Space and Species Interactions in Welfare Estimates for Invasive Species Policy

Aquatic invasive species (AIS) can cause catastrophic damages to lake ecosystems. Bigheaded carp are one such that pose a current threat Lake Michigan. expected have spatially differentiated impacts on other aquatic in the metapopulation. Policymakers must decide how much invest mitigation or conservation policies, if at all, by understanding invasions impact social welfare wellbeing. Estimates of implications, however, may be biased important interactions between and space overly simplified aggregated out model. In this analysis, bioeconomic model links an ecological with economic recreational fishing behavior is used complete comparative analysis implications across several different specifications demonstrate what biases exist neglected characteristics assumed homogenous space. Results bigheaded case study suggest losses from invasion vary substantially excluded less treated homogeneously.