Research

My research is broadly in the area of environmental and natural resource economics.  Topics areas include: 

The design of markets and other types of incentives to manage complex environmental systems.  The use of markets and other economics incentives for environmental management has long been of interest to me.  My current work in this domain is focused on the design of markets for water quality protection, and the design of markets for purchasing ecological services (mainly for species habitat and carbon sequestration) from agriculture.   My work on markets and incentives has largely entailed theory development and the use of normative simulation models for testing.  I continue to do both, but I am also working with students and colleagues on the use agent-based models and experimental economics methods for testing.   

Integrated Modeling of Environmental Systems and Decision Analysis.   Some of my most rewarding research collaborations have been, and continue to be, with biologists, oceanographers, meteorologists, hydrologists, geographers, political scientists, and other environmental scientists on multidisciplinary projects that entail merging economic and other social science concepts and methods with natural science concepts and methods to improve society’s capacity to measure, predict, manage, and adapt to environmental change, and the measure, predict, and manage the impacts of environmental change on human welfare.  These projects include several high-profile US EPA ORD funded project on the impacts of climate change on agriculture, human health, water resources, and ecosystems in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast states (http://www.cara.psu.edu/),  a huge EPA STAR project on indicators for assessing and managing aquatic ecosystems (http://www.asc.psu.edu/), a center on Integrated Regional Assessment developed with NSF funding (http://www.eesi.psu.edu/centers/cira.shtml), and an NSF funded project on integrating ethics into graduate training in the environmental sciences. 

Public policy for agri-environmental externalities.  Agriculture is one of the most important sectors of the economy for its production of externalities, both positive and negative.  Much, though not all, of my work on markets and incentives, and integrated modeling and decision analysis is focused on agri-environmental policy contexts.

Teaching

AEREC 519 (Environmental and Natural Resource Economics I).  This course presents theories and methods used in economic research on the environment and natural resources, with applications to contemporary environmental issues.    Topics include theoretical and applied modeling of economy-environment relationships, economic theories and results on the causes and consequences of environmental degradation, the design and evaluation of environmental policy instruments, and the valuation of environmental and natural resource services.

In additions to the Agricultural Economics faculty, and I am a member of the Environmental Resource Management, and Operations Research faculties.

For more about my teaching, research, and professional activities please visit my web page at http://www.personal.psu.edu/jss15
 

Selected Publications

Design of markets and other types of incentives to manage complex environmental systems. 

Horan, R.D., and J.S. Shortle. (2005). When Two Wrongs Make a Right: Second Best Point Nonpoint Trading. American Journal of Agricultural Economics. 87(2):340-352

Shortle, J. and J. Dunn. (2004). The Relative Efficiency of Agricultural Source Water Pollution Control Policies. In S. Batie and R. Horan (Eds.), Agri-Environmental Policy. Ashgate Publishing. (Reprinted from American Journal of Agricultural Economics 68:668-677).

Weersink, A., J. Livenois, J. Shorgren, and J. Shortle. (2004). Economic Incentives for Pollution Control in Agriculture. In S. Batie and R. Horan (Eds.), Agri-Environmental Policy. Ashgate Publishing. (Reprinted from Canadian Public Policy 24:309-327).

Abler, D. G., and J. S. Shortle. (2004). Technology As An Agricultural Pollution Control Strategy. In S. Batie and R. Horan (Eds.), Agri-Environmental Policy. Ashgate Publishing. (Reprinted from American Journal of Agricultural Economics 77:20-32.

Abrahams, N.A., and J. S. Shortle. 2004. Performance of Compliance Measures for Nitrate Nonpoint Pollution Control. Agricultural and Resource Economics Review. 33(1):79-90.

Horan, R.D., J. S. Shortle and D.G. Abler. 2004. Point-Nonpoint Trading Programs and Agri-Environmental Policies. Agricultural and Resource Economics Review. 33(1):61-78.

Horan, R., J. Shortle, and D. Abler. 2002. Nutrient Point-Nonpoint Trading in the Susquehanna River Basin. Water Resources Research. 38(5):8-1 - 8-13, 10.1029/2001WR000853.

Horan, R., D. Abler, J. Shortle, J. Carmichael. 2002. Probabilistic, Cost-Effective Point/Nonpoint Management in the Susquehanna River Basin. Journal of the American Water Resource Association. 38:467-477.

Horan, R., J. Shortle, and D. Abler. 2002. Ambient Taxes Under m-Dimensional Choice Sets, Heterogeneous Expectations, and Risk-version. Environmental and Resource Economics. 21:189-2002.

Shortle, J., and R. Horan. 2002. The Economics of Nonpoint Pollution Control. In N. Hanley and C. Roberts (Eds.), Issues in Environmental Economics. Oxford, UK: Blackwell Publishing. (Reprinted from the Journal of Economic Surveys. 15:255-290.)

Shortle, J., and R. Horan. 2001. The Economics of Nonpoint Pollution. Journal of Economic Surveys. 15:255-290.

Shortle, J., R. Faichney, N. Hanley, and A. Monroe. (1999) "Least-Cost Allocations for Probabilistic Water Quality Targets to Protect Salmon on the Forth Estuary." In S. Sorrell (Ed.), Pollution For Sale: Emissions Trading and Joint Implementation. Cheltenham UK: Edward Elgar

Shortle, J., R. Horan, and D. Abler. (1998) "Research Issues in Nonpoint Pollution Control," Environmental and Resource Economics 11:571-585.

Horan, R., J Shortle, and D. Abler. (1998) "Ambient Taxes When Polluters Have Multiple Choices," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management 36:186-199.

Shortle, J., and D. Abler. (1997) "Nonpoint Pollution." In H. Folmer and T. Tietenberg (eds.), International Yearbook of Environmental and Resource Economics. Cheatham: Edward Elgar.

Integrated Modeling of Environmental Systems and Decision Analysis

Ranjan, R., and J.S. Shortle.  In press. The Environmental Kuznets Curve When the Environment Exhibits Hysteresis.  Ecological Economics.

Ward, K., R.C. Stedman, A.E. Luloff, J.S. Shortle, and J.C. Finley. In press. Categorizing Hunters by Typologies Useful to Game Managers: A Latent-class Model.  Society and Natural Resources.

Marshall, E., and J. Shortle.  2005.  Using DEA and VEA to Evaluate Quality of Life in the Mid-Atlantic States. Agriculture and Resource Economics Review.  34(2):185-203.

Borisova, T., J. S. Shortle, R.D. Horan, and D.G. Abler. (2005). The Value of Information for Water Quality Protection. Water Resources Research. 41, W06004, doi:10. 1029/2004WR003576.

Abler, D.G., J.S. Shortle and A, Fisher. 2004. Climate Change and Pennsylvania Agriculture. Penn State Law Review. 12(1):117-125.

Horan, R., J. Hrubovcak, J. Shortle, and E. Bulte. 2003. Accounting for the Distributional Impacts of Policy in the Green Accounts. In C. Perrings and J Vincent (Eds.), Natural Resource Accounting and Economic Development: Theory and Practice. Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar. (Reprinted from Environment and Development Economics 5:95-108)

Abler, D., J. Shortle, J. Carmichael, and R. Horan. 2002. Climatic Change, Agriculture, and Water Quality. Climatic Change. 55;339-359.

Kennell, J., J. Lazo, A. Fisher, D. Epp, and J. Shortle. 2002. Perceptions and Values for Preventing Ecosystem Change: Pennsylvania Duck Hunters and the Prairie Pothole Region. Land Economics. 78:228-244.

Shortle, J., and R. Griffin. 2001. Irrigated Agriculture and the Environment. In J. Shortle and R. Griffin (Eds.), Irrigated Agriculture and the Environment. Cheltenham UK: Edward Elgar.

Maynard, L., and J. Shortle. 2001. Determinants of cleaner Technology Investment in the U.S. Bleached Kraft Pulp Industry. Land Economics. 77-561-576.

Benson, K., P. Kocagil, and J. Shortle. 2000. Climate change and health in the Mid-Atlantic Region. Climate Research 14:245-253.

Shortle, J., and D. Abler. (1999) "Agriculture and the Environment." In J. van der Bergh (Ed.), Handbook of Environmental and Resource Economics. Cheltenham UK: Edward Elgar.

Abler, D., A. Rodriguez, and J. Shortle. (1999) "Parameter Uncertainty in CGE Modeling of Environmental Impacts of Economic Policies," Environmental and Resource Economics 14:75-94.

Horan, R., J. Shortle, and E. Bulte. (1999) "Renewable Resource Policy When Distributional Impacts Matter," Environmental and Resource Economics 14:191-215.

Laughland, A., W. Musser, J. Shortle, and L. Musser. (1996) "Construct Validity of Averting Cost Measures of Environmental Benefits," Land Economics 72:100-112.