This survey is a mess. It obviously is not objective. Rather its stated objective is to collect support for widespread grasshopper control programs (presumably with insecticides according to the original post). There is no attempt to collect similar opinions on why it might be a bad idea to proceed with such spraying.
Sheesh. Peter C. Schulze, Ph.D. Professor of Biology & Environmental Science Director, Center for Environmental Studies Austin College 900 North Grand Avenue, Suite 61588 | Sherman, TX 75090 USA Phone 903.813.2284 austincollege.edu On 3/14/12 4:22 AM, "Martin Koechy" <[email protected]> wrote: >Hi, > >I had a look at the questionnaire. It asks for a ranking of listed >values/ecological services "from the monetary point of view". So, the >decision to rank by money or profit has already been made (I wonder by >whom?). The questionnaire rather shows that there is no generally >accepted objective approach for putting a price on ecosystem services. >The price will depend on the demand for a certain service and the demand >will differ from place to place and from time to time. I don't think I >can contribute as an ecologist to this economic ranking. Rather, I will >use the extra space in the questionnaire to point out that the ranking >should also be done according to other scales than economic value. > >Martin > > >Am 2012-03-13 um 22:51 schrieb David Branson: > >> A one page questionnaire has been distributed by the U. of Wyoming to >>help >> estimate comprehensive values of western US rangelands based on >>rankings of >> ecological services/values provided by western rangelands. The main >>impetus >> for the survey is to justify the importance of large-scale grasshopper >> control programs by USDA-APHIS using insecticides on rangeland. The >>survey >> was provided to parties interested in grasshopper management, but it >>would >> be helpful if ecologists could provide input by ranking the importance >>of >> the 15 ecological services/values of western rangelands included in the >> questionnaire and adding missing items. Note the deadline for responses >>of >> March 19th. >> >> The one page survey can be downloaded at the following link. If the link >> doesn¹t work, email me. >> >> http://www.box.com/s/d8iili0urejj3no193dj > >------------------| http://sci.martinkoechy.de |-------------------- >Dr. Martin Köchy (Koechy) > >Johann Heinrich von Thünen-Institut >-Bundesforschungsinstitut für Ländliche Räume, Wald und Fischerei- >Institut für Agrarrelevante Klimaforschung > > Johann Heinrich von Thuenen Institute > -Federal Research Institute for Rural Areas, Forestry and Fisheries- > Institute of Agricultural Climate Research > >vTI-AK * Bundesallee 50 * 38116 Braunschweig * GERMANY >Telefon: +49-531-596-2640 * Telefax: +49-531-596-2699 >http://www.vti.bund.de/de/startseite/institute/ak.html >skype: martinkoechy >--------------------------- & ------------------------------- >AG Vegetationsökologie & Naturschutz|RG Veg. Ecology & Nature Conserv. > Universität Potsdam | University of Potsdam > Am Neuen Palais 10 * 14469 Potsdam * GERMANY > > www.bio.uni-potsdam.de/professuren/vegetationsoekologie-naturschutz
