Diverse coastal carbon sequestration preferences and their hierarchical predictors: three-phase development of a hybrid choice model

• Black, blue, brown and green (BBBG) carbon have gained significant attention over the past decade. • Ecosystems play a crucial role in mitigating climate change by sequestering atmospheric carbon. • Terrestrial vegetation and marine ecosystems contribute significantly to the global carbon cycle. • Global climate change poses severe threats to existing carbon sinks in sea level rise. • Understanding the multifaceted interactions between BBBG carbon is critical for mitigation strategies. Black and brown carbon are byproducts of the incomplete combustion of biomass or fossil fuels. These light-absorbing aerosols influence climate by altering the radiative balance through the absorption and scattering of sunlight, exacerbating global climate change. Their subsequent deposition on terrestrial and marine environments affects surface albedo, snow and ice melt, and biogeochemical processes, leading to further environmental consequences. In contrast, green and blue carbon refer to carbon stored in terrestrial vegetation and marine ecosystems, respectively. These ecosystems play a crucial role in mitigating climate change by sequestering atmospheric carbon; however, they are increasingly threatened by climatic disturbances, anthropogenic activities, and environmental degradation, which can compromise their carbon storage potential. Black and brown carbon interact with green and blue carbon pools through multiple pathways, including wildfire dynamics, atmospheric deposition, and fluvial transport. Additionally, these interactions contribute to climate-driven feedback loops that influence carbon fluxes and storage capacity. While black and brown carbon emissions pose significant threats to green and blue carbon sinks by accelerating climate change and ecosystem destabilization, recent studies estimate that a percentage of BC produced from biomass burning can be stabilized as recalcitrant carbon in soils for centuries to millennia, and BC buried in deep marine sediment may persist for over 20,000 years. This persistence underlies its potential role in long-term carbon sequestration, particularly through biochar application in soils and natural deposition in deep-ocean sediments. Understanding the complex and multifaceted interactions between black, brown, green, and blue carbon is critical for developing comprehensive climate mitigation strategies.

Willingness to pay for regional electricity generation – A question of green values and regional product beliefs?

This study estimated consumers’ willingness to pay (WTP) for turfgrass attributes by focusing on sustainability through low-input, climate-resilient, and stress-tolerant features and investigating how climate change risk perception influences preferences. A hybrid choice model (HCM) was developed to address endogeneity and measurement errors inherent in traditional dummy variable methods, thus providing a more accurate analysis of the impact of climate concerns. The HCM also captured nonlinear relationships between consumers’ choices and climate perceptions, thus allowing dynamic simulations to examine how variations in a latent variable affects WTP. The results showed that homeowners in the southern region highly value turfgrass attributes such as reduced water use, lower winterkill damage, and increased shade tolerance, but that traits aimed at reducing mowing costs and chemical costs are less valued. Estimates of WTP suggest that as climate risk perceptions grow, the value placed on climate-resilient turfgrass increases. The simulation results indicated that if climate change concern among the sampled individuals increases to levels comparable to those observed among individuals aged 20 to 59 years, suburban residents, and democrats, then the overall demand for turfgrasses with enhanced traits is projected to increase by approximately 1.21% to 10.86%.

Wetlands help to regulate the climate by sequestering and storing carbon from the atmosphere into their biomass and soils. Although wetlands can provide valuable ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration, there is a lack of quantifiable data for different types of wetlands. Teal-green carbon in floodplain forests and blue carbon in coastal and marine environments are the focus of this study. We use two contrasting wetland habitats and explore carbon sequestration and storage mechanisms, current evidence and data gaps, and their potential opportunities to contribute to climate change mitigation. Using a case study of hardwood floodplain forests in Germany, we find that age, structure and hydrological conditions are important factors in carbon sequestration while the evidence shows that sequestration is higher in young forests compared to old ones. Soil carbon stocks are found to be larger in the low elevated active floodplain compared to the higher elevated floodplain highlighting the importance of connectivity between the river and the floodplain. In a second case-study exploring carbon storage in Scottish saltmarshes, similar factors driving carbon storage are seen, including, position in the tidal frame, sediment supply, and sediment type. The policy landscape is used to highlight opportunities to increase the potential contribution of Scottish saltmarshes for climate change mitigation. Although data are limited and gaps exist for other greenhouse gas fluxes, overall, we argue that it is crucial to conserve all remaining riverine and coastal wetlands for their biodiversity and carbon storage function. Where possible and practical, these valuable ecosystems should be restored to increase their potential in this regard. Highlights Blue and teal-green carbon habitats can make an important contribution to carbon sequestration and storage. Blue and teal-green carbon habitats offer multiple ecosystem services in addition to carbon sequestration. Protection and restoration of blue and teal-green carbon habitats provide opportunities for improved climate change mitigation potential.

