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An economic valuation of the effect of climatic extremes on grassland yields and the role of species diversity.
The thesis aims to give insights into the reaction of grasslands to climatic extremes, with focus on the role of SD. Further it should be assessed what altering SD implies for farmers’ utility.
**Context:**
Grasslands play a central role in global food security. They cover major shares of the world’s agricultural area and provide, besides feed production, a wide range of additional ecosystem services (Soussana and Lüscher 2007). Climate extremes, such as high temperature, droughts and floods, affect grassland-based production and they are expected to become more frequent.
Previous studies revealed that species diversity (SD) are potentially a risk management tool. In more detail, it has been found that SD improve the resistance of communities and in some studies the resilience (Craven, et al. 2016; De Keersmaecker, et al. 2016; Isbell, et al. 2015; Wright, et al. 2017). A key challenge is to transform these findings also into economic terms, i.e., to quantify these potential benefits of SD in terms of farmers’ utility and to investigate how these effects of SD affect farmers’ behavior.
**Research Questions:**
What is the effect of extremes weather events, such as (high/low temperature, floods), on grassland production and how is this effect influenced by SD? What is the utility effect of SD on farmers in these realities?
**Method:**
1.) Literature research. 2.) Developing/expanding an ecological-economic framework, 3) Econometric analysis of field trial data (available)
**Context:** Grasslands play a central role in global food security. They cover major shares of the world’s agricultural area and provide, besides feed production, a wide range of additional ecosystem services (Soussana and Lüscher 2007). Climate extremes, such as high temperature, droughts and floods, affect grassland-based production and they are expected to become more frequent. Previous studies revealed that species diversity (SD) are potentially a risk management tool. In more detail, it has been found that SD improve the resistance of communities and in some studies the resilience (Craven, et al. 2016; De Keersmaecker, et al. 2016; Isbell, et al. 2015; Wright, et al. 2017). A key challenge is to transform these findings also into economic terms, i.e., to quantify these potential benefits of SD in terms of farmers’ utility and to investigate how these effects of SD affect farmers’ behavior.
**Research Questions:** What is the effect of extremes weather events, such as (high/low temperature, floods), on grassland production and how is this effect influenced by SD? What is the utility effect of SD on farmers in these realities?
**Method:** 1.) Literature research. 2.) Developing/expanding an ecological-economic framework, 3) Econometric analysis of field trial data (available)
The thesis aims to give insights into the reaction of grasslands to climatic extremes, with focus on the role of SD. Further it should be assessed what altering SD implies for farmers’ utility
The thesis aims to give insights into the reaction of grasslands to climatic extremes, with focus on the role of SD. Further it should be assessed what altering SD implies for farmers’ utility
Sergei Schaub, Email: seschaub@ethz.ch
Robert Finger, Email: rofinger@ethz.ch
Sergei Schaub, Email: seschaub@ethz.ch Robert Finger, Email: rofinger@ethz.ch