TY - JOUR
T1 - Agricultural rodent control using barnowls
T2 - Is it profitable
AU - Kan, Iddo
AU - Motro, Yoav
AU - Horvitz, Nir
AU - Kimhi, Ayal
AU - Leshem, Yossi
AU - Yom-Tov, Yoram
AU - Nathan, Ran
N1 - Funding Information:
Iddo Kan and Ayal Kimhi are affiliated with the Department of Agricultural Economics and Management, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel, and with the Center for Agricultural Economic Research, Israel. Kimhi is also the Deputy Director of the Taub Center for Social Policy Studies in Israel. Yoav Motro, Nir Horvitz, and Ran Nathan are affiliated with the Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel. Yossi Leshem and Yoram Yom-Tov are affiliated with the Department of Zoology, The George S. Wise School of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Israel. We thank Shaul Aviel, Uria Sha-hak, Myriam Freund, Michael Heiman, Shaul Ginzberg, Eyal Lev, Yoav Cohen, Ruth Aviel, Neria Lifshitz, Dan Alon, Yael Chassin, Michal Azaz, Ricky Ketner, Motti Charter, Uriel Safriel, Rivka Rabinowitz, Gila Kahila Bar-Gal, Eitan Tcher-nov, Moshe Coll, the editor, and two anonymous reviewers. This study was partly funded by the USAid MERC, grant TA-MOU-06-M25-078, and by the Center for Agricultural Economic Research, Israel. Correspondence may be sent to: [email protected].
PY - 2014/4
Y1 - 2014/4
N2 - We develop a model to evaluate the profitability of controlling rodent damage by placing barn owl nesting boxes in agricultural areas. The model incorporates the spatial patterns of barn owl predation pressure on rodents, and the impact of this predation pressure on nesting choices and agricultural output. We apply the model to data collected in Israel and find the installation of nesting boxes profitable. While this finding indicates that economic policy instruments to enhance the adoption of this biological control method are redundant, it does support stricter regulations on rodent control using rodenticides.
AB - We develop a model to evaluate the profitability of controlling rodent damage by placing barn owl nesting boxes in agricultural areas. The model incorporates the spatial patterns of barn owl predation pressure on rodents, and the impact of this predation pressure on nesting choices and agricultural output. We apply the model to data collected in Israel and find the installation of nesting boxes profitable. While this finding indicates that economic policy instruments to enhance the adoption of this biological control method are redundant, it does support stricter regulations on rodent control using rodenticides.
KW - Agricultural damage control
KW - Barn owl
KW - Environmental regulation
KW - Rodent
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84903791739&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1093/ajae/aat097
DO - 10.1093/ajae/aat097
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AN - SCOPUS:84903791739
SN - 0002-9092
VL - 96
SP - 733
EP - 752
JO - American Journal of Agricultural Economics
JF - American Journal of Agricultural Economics
IS - 3
ER -
