Economics of wildlife tourism

After introducing the importance of the topic, we examine the economic impacts of wildlife tourism on income and employment as an indicator of the importance of this form of tourism. While such indicators can be important politically and to particular interest groups, they are shown to be an inadequate guide to the economic use and conservation of resources, including wildlife used in tourism. One reason for this (amongst others) is that total economic value must be taken into account in determining economic resource use and this is shown to be quite important in the case of wildlife species. Empirical procedures, such as use of the travel cost method and stated preference methods (for example, contingent valuation) are outlined and the way in which they can be used for determining the optimal economic allocation of land and other resources for wildlife tourism is explained. Economic implications and limitations of some empirical estimates of the importance of wildlife tourism are discussed. This leads on to a consideration of the purpose and usefulness of using economic instruments to manage wildlife tourism.

Poverty - dynamic and sustainability perspectives: Implications for welfare and policy with reference to India

After outlining some comparative features of poverty in India, this article reviews critically recent literature on the dynamics of poverty. On economic efficiency grounds, it rejects the view that the chronically poor are more deserving than the non-chronic poor of poverty assistance. Mechanisms of households and communities for coping with poverty are discussed. The possibility is raised that where poverty has been persistent that rational methods for coping with it are likely to be well established, and less suffering may occur than for households and communities thrown temporarily into poverty. However, situations can also be envisaged where such rational behaviours deepen the poverty trap and create unfavourable externalities for poverty alleviation. Conflict can arise between programmes to alleviate poverty in poor communities and the sustainability of these communities and their local cultures. Problems posed by this are discussed. Furthermore, the impact of market extension on poor landholders is considered. In contrast to the prevailing view that increased market extension and liberalisation is favourable to poor farmers, it is argued that inescapable market transaction cost makes it difficult for the poor to survive as landholders in a fluid and changing market system. The likelihood of poor landholders joining the landless poor rises, and if they migrate from the countryside to the city they face further adjustment hurdles. Consequently, poor landholders may be poorer after the extension of the market system and only their offspring may reap benefits from market reforms.

Dynamic processes in the contingent valuation of an endangered mammal species

Reports experimental results involving 204 members of the public who were asked their willingness to pay for the conservation of the mahogany glider Petaurus gracilis on three occasions: prior to information being provided to them about the glider and other wildlife species; after such information was provided, and after participants had an opportunity to see live specimens of this endangered species. Variations in the mean willingness to pay are analysed. Concerns arise about whether information provision and experience reveal ‘true’ contingent valuations of public goods and about the choice of the relevant contingent valuation measure.

Estimates of the real structured radius of stability of linear dynamic systems

A question is examined as to estimates of the norms of perturbations of a linear stable dynamic system, under which the perturbed system remains stable in a situation R:here a perturbation has a fixed structure.

The structure of middle management remuneration packages: An application to Australian mine managers

This paper investigates the composition of remuneration packages for middle managers and relates the structure of remuneration contracts to firm-specific attributes. A statutorily defined position in a single industry is studied as an example of middle management. This allows us to control for differences in task complexity across managers and industry-induced factors that could determine differences in remuneration contracts. Higher-risk firms are expected to pay their mine managers a greater proportion of variable salaries and market and/or accounting-based compensation than low-risk firms. Results indicate that high-risk firms pay a higher proportion of variable salaries and more compensation based on market and/or accounting performance.

Contrasting models of land use regulation: Community, government and tourism development

This paper assesses the capacity of local communities and sub-national governments to influence patterns of tourism development, within the context of a globalizing economy. Through a comparison of the contrasting examples of Hawaii and Queensland, the paper indicates the consequences of different approaches to land use regulation. It points to the importance of planning and policy processes that integrate community interests, in order to achieve long-term, sustainable tourism development. Effective regulation of development can minimize the social and environmental impacts of tourism. The paper illustrates how community organizations and sub-national governments can articulate local interests, despite the global demands of investors for more deregulated markets in land.

Integrating the tourism industry: problems and strategies

This paper addresses two interrelated issues in tourism development: horizontal integration within tourism's component sectors and attempts at vertical integration between them. The paper employs a conceptual framework adapted from regulation theory, to assess the dynamics of these processes, particularly in relation to airlines and hotels. Through examining some of the most important examples of both horizontal and vertical integration, it indicates how these have influenced contemporary strategies in the component sectors. The paper goes on to illustrate how trends towards Fordist organization within airlines have conflicted with post-Fordist trends in hotel operations, to undermine attempts at vertical integration across the tourism industry. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

A dynamic model with on-line identification for rotary sugar drying processes

A dynamic modelling methodology, which combines on-line variable estimation and parameter identification with physical laws to form an adaptive model for rotary sugar drying processes, is developed in this paper. In contrast to the conventional rate-based models using empirical transfer coefficients, the heat and mass transfer rates are estimated by using on-line measurements in the new model. Furthermore, a set of improved sectional solid transport equations with localized parameters is developed in this work to reidentified on-line using measurement data, the model is able to closely track the dynamic behaviour of rotary drying processes within a broad range of operational conditions. This adaptive model is validated against experimental data obtained from a pilot-scale rotary sugar dryer. The proposed modelling methodology can be easily incorporated into nonlinear model based control schemes to form a unified modelling and control framework.place the global correlation for the computation of solid retention time. Since a number of key model variables and parameters are identified on-line using measurement data, the model is able to closely track the dynamic behaviour of rotary drying processes within a broad range of operational conditions. This adaptive model is validated against experimental data obtained from a pilot-scale rotary sugar dryer. The proposed modelling methodology can be easily incorporated into nonlinear model based control schemes to form a unified modelling and control framework.

A dynamic role for HDAC7 in MEF2-mediated muscle differentiation

The overlapping expression profile of MEF2 and the class-II histone deacetylase, HDAC7, led us to investigate the functional interaction and relationship between these regulatory proteins. HDAC7 expression inhibits the activity of MEF2 (-A, -C, and -D), and in contrast MyoD and Myogenin activities are not affected. Glutathione S-transferase pulldown and immunoprecipitation demonstrate that the repression mechanism involves direct interactions between MEF2 proteins and HDAC7 and is associated with the ability of MEF2 to interact with the N-terminal 121 amino acids of HDAC7 that encode repression domain 1. The MADS domain of MEF2 mediates the direct interaction of MEF2 with HDAC7, MEF2 inhibition by HDAC7 is dependent on the N-terminal repression domain and surprisingly does not involve the C-terminal deacetylase domain. HDAC7 interacts with CtBP and other class-I and -II HDACs suggesting that silencing of MEF2 activity involves corepressor recruitment. Furthermore, we show that induction of muscle differentiation by serum withdrawal leads to the translocation of HDAC7 from the nucleus into the cytoplasm. This work demonstrates that HDAC7 regulates the function of MEF2 proteins and suggests that this class-II HDAC regulates this important transcriptional (and pathophysiological) target in heart and muscle tissue. The nucleocytoplasmic trafficking of HDAC7 and other class-II HDACs during myogenesis provides an ideal mechanism for the regulation of HDAC targets during mammalian development and differentiation.

The acquisition of movement skills: Practice enhances the dynamic stability of bimanual coordination

During bimanual movements, two relatively stable inherent patterns of coordination (in-phase and anti-phase) are displayed (e.g., Kelso, Am. J. Physiol. 246 (1984) R1000). Recent research has shown that new patterns of coordination can be learned. For example, following practice a 90 degrees out-of-phase pattern can emerge as an additional, relatively stable, state (e.g., Zanone & Kelso, J. Exp. Psychol.: Human Performance and Perception 18 (1992) 403). On this basis, it has been concluded that practice leads to the evolution and stabilisation of the newly learned pattern and that this process of learning changes the entire attractor layout of the dynamic system. A general feature of such research has been to observe the changes of the targeted pattern's stability characteristics during training at a single movement frequency. The present study was designed to examine how practice affects the maintenance of a coordinated pattern as the movement frequency is scaled. Eleven volunteers were asked to perform a bimanual forearm pronation-supination task. Time to transition onset was used as an index of the subjects' ability to maintain two symmetrically opposite coordinated patterns (target task - 90 degrees out-of-phase - transfer task - 270 degrees out-of-phase). Their ability to maintain the target task and the transfer task were examined again after five practice sessions each consisting of 15 trials of only the 90 degrees out-of-phase pattern. Concurrent performance feedback (a Lissajous figure) was available to the participants during each practice trial. A comparison of the time to transition onset showed that the target task was more stable after practice (p = 0.025). These changes were still observed one week (p = 0.05) and two months (p = 0.075) after the practice period. Changes in the stability of the transfer task were not observed until two months after practice (p = 0.025). Notably, following practice, transitions from the 90 degrees pattern were generally to the anti-phase (180 degrees) pattern, whereas, transitions from the 270 degrees pattern were to the 90 degrees pattern. These results suggest that practice does improve the stability of a 90 degrees pattern, and that such improvements are transferable to the performance of the unpractised 270 degrees pattern. In addition, the anti-phase pattern remained more stable than the practised 90 degrees pattern throughout. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.