Browsing by Subject "Department of Applied Economics"

Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
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    Eurasian Watermilfoil Management: Measuring Feasible Success of Biological Control
    (2009-04-08) Demmer, Alissa
    Eurasian watermilfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum) is an aquatic invasive species whose infestation produces a variety of negative effects in North America. It was introduced to North America in the 1940s, and it was first identified in Minnesota in Lake Minnetonka in 1987. By 1992, the plant was found to have infested 60 Minnesota lakes, and according to most recent surveying, it now infests 160 Minnesota bodies of water. It is a submersed vascular plant that is highly prolific and grows in a vast range of temperatures and environmental conditions, with the potential of forming an entire new milfoil colony from a single plant segment. It is easily spread via watercraft, birds, other animals and vehicles and has therefore become incredibly difficult to control. Eurasian watermilfoil currently has confirmed existence in 45 U.S. States. Why is controlling Eurasian watermilfoil so imperative? As Eurasian watermilfoil spreads at incredibly rapid rates, it becomes a detriment to recreational water use such as boating, fishing, swimming, and other aquatic activities. It also inhibits the growth of native species, both plant and animal. The problematic consequences of milfoil infestation result in the accumulation of several costs; cost to manage, local business costs, declining property values, lost species variety, and possible lost area development opportunities. The key issue is that millions of dollars wind up being spent on controlling Eurasian watermilfoil in America every year. Efforts to control Eurasian watermilfoil are currently undertaken using the physical method of mechanical harvesting or by chemical control. These methods are temporary and must be repeated multiple times each growth season. The more novel approach of biological control, using the milfoil weevil (Euhrychiopsis lecontei), has the potential for long-term, and even permanent successful suppression of Eurasian watermilfoil. The goal of this research was to format a working model to estimate costs of management under certain probabilities of success using the biological method for controlling Eurasian watermilfoil.
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    The Potential Effects of a Brazilian Free Trade Agreement on the U.S. Ethanol Industry
    (2012-04-18) Styles, Matthew
    The United States and Brazil accounted for 89% of the total world production of ethanol in 2008. The United States government has been heavily involved in cultivating a domestic corn based ethanol industry through a $0.46 per gallon tax credit and an import tariff to protect from foreign producers. Currently, the U.S. import tariff is $0.57 per gallon. The tariff restricts the amount of ethanol imports from Brazil- even though Brazil continues to have a significant comparative advantage in ethanol production and will most likely surpass the US in production since they’re projected to quadruple their production by 2025. Using regression analysis to define both the US and Brazilian ethanol markets, I can estimate the level of ethanol trade between the US and Brazil if the tariff were to be eliminated. Increasing ethanol trade from Brazil could have a wide variety of implications in food prices, fuel prices, renewable energy, relations with one of the fastest rising political and economic powers in the world, and many other fields. This research project is simply to find the scope of trade that could ensue in the absence of an import tariff.
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    The Regulation of Genetically Modified Organisms in Latin America: Policy Implications for Trade, Biosafety, and Development
    (2012-04-18) Katovich, Erik
    This study examines how Latin American countries’ policies toward Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) affect trade. It examines intellectual property rights, biosafety regulations, trade restrictions, food labeling regimes, and trends in public agricultural research investment. We use data from the UN Comtrade database to analyze trade patterns. The aim is to extrapolate future trends that may arise as the GM Revolution continues. Results include an examination of how Brazil’s GM exports are shifting from Europe to China, as well as analysis of how Argentina’s GMO adoption forced GM products upon neighboring states. Furthermore, we find that developing nations often use IPR limitations as an opportunity to borrow technologies in the face of limited innovation capacity, but that these IPR limitations may not dissuade foreign investors as traditionally thought. Finally, using the Balassa Index, we find that Latin America possesses a strong Revealed Comparative Advantage in GM crops compared to the world.
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    Roll Press Compaction of Corn Stover and Perennial Grasses
    (2011-11) Kaliyan, Nalladurai; Morey, Vance; Schmidt, David; Tiffany, Douglas
    Increasing the bulk density of biomass materials to at least 240 kg/m3 (15 lb/ft3) is important for efficient handling and truck transport from the field to an end user. Roll press compaction increased the bulk density of coarsely ground biomass materials to 265 to 365 kg/m3 (16 to 23 lb/ft3).