Economists often assume that ecosystem and population dynamics are subject to convex, even linear processes. But research by ecosystem and population ecologists suggests that such processes are very often non-convex, for example a possible flip of the Gulf Stream due to fresh water intrusion from melting glaciers. This has dramatic implications for environmental and resource economics, since mistakes in management could prove more costly than imagined.

Inhalt

The Economics of Non-Convex Ecosystems: Introduction; P. Dasgupta, K.-G. Mäler. Scale and Scaling in Ecological and Economic Systems; J. Chave, S. Levin. Convex Relationships in Ecosystems Containing Mixtures of Trees and Grass; R.J. Scholes. Managing Systems with Non-Convex Positive Feedback; W.A. Brock, D. Starrett. The Economics of Shallow Lakes; K.-G. Mäler, A. Xepapadeas, A. de Zeeuw. Multiple Species Boreal Forests - What Faustmann Missed; A.-S. Crépin. Evaluating Projects and Assessing Sustainable Development in Imperfect Economies; K.J. Arrow, P. Dasgupta, K.-G. Mäler. Volume Contents. Author Index.