Southern
Research Station

• Authors: Prestemon, Jeffrey P.; Mercer, D. Evan; Pye, John M.
• Publication Year: 2008
• Publication Series: Book Chapter
• Source: The Economics of Forest Disturbances: Wildfires, Storms, and Invasive Species, 35-58

Abstract

Natural disturbances in forests are driven by physical and biological processes. Large, landscape scale disturbances derive primarily from weather (droughts, winds, ice storms, and floods), geophysical activities (earthquakes, volcanic eruptions), fires, insects, and diseases. Humans have invented ways to minimize their negative impacts and reduce their rates of occurrence. This chapter outlines ways that disturbances can be modeled using approaches familiar to economists—namely, as production processes at multiple spatial and temporal scales—and discusses the role of aggregation in characterizing their occurrence.

• Citation: Prestemon, Jeffrey P.; Mercer, D. Evan; Pye, John M. 2008. Natural disturbance production functions. In: Holmes, Thomas P., Prestemon, Jeffrey P., and Abt, Karen L. (eds.). The Economics of Forest Disturbances: Wildfire, Storms, and Invasive Species, Springer Netherlands. Pages 35-58
• Posted Date: June 1, 2009
• Modified Date: January 8, 2018

Print Publications Are No Longer Available

In an ongoing effort to be fiscally responsible, the Southern Research Station (SRS) will no longer produce and distribute hard copies of our publications. Many SRS publications are available at cost via the Government Printing Office (GPO). Electronic versions of publications may be downloaded, printed, and distributed.

Publication Notes

• This article was written and prepared by U.S. Government employees on official time, and is therefore in the public domain.
• Our online publications are scanned and captured using Adobe Acrobat. During the capture process some typographical errors may occur. Please contact the SRS webmaster if you notice any errors which make this publication unusable.
• To view this article, download the latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader.