Economic Damage Research Articles

Tourism-related economic loss and damage from the North Island weather events on New Zealand conservation land and waters

Extreme weather events are causing increasing levels of loss and damage, including to natural assets and associated nature-based tourism economies. This article provides estimates of the economic impacts on public conservation lands and waters in New Zealand's North Island from the flooding events of Cyclone Hale and Cyclone Gabrielle in early 2023. Losses and damage are estimated in four buckets: regional tourism GDP losses from cancelled visitor bookings at Department of Conservation accommodation facilities; lost business revenue of companies operating in protected areas; lost value of government-managed visitor assets; and regional tourism GDP losses from estimated reductions in visitor numbers at three iconic protected area sites. The research also attributes a proportion of these losses to climate change, assisting learning and future planning for New Zealand's conservation agency.

Low levels of chicken body louse (Menacanthus stramineus) infestations affect chicken welfare in a cage-free housing system

BackgroundThe chicken body louse is an obligate ectoparasite of domestic chickens. Chicken body lice feed on feathers, and infestation with this louse is linked to decreases in egg production, hen weight, and feed conversion efficiency. However, it is unknown how chicken body lice impact egg-laying chickens in cage-free environments. Welfare and behavior metrics were collected from flocks of egg-laying chickens either infested with chicken body lice or left uninfested.MethodsIn two trials, two flocks of cage-free commercial egg-laying chickens were infested with chicken body lice or maintained as uninfested controls. At three timepoints, behavior and welfare of all chickens was measured. On-animal sensors were used to quantify pecking, preening, and dustbathing behavior. Other animal-based welfare metrics included recording comb wounds and skin lesions.ResultsBirds infested with chicken body lice exhibited significantly more preening behaviors than uninfested birds, even at low louse levels. Moderate or severe skin lesions were detected on birds that were moderately infested with chicken body lice while skin lesions were never detected on uninfested birds.ConclusionsThe welfare of chickens was impacted by the chicken body louse, a chewing louse that primarily feather feeds. Evidence of skin lesions on infested birds suggests that lice may cause more damage to birds than previously thought, and further evaluation of louse economic damage is necessary.Graphical

CONTEMPORARY STATE OF DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF BRONCHIAL ASTHMA AMONG CHILDREN

This paper provides a brief overview of the current state of diagnosis and treatment of bronchial asthma among the pediatric population, given the increasing incidence worldwide. Materials and methods: Wiley, PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus databases and health compilations of the Republic of Kazakhstan over a five-year period (2018-2023) were used for this review. Currently, the WHO European Region is facing a significant threat from the growing incidence of preventable noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), among which chronic respiratory diseases are highlighted. These diseases not only reduce the quality of life of individuals but also cause substantial economic damage to families, communities, and countries as a whole, which underscores the relevance of our chosen topic. According to expert estimates, there are more than 350 million people worldwide with bronchial asthma, with about 5-10% of cases being among the pediatric population. In Kazakhstan, there is a steady trend of increasing incidence worldwide.

Interference and economic damage level of volunteer corn plants in soybeans

Interference and economic damage level of volunteer corn plants in soybeans

Mathematical Modeling of COVID-19 with Chronic Patients and Sensitivity Analysis

Human health is constantly threatened by the appearance and resurgence of several diseases, as shown by recent epidemics. COVID-19 was one of the epidemics that left its mark on the world in terms of economic and human damages. In the search for solution to this pandemic, the scientific community is involved in all its diversity. Mathematicians are taking part in the fight through mathematical modeling in various approaches. Ordinary derivative compartmental modeling approache is one of the techniques widely used in epidemiological modeling. This paper presents a mathematical contribution to fight against COVID-19 using a compartmental SQEICRS model. This model takes into account five stages. In particular, the role of chronic diseases on the dynamique of COVID-19, is focused. A mathematical analysis of the model has been carried out, and shows that the model is well-posed in the biological and mathematical sense. Aspects such as existence, equilibrium points and their stability, the basic reproduction number R0and sensitivity anlysis have been discussed. Sensitivity analysis allowed us to identify the parameters which contribute to the spread of the disease, including the chronicity rate due to chronic diseases. The direction of disease propagation was also determined according to <I>R</I><sub>0</sub>. Finally, the numerical results with Matlab are in conformity with theoretical results.

Development and Applicability Evaluation of Damage Scale Analysis Techniques for Agricultural Drought

In recent years, the intensity and frequency of droughts have been increasing with the advent of the climate crisis. Agricultural droughts have a significant economic and social impact. Agricultural drought is not only a natural disaster but also leads to food security threats and reduced economic activities, such as decreased productivity. Therefore, it is very important to specify the scale of agricultural drought and quantitatively estimate the economic damage. In this study, we developed an analytical methodology to quantitatively assess the economic damage of agricultural drought and estimated the damage of agricultural drought in 2018 and 2019 for the Republic of Korea. The 2018 agricultural drought was estimated to have caused USD 4.438 million in damage cost and USD 5.180 million in recovery cost. The 2019 drought was less damaging than the previous year, with an estimated damage cost of USD 286,000 and recovery costs of USD 218,000. The results suggest that the economic impact of agricultural drought varies by region depending on the frequency and intensity of the drought and confirm the importance of regional strategies for effective drought management and response. The impacts of agricultural drought go beyond short-term agricultural losses and lead to long-term economic burdens. Therefore, the results of this study are expected to be used as a basis for understanding the impacts of agricultural drought on national economies and for developing policies and strategies to minimize impacts.

Virus-vectoring thrips regulate the excessive multiplication of tomato spotted wilt virus using their antiviral immune responses.

The tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV) is a member of the Tospoviridae family and has an negative/ambisense single-stranded RNA genome. Frankliniella occidentalis and F. intonsa are known to be dominant pests in Capsicum annuum (hot pepper) and can cause damage to the plant either directly by feeding, or indirectly by transmitting TSWV in a persistent and propagative manner, resulting in serious economic damage. This study compared the immune responses of two different thrips species against TSWV infection by transcriptome analysis, which then allowed the assessment of antiviral responses using RNA interference (RNAi). Both adult thrips shared about 90 % of the transcripts in non-viruliferous conditions. Most signal components of the immune pathways were shared by these two thrips species, and their expression levels fluctuated differentially in response to TSWV infection at early immature stages. The functional assays using RNAi treatments indicated that the Toll and JAK/STAT pathways were associated with the antiviral responses, but the IMD pathway was not. The upregulation of dorsal switch protein one supported its physiological role in recognizing TSWV infection and triggering the eicosanoid biosynthetic pathway, which mediates melanization and apoptosis in thrips. In addition, the signal components of the RNAi pathways fluctuated highly after TSWV infection. Individual RNAi treatments specific to the antiviral signalling and response components led to significant increases in the TSWV amount in the thrips, causing virus-induced mortality. These findings suggest that immune signalling pathways leading to antiviral responses are operating in the thrips to regulate TSWV litres to prevent a fatal viral overload. This study also indicates the differential antiviral responses between the TSWV-transmitting F. occidentalis and F. intonsa.

Morphological and Molecular Characters Differentiate Common Morphotypes of Atlantic Holopelagic Sargassum

Since 2011, massive new strandings of holopelagic Sargassum have been reported on the coasts of the Caribbean, northern Brazil, Guiana, and West Africa, causing severe economic and ecological damage. Three common morphotypes (S. fluitans III, S. natans I, and S. natans VIII) were identified as responsible for these catastrophic events, with dominance shifts between them over time. However, the taxonomic status of these holopelagic Sargassum morphotypes remains unclear. Using an integrative taxonomy framework, combining a morphological study and molecular analyses, this study aimed to clarify their taxonomic status. Morphological analyses of 54 characters revealed no intermediate form between the three morphotypes, with the overall shape, nature of the axis, and size and shape of blades and vesicles being the most discriminating. An analysis of mitochondrial (IGS, cox2, cox3, mt16S rRNA, and nad6) and plastid (rbcL) markers confirmed the genetic divergence among the three morphotypes, with a lower level of divergence between the two S. natans morphotypes. Without additional molecular characterization, these morphotypes cannot be classified as three distinct species. However, due to their distinct morphological characteristics and sympatry within drifting aggregations, a revision of holopelagic species names is proposed, with Sargassum fluitans var. fluitans (for S. fluitans III), Sargassum natans var. natans (for S. natans I), and S. natans var. wingei (for S. natans VIII). This revision provides necessary clarity on the species involved in inundations of the tropical Atlantic.

Lost Utopia in Palestinian Flash Fiction

The present study examines the use of dystopia as a device in Palestinian flash fiction composed by writers living in Israel. The study will look at three examples of flash fiction and investigate how dystopia is manifested in the stories' plot, characters and language, in an attempt to evaluate the relationship between the distorted reality that came into being after the war of 1948 and the social, political and economic effects it left. I therefore examined the themes which Palestinian writers have addressed in flash fiction and investigated their use of dystopia in order to express the state of crisis in which Palestinians inside Israel live, and how this affects the plot, the language and the characters. Our study shows that dystopia has been used in order to express the state of crisis in which individuals live and their inability to accept the psychological and economic damage left by the war, as reflected in the characters, who gradually lose their hope for a secure future.

Physico-chemical characterisation of irrigation basin waters and inventory study of their algal communities.

To cope with the water shortage in Sous Massa region of Morocco, agricultural producers in the region have resorted to different types of water supply basins, known as "irrigation basins" but the phenomenon of eutrophication has hindered the continuity of agricultural productivity by altering the quality of the water used for irrigation on the one hand, and causing economic damage to agricultural producers due to the clogging of the water pumping network on the other. We began by characterising the physico-chemical quality of the water to determine the causes of its high nutrient content, then we determined the taxonomy of the algal species in the irrigation basins to which we had access. A qualitative study of the water in the irrigation basins in order to better explain the inventory obtained from the taxonomic identification of the algal biomass collected, which proved the existence of new species, not previously identified, characterising the freshwaters of the Moroccan region, is under the scope of this work. The species studied belong mainly to the following groups: green algae (11 genera of Chlorophyta and 7 genera of Charophyta), blue algae (7 genera of Cyanobacteria), brown algae (7 genera of Diatoms), and one genus of Euglenophyta.

Not in the countryside please! Investigating UK residents’ perceptions of an introduced species, the ring-necked parakeet (Psittacula krameri)

Wildlife management can generate social conflict when stakeholder perceptions of the target species are not considered. Introduced Ring-necked Parakeets (RNP) are established in the UK and have been added to the ‘general licence’ of birds that can be killed to prevent serious economic damage. We aimed to better understand perceptions of RNPs on a nationwide scale to inform mitigation actions for potential future conflict over RNP management. We surveyed 3,947 UK residents to understand awareness of, knowledge of and attitudes towards the RNP across the UK. We found that most respondents (90.2%) were aware of the RNP. Almost half of respondents (45.9%) held negative opinions, particularly against the RNP in rural areas (64.7%), suggesting landscape contexts influence attitudes. Respondent preference for the RNP was low in local neighbourhoods (7.80%) although the species was considered aesthetically pleasing by most (83.0%). Many respondents knew the species’ name (54.9%), but underestimated current population numbers in the UK (82.6%) and few knew its full native range (10.0%). We identified respondents’ ecological interest, age, education, preference for, awareness of and knowledge of the RNP as significant factors associated with perceptions. Our findings suggest that the RNP presents a complex socio-environmental challenge, with respondent awareness, knowledge and attitudes each forming an important component of perceptions towards this species. We recommend that wildlife managers utilise our findings and cohesive approach to enhance future RNP perception research in the UK and abroad and towards the success of any proposed management initiatives under the UK general licence.