Background and Aims Understanding consumers' preferences is key to making a successful product, but preferences are heterogeneous. We compare three approaches to consider preference heterogeneity in discrete choice models: (i) systematic preference variations based on socio-demographic characteristics; (ii) latent classes; and (iii) hybrid choice models with latent variables measuring consumers' attitudes. Methods and Results Data from a stated choice survey of Chilean wine consumers were analysed using three different approaches; these agreed on average trends but differed in fit and implied different trade-offs. For example, socio-demographic characteristics correlate poorly with preferences. Latent classes offer a good fit but do not link preference heterogeneity to consumer characteristics. The hybrid choice model provides the best fit but requires more data, making it more difficult to use this approach in forecasting. Conclusions The best approach might depend on the research objectives. Using latent classes on a representative sample is the best approach if forecasting is paramount. Modelling attitudes is helpful when more insight into consumers' preferences is sought. Systematic preference variations based on socio-demographic characteristics are a good choice when only average trends are relevant. Significance of the Study We make recommendations on how to model preference heterogeneity when studying wine preferences, an issue often overlooked.

Personality is a psychological concept which reflects people’s characteristic patterns of thoughts, feelings, and behavior. In this sense, it is straightforward to state that people’s behavior is fundamentally affected by their personalities. However, the concept of personality is rarely considered in most travel behavior studies. Given this fact, this paper aims to investigate the effect of personality traits on travelers’ heterogeneous preferences in the context of air itinerary choice. To this end, travelers’ stated choices for air itinerary and information reflecting travelers’ personality traits were collected. After defining specific personality traits based on the collected data, a hybrid choice model with interaction effects between travelers’ personality traits/socio-demographic characteristics and alternative-specific attributes were established and estimated and next the contributions of personality traits and socio-demographic characteristics to travelers’ choice behavior were compared and analyzed. The results confirmed the effects of personality traits on travelers’ heterogeneous preferences. However, the results also revealed that the magnitudes of such effects are not as great as the effects of socio-demographic characteristics.

On-demand transit user preference analysis using hybrid choice models

Birding is a growing nature-based tourism activity, and a better understanding of birder preferences could support tourism development and species conservation. Using a hybrid choice modeling approach, we analyzed birding destination preferences and how they vary by recreation specialization. This approach allows a continuum of specialization rather than allocating birders into discrete segments. A sample of 205 birders recruited in the 2017 summer season in Varanger, Norway, completed an online choice experiment with scenarios that included five systematically-varied destination attributes: Birding quality, bird diversity, landscape scenic quality, facilitation (e.g., trails and specialized guides), and a visitor fee. The hybrid choice (HC) model explained preference heterogeneity better than the attributes only multinomial logit (MNL) or random parameters logit (RPL) models. Birding quality, landscape scenery, and a medium level of facilitation were significant predictors in all models, while high bird diversity was significant only in the RPL and HC models. Interaction terms in the HC model indicated that birding quality, bird diversity, and the highest level of facilitation (specialized guides and birding hides) were more important for “more specialized” birders than for “less specialized” birders. Findings allow destinations to target birder segments more deliberately, while also assisting in planning and management decisions. Main drivers of birder destination choice are innate in the natural landscapes and ecosystems; exceptional birding quality and spectacular scenery were the strongest determinants of birding destination choice in our study. More specialized birders place higher priority on bird diversity, and birding facilitation. Less specialized birders might need a larger variety of facilitation and non-birding offers. Our results also indicate that those visiting spectacular but vulnerable nature destinations are willing to pay moderate fees for conservation and management. Fee revenue can fund site hardening facilities and services, allowing for more visitors without increasing pressure on the wildlife.

Blue carbon ecosystems, especially mangrove forests, provide one of nature’s most effective means for sequestering carbon from the atmosphere and storing it in subsurface soils. The six nearshore coastal morphologies found in tropical and subtropical regions each possess a conspicuous environmental signature that can be employed to accurately estimate and predict mangrove forests’ carbon storage in above-ground biomass, below-ground biomass, and the soils by system type. The consistent geomorphology and geophysical processes within each of these coastal environmental settings, that is, the wave and tidal forcings, the rate of coastal sediment accretions, nutrient load and limitations (e.g., nitrogen-to-phosphorus stoichiometric ratio), organic matter diagenesis, and carbon storage, have been shown to be largely consistent by system type such that more accurate rates of blue carbon sequestration and storage can be quantified. Thus, the first objective of this study is to promote coastal conservation and preservation by determining accurate soil carbon stocks, densities, and accretion rates of each country by employing this coastal environmental settings methodology. The second section of this study envisions the application of blue carbon science to policymaking via the evidence-based policymaking (“EBPM”) framework newly established under the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018, colloquially known as regulatory “moneyball” for government, by demonstrating how the EBPM cycle would operate for blue carbon conservation policies. Utilizing the blue carbon data generated by the research herein, this work asserts that EBPM should, but may not always, result in better coastal policymaking because informed scientific research will be considered in the implementation of coastal protection and management statutes and regulations. After identifying the inadequacies of the current legal and regulatory protective scheme, and conclusively demonstrating how advancement is foreclosed under current law, the final section presents a novel model statute that offers payments for blue carbon ecosystem services based upon the scientific research and data generated in the initial section of this work. This unique approach to conservation provides government recognition for the valuable environmental services that mangrove ecosystems deliver, while promoting their conservation, protection, and even enhancement by dispensing direct compensation to coastal landowners for blue carbon sequestration and storage services, as well as tax incentives for improving the quality of coastal ecosystems through reforestation and afforestation. This novel approach to blue carbon conservation is also designed to move the Nation toward net zero or negative carbon emissions by reducing global greenhouse gases over the course of time while, at

Heterogeneous public preferences for controlling agricultural non-point source pollution based on a choice experiment

Preferences and willingness to pay for palliative care among parents of children with cancer: a Discrete Choice Experiment.

What are people willing to pay to reduce the uncertainty about the effects of microplastics? We examine this question in two ways. Firstly, using two contingent valuation questions, we elicit willingness to pay (WTP) to (a) reduce uncertainty about the potential adverse consequences of microplastic pollution, and (b) to reduce the release of microplastics to the marine environment. WTP was elicited from a representative sample of UK adults in 2020. Comparing WTP for these two scenarios suggests that respondents prefer resolving irreversibility over resolving uncertainty. Secondly, we use a hybrid choice model to show that latent precautionary attitudes exert a strong positive effect on WTP. Overall, respondents indicated a preference for resolving the uncertainty about microplastics by implementing abatement measures immediately. Given that policymakers are increasingly concerned about the potential for adverse environmental and health effects of microplastics in the marine environment, this paper suggests that the precautionary principle has strong support at the respondent level.

Mapping and assessing seagrass meadows changes and blue carbon under past, current, and future scenarios

How much are wood-based cellulosic biofuels worth in the Pacific Northwest? Ex-ante and ex-post analysis of local people's willingness to pay

This study aims to contribute to the limited empirical evidence on Automated Taxis (ATs) by analysing the in-vehicle features that ATs ought to have to satisfy taxi passengers requests that in a Normal Taxi (NT) are dealt with a direct communication between the passenger and the driver. Based on the results of focus groups and several pilots, two in-vehicle features are tested: change of destination and chat with an operator during the trip. The paper also contributes to the body of literature on the impact of social influence on the adoption of innovation by testing the impact of consumer reviews other than the typical measure of adoption and injunctive norms. A Stated Choice (SC) experiment was built putting particular effort in the definition and presentation of the new attributes tested. The study was applied in China among current users of NTs (i.e. with the driver). Hybrid choice models were estimated and a resampling technique was used to test the model sensitivity to the sample gathered. Results show that on average, Chinese taxi users are willing to pay 0.35 Euros to have the option to ‘change the destination’ and 0.78 Euros to be able to ‘chat with an operator’ inside the AT. Among the social influence attributes, the reviews from previous customers confirmed to be the most effective measure, users are willing to pay 1.58 Euros more to use a taxi that got good reviews for long trips (≥ 30 min) and 0.57 Euros for shorter trips. The Willingness to Pay (WTP) estimated are all significant at more than 95% and have a narrow confidence intervals.