Overview

The LEEPout series is designed as a platform for hosting a line-up of internationally recognised researchers to showcase their work at the cutting edge of environmental and resource economics. The LEEP Institute therefore invites you to the latest webinar in this series:

Eyal Frank – The Social Costs of Keystone Species Collapse: Evidence From The Decline of Vultures in India

Event details

Date: Thursday 7 April 2022

Time: 16:00-17:00 BST (17:00-18:00 Central Europe; 11:00-12:00 Eastern; 08:00-09:00 Pacific)

Location: This webinar series is hosted online, a link with joining instructions will be sent within the confirmation of registration email

Biography

Eyal Frank is an Assistant Professor at the Harris School of Public Policy and the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago. His work is at the intersection of economics and conservation, addressing three broad questions: (i) how do natural inputs, namely animals, contribute to different production functions of interest, (ii) how do market dynamics reduce natural habitats and lead to declining wildlife population levels, and (iii) what are the costs, indirect ones in particular, of conservation policies. He draws on natural experiments from ecology and policy, and uses econometric techniques to advance understanding on these key questions.

Abstract

The loss of a keystone species can theoretically lead to large social costs because their complex ecosystem interactions may be important for environmental quality. We quantify these effects for the case of vultures in India where they play an important role in removing livestock carrion from the environment. The expiration of a patent for a common chemical painkiller led to its increased use in cattle, unexpectedly rendering carcasses fatal to vultures, leading to a catastrophic and near-total population collapse. Using habitat range maps for the affected species, we compare high to low vulture suitability districts before and after the patent for the painkiller expired. On average, all-cause death rates increased by 9.2% in vulture-suitable districts after the vultures nearly went extinct. We find suggestive evidence that feral dog populations and rabies increased, and that water quality deteriorated in the affected regions. These mechanisms are consistent with the loss of the scavenging function of the vultures. Quantifying the costs of biodiversity losses has critical implications for optimal investments into species conservation and rehabilitation.

Exeter LEEPOut webinar series: Eyal Frank