species preservation priorities. It is argued here that such policies are: 1) possible for only a very small number of species for which data are available; 2)impractical as a general guide to biodiversity preservation for that reason and because it is impossible, given the present state of knowledge, to account for species interdependence; and critically, 3) misguided because, at least over the relatively small species sets for which data exist, there are generally no established or theoretically convincing relationships between genetic dissimilarity and species value.

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  • Lynn Mainwaring, 2001. "Biodiversity, Biocomplexity, and the Economics of Genetic Dissimilarity," Land Economics, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 77(1), pages 79-83.
    • Handle: RePEc:uwp:landec:v:77:y:2001:i:1:p:79-83
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    Cited by:

    1. François Bareille & Pierre Dupraz, 2020. "Productive Capacity of Biodiversity: Crop Diversity and Permanent Grasslands in Northwestern France," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 77(2), pages 365-399, October.
    2. Bartkowski, Bartosz & Lienhoop, Nele & Hansjürgens, Bernd, 2015. "Capturing the complexity of biodiversity: A critical review of economic valuation studies of biological diversity," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 113(C), pages 1-14.
    3. Jean-Paul Chavas, 2009. "On the Productive Value of Biodiversity," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 42(1), pages 109-131, January.
    4. Simianer, H. & Marti, S. B. & Gibson, J. & Hanotte, O. & Rege, J. E. O., 2003. "An approach to the optimal allocation of conservation funds to minimize loss of genetic diversity between livestock breeds," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 45(3), pages 377-392, July.
    5. François Bareille & Pierre Dupraz, 2017. "Biodiversity Productive Capacity in Mixed Farms of North-West of France: a Multi-output Primal System," Working Papers SMART 17-03, INRAE UMR SMART.
    6. Maarten Punt & Hans-Peter Weikard & Ekko Ierland & Jan Stel, 2012. "Large Scale Marine Protected Areas for Biodiversity Conservation Along a Linear Gradient: Cooperation, Strategic Behavior or Conservation Autarky?," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 53(2), pages 203-228, October.
    7. Shrestha, Ram K. & Seidl, Andrew F. & Moraes, Andre S., 2002. "Value of recreational fishing in the Brazilian Pantanal: a travel cost analysis using count data models," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 42(1-2), pages 289-299, August.
    8. Eppink, Florian V. & van den Bergh, Jeroen C.J.M., 2007. "Ecological theories and indicators in economic models of biodiversity loss and conservation: A critical review," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 61(2-3), pages 284-293, March.
    9. Salvatore Di Falco & Jean-Paul Chavas, 2008. "Rainfall Shocks, Resilience, and the Effects of Crop Biodiversity on Agroecosystem Productivity," Land Economics, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 84(1), pages 83-96.
    10. Bareille, François & Dupraz, Pierre, 2016. "Biodiversity productive effects in milk farms of western France: a multi-output primal system," 149th Seminar, October 27-28, 2016, Rennes, France 244774, European Association of Agricultural Economists.
    11. Bartkowski, Bartosz, 2017. "Are diverse ecosystems more valuable? Economic value of biodiversity as result of uncertainty and spatial interactions in ecosystem service provision," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 24(C), pages 50-57.
    12. Perry, Neil, 2010. "The ecological importance of species and the Noah's Ark problem," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(3), pages 478-485, January.

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    JEL classification:

    • Q21 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Renewable Resources and Conservation - - - Demand and Supply; Prices
    • Q28 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Renewable Resources and Conservation - - - Government Policy

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