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The University of Tennessee | Institute of Agriculture

Department of Agricultural Economics

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Natural Resources

Tennessee’s diverse array of natural resources supports strong agricultural and forestry industries as well as a wide variety of recreational activities. However, residential and commercial development is placing greater stresses on limited land and water resources. Thus, we face tremendous challenges in seeking to balance many competing demands on our natural resources and insure that they are managed in economically sustainable, environmentally sensitive and socially acceptable ways. The Department strives to be a key player in meeting these challenges, through our teaching, research and Extension programs.

  • Teaching
  • Research
  • Extension

The Department offers a major in Natural Resource and Environmental Economics at the undergraduate level and concentrations in Natural Resource Economics at the M.S. and Ph.D. levels (the Ph.D. concentration is offered through the Ph.D. Program in Natural Resources, located administratively within the Department of Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries. Students pursuing these programs take courses from the Department of Agricultural Economics, other departments in the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources and elsewhere in the University. Natural resource-related courses offered by the Department of Agricultural Economics include the following:

The Department has placed a priority on analyzing and providing information on the economic impacts of environmental policies and natural resource management alternatives. As part of these efforts, faculty members currently serve as Faculty Associates with The University of Tennessee’s Natural Resources Policy Center.

Natural resources research within the Department focuses on three topics:

  • Water Quality - Cost Effectiveness of BMPs and Policy Innovations
  • Land Use - Issues on the Urban-Rural Fringe and Policy Options
  • Benefits and Costs of Alternative Resource Management Strategies

Recent Publications include:

  • A Spatial Assessment of Possible Water Quality Trading Markets in Tennessee
    Roberts D. C., C. D. Clark, W. M. Park and B. C. English
    Review of Agricultural Economics
  • Estimating Spatially Varying Effects of Urban Growth Boundaries on Land Development and Land Value
    Cho S. , N.C. Poudyal and D.M. Lambert
    Land Use Policy, 25:320-329, 2008
  • Forecasting House Prices Under Alternative Submarket Assumptions
    Chen Z. , S. Cho, N.C. Poudyal and R.K. Roberts
    Urban Studies, 45, 2008
  • Modeling Willingness to Pay for Land Conservation Easements: Treatment of Zero and Protest Bids with Application and Policy Implications
    Cho S., S.T. Yen, J.M. Bowker and D.H. Newman
    Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics, 40, 2008
  • Spatial Analysis of the Amenity Value of Green Open Space
    Cho S., N.C. Poudyal and R.K. Roberts
    Ecological Economics, 65, 2008
  • The Effects of Urban Growth Boundary on Housing Price at Knox County, Tennessee
    Cho S., Z. Chen and S.T. Yen
    Review of Regional Studies, 38, 2008
  • Spatial and Temporal Variation in the Housing Market Values of Lot Size and Open Space
    Cho S. , C.D. Clark, W.M. Park and S. Kim
    Land Economics, 84, 2008
  • Economic Incentives for Water Management in the Middle East and North Africa
    Russell C. S., C. D. Clark and E. C. Schuck
    International Journal of Water Resources Development 23(4) (December): 653-71, 2007
  • Investing in Water Quality: Measuring Benefits, Costs and Risks
    Russell C.S., W. J. Vaughan, C. D. Clark, D. J. Rodriguez, and A. H. Darling
    Inter-American Development Bank, Washington, D.C., 2006
  • Using Economic Instruments to Control Nonpoint Source Pollution
    Russell C.S., and C.D. Clark
    Water Quality  Management in the Americas, A. K. Biswas, C., 2006.  B. Braga Tortajada and D.J. Rodriguez (eds.).  Springer Verlag (November)

More publications are listed on our Natural Resources, Land Use and Water publication sections.

Extension programming is designed to better inform decision making regarding natural resource management in the state and region.  Some initiatives are targeted toward individuals who make decisions regarding natural resources in connection with farming/forestry operations or their household.  Other initiatives seek to provide education on relevant public policy issues.  Please see the Land and Water pages for information on specific initiatives in these areas.