ABSTRACT
The generic methodology is developed in the context of an analysis of alternative renewable resource strategies for wetlands — forest product production versus agricultural crop production. This empirical analysis allows for two additional, specific objectives of the research. First, important policy questions concerning the causes of forested wetland losses in the United States are addressed. Second, an approach is thereby developed for analyzing worldwide forest depletion due to urbanization and agricultural development. Construction of Federal flood-control and drainage projects caused a higher rate of conversion of forested wetlands to agricultural croplands than would have occurred in the absence of such projects. Substantial wetland conversion would have occurred as a result of favorable economic returns to agriculture, even if no Federal flood-control and drainage projects had been undertaken. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.