SWIFT: Simulated Wildfire Images for Fast Training Dataset

Wildland fires cause economic and ecological damage with devastating consequences, including loss of life. To reduce these risks, numerous fire detection and recognition systems using deep learning techniques have been developed. However, the limited availability of annotated datasets has decelerated the development of reliable deep learning techniques for detecting and monitoring fires. For such, a novel dataset, namely, SWIFT, is presented in this paper for detecting and recognizing wildland smoke and fires. SWIFT includes a large number of synthetic images and videos of smoke and wildfire with their corresponding annotations, as well as environmental data, including temperature, humidity, wind direction, and speed. It represents various wildland fire scenarios collected from multiple viewpoints, covering forest interior views, views near active fires, ground views, and aerial views. In addition, three deep learning models, namely, BoucaNet, DC-Fire, and CT-Fire, are adopted to recognize forest fires and address their related challenges. These models are trained using the SWIFT dataset and tested using real fire images. BoucaNet performed well in recognizing wildland fires and overcoming challenging limitations, including the complexity of the background, the variation in smoke and wildfire features, and the detection of small wildland fire areas. This shows the potential of sim-to-real deep learning in wildland fires.

An economic indicator of the orbital debris environment

The continued growth of orbital debris increases potential losses faced by commercial operators in Earth's orbits. Yet, there is no commonly accepted measure that describes the orbital debris environment from an economic perspective. This study begins to fill that gap by developing an Orbital Debris Economic Loss Index (ODELI) that measures and tracks the changes in the expected negative economic impact of orbital debris on satellite operators, both in aggregate and in specific orbits. Such information is valuable to the stakeholders, such as policymakers, commercial operators, and the public, in communicating valuable information about the economic state of the orbital debris environment.We illustrate the calculation of the index utilizing the data from 2012 to 2022. The analysis is based on the publicly available data and the Meteoroid and Space Debris Terrestrial Environment Reference (MASTER) orbital debris environment model. Our analysis suggests that the aggregate expected economic damage to Earth's orbits is increasing at a slower rate than the growth rate of the number of satellites or trackable pieces of debris objects. The slower rate of growth in ODELI indices from 2012 to 2022 is explained by a decrease in the average mass of satellites, a reduction in the real cost of placing satellites in orbit, and a commercial preference to launch satellites into orbits with lower debris density.The estimates of annual expected economic losses from debris collisions increased from $86 million to $107 million from 2012 to 2022, and the losses are concentrated in the low-Earth orbit (LEO). However, LEO had the smallest rate of increase in ODELI compared to other orbits. Medium-Earth orbit (MEO), which has the smallest contribution to the combined expected economic losses from debris on the Earth's orbits, experienced the fastest rate of increase in ODELI during the same period.

CircSeqAlignTk: An R package for end-to-end analysis of RNA-seq data for circular genomes

RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) technology has become one of the standard tools for studying biological mechanisms at the transcriptome level. Advances in RNA-seq technology have led to the development of numerous publicly available tools for RNA-seq data analysis. Most of these tools target linear genome sequences despite the necessity of studying organisms with circular genome sequences. For example, studying the infection mechanisms of viroids which comprise 246–401 nucleotides circular RNAs and target plants may prevent tremendous economic and agricultural damage. Unfortunately, using the available tools to construct workflows for the analysis of circular genome sequences is difficult, especially for non-bioinformaticians. To overcome this limitation, we present CircSeqAlignTk, an easy-to-use and richly documented R package. CircSeqAlignTk offers both command line and graphical user interfaces for end-to-end RNA-seq data analysis, spanning alignment to the visualisation of circular genome sequences, via a series of functions. Moreover, it includes a feature to generate synthetic sequencing data that mirrors real RNA-seq data from biological experiments. CircSeqAlignTk not only provides an easy-to-use analysis interface for novice users but also allows developers to evaluate the performance of alignment tools and new workflows.

Are predatory mites effective as biological control agents to suppress Oligonychus ilicis (Acari: Tetranychidae) in blueberry plantings?

Southern red mite, Oligonychus ilicis McGregor (Acari: Tetranychidae), is an important polyphagous spider mite pest that causes economic damage to many ornamentals, coffee, and fruit crops. Blueberry growers in the Southeastern United States, including Florida and Georgia, have experienced severe losses due to outbreaks of O. ilicis. Predatory mites are an important management tool used for controlling spider mites; however, predators have not been studied and successfully evaluated in blueberry systems. Amblyseius swirskii Athias-Henriot, Phytoseiulus persimilis Athias-Henriot, and Neoseiulus californicus (McGregor) (Acari: Phytoseiidae) are among the most economically important arthropod agents used in augmentative biological control worldwide. To evaluate the potential of these 3 commercially available predatory mites for use in blueberry plantings, we conducted experiments under controlled laboratory conditions and in the greenhouse. In preliminary laboratory experiments, P. persimilis and N. californicus significantly reduced the number of O. ilicis motile stages below those found in the untreated control, indicating the potential for these 2 predatory mite species to suppress O. ilicis populations. Amblyseius swirskii did not perform well controlling O. ilicis motiles in the laboratory. Under greenhouse conditions, N. californicus and P. persimilis significantly reduced the number of eggs after 7 days of release and the number of motile stages after 14 days of release. This is the first report of using phytoseiid mites to suppress O. ilicis in blueberry systems in the United States. Further studies on predator behavior, feeding preferences, and acaricide compatibility with predators are required to investigate the possibility of using P. persimilis, and N. californicus as biological control agents of O. ilicis in blueberry systems.

Increasing broad-spectrum aquatic invasive species early detection program efficiency through biased site selection and gear allocation

AbstractInvasive species cause severe environmental and economic damage throughout the globe. Aside from preventing their introduction, early detection of newly introduced species is the most successful method to prevent their establishment, spread, and eventual negative impacts. Broad-spectrum monitoring for the early detection of novel non-native species is oftentimes heavily burdened by the inherent difficulty in maximizing the detection probabilities of numerous high priority species simultaneously with only finite resources. We attempted to increase the efficiency of broad-spectrum monitoring in four locations across Lake Erie (USA)—the Detroit River, Maumee Bay, Sandusky Bay, and Cleveland—by targeting our site and gear selections to maximize overall species richness and detection rates of rare and non-native species, with the results compared to a random sampling design. Overall species richness was significantly higher in all four locations, while non-native species detection rates were significantly higher in every location except for Cleveland. Detection rates of rare species was significantly higher in Maumee Bay only. Our results indicate this selective sampling design is more likely to detect a newly introduced non-native species than a random sampling design and are in support of the established literature for broad-spectrum monitoring for novel aquatic invasive species.

Oligonychus perseae (Tetranychidae) Invasion in the Canary Islands: History, Management and Current Situation

Avocado production has boomed worldwide in recent years, and Spain, including the Canary Islands, has been no exception. The number of avocado growers in the region has increased significantly as growers recognize the potential of this crop. However, several species of spider mites (Tetranychidae) pose a risk to this crop, with the genus Oligonychus being the most diverse and having the greatest economic impact. In particular, Oligonychus perseae (Tuttle, Baker and Abbatiello) has been reported as the one mainly responsible for the economic damage in major avocado-producing regions worldwide. In this paper, we aim to present an overview of the studies conducted and the measures implemented to mitigate the impact of O. perseae after its arrival in the Canary Islands. Our objective is to provide a detailed description of the current status of this pest (O. perseae), with special attention to its situation 17 years after its first appearance in avocado crops in the Canary Islands. In doing so, we aim to provide valuable insights and knowledge to understand and manage better the challenges posed by O. perseae in this region.

Microbial Community Response to Granular Peroxide-Based Algaecide Treatment of a Cyanobacterial Harmful Algal Bloom in Lake Okeechobee, Florida (USA)

Cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (cyanoHABs) occur in fresh water globally. These can degrade water quality and produce toxins, resulting in ecological and economic damages. Thus, short-term management methods (i.e., algaecides) are necessary to rapidly mitigate the negative impacts of cyanoHABs. In this study, we assess the efficacy of a hydrogen peroxide-based algaecide (PAK® 27) on a Microcystis dominated bloom which occurred within the Pahokee Marina on Lake Okeechobee, Florida, USA. We observed a significant reduction in chlorophyll a (96.81%), phycocyanin (93.17%), and Microcystis cell counts (99.92%), and a substantial reduction in microcystins (86.7%) 48 h after treatment (HAT). Additionally, there was a significant shift in bacterial community structure 48 HAT, which coincided with an increase in the relative abundance of photosynthetic protists. These results indicate that hydrogen peroxide-based algaecides are an effective treatment method for cyanoHAB control and highlight their effects on non-target microorganisms (i.e., bacteria and protists).

Country-Specific External Costs of Abiotic Resource Use Based on User Cost Model in Life Cycle Impact Assessment.

Abiotic resources are indispensable in society, but there are concerns regarding their depletion, scarcity, and increasing prices, resulting in potential economic damage in the future. To address these concerns, it is effective to consider the external costs of resource use. Although resource availability is different among mining sites, and local conditions are relevant in assessing resource scarcity, previous studies have assessed external costs and potential impacts of abiotic resource use globally. This study provides country-specific characterization factors (CFs) of abiotic resource use in life cycle impact assessment based on the user cost model, which represents the external costs of abiotic resource use to reflect country-specific resource scarcity. We demonstrate considerable variations in the CFs depending on the mining country, suggesting that the choice of mining country can affect external costs. The global external cost of abiotic resource use in 2020 was estimated at 1.9 trillion $, with a major contribution from the extraction of fossil fuels in the United States. Historical trends of the CFs and relevant parameters showed temporal fluctuations, emphasizing the importance of regularly updating the data underlying the calculation of the CFs. Country-level assessments of the external costs of resource use can contribute to discussions on the responsibilities of consuming countries by incorporating material footprint studies.

Identification, management and pecuniary impact of major carbon footprint contributor in potato production system of north-west India

Assessment of carbon footprint of a crop is an important component of sustainable crop production, as it helps in framing effectual and viable crop management strategies to minimize ecosystem tampering. Thus, in present investigation carbon footprint of potato production system in different agro-climatic zones viz. undulating plain zone, central plain zone and western plain zone of North-west India were estimated, and compared with the recommended practices of these zones. The carbon footprint was higher in undulating plain zone followed by central plain zone and western plain zone with values being 343, 296 and 220 kg CO2 eq./t tuber yield (TY), sequentially, whereas same were 198 kg CO2 eq./t tuber yield (TY) in case of recommended practices. The social cost of carbon (SCC), that represents economic damage from the CO2 emissions, was also estimated. The integrated net economic balance (net return from yield – SCC) was also better in case of recommended practices. The major sources of emission from potato production system were fertilizer (NPK) application (42 %), irrigation (20 %), seed (14 %), fertilizer production (13 %) and energy use (excluding Irrigation) (5 %). Top most in the list of carbon footprint contributors was fertilizer application which was due to imbalanced application of these, and for getting the clear picture of this imbalance as well as its impact, a new and exclusive index- Relative Imbalance Fertilization Index (RIFIcf) was developed and tested. Carbon footprints were also related to tuber yield and an empirical model was developed that can be used to predict tuber yield on the basis of carbon footprint of potato production system. An increase in tuber yield with increasing carbon footprint was noticed, which became somewhat static at higher emissions. The findings of this investigation provide a clear picture of quantitative GHG emissions due to imbalanced inputs that can be plummeted to some extent if already existing recommendations are followed.