No. 17/2005

THE ECONOMICS OF A STAGE-STRUCTURED WILDLIFE POPULATION MODEL

Jon Olaf Olaussen
Anders Skonhoft

Abstract:
A four-stage model (calves, yearlings, adult female and adult male) of the Scandinavian moose (Alces alces) is formulated. Fecundity is density dependent while mortality is density independent. The paper aims to demonstrate the economic content of such a wildlife model and how this content may change under shifting economic and ecological conditions. Two different harvesting regimes are explored: hunting for meat, and trophy hunting. It is shown how different ways to compose the harvest influences the profitability while, at the same time, the population levels of the different stages may only change modestly. It is also shown why different market situations require different compositions of the harvest, knowledge that is disregarded in the traditional bioeconomic modelling approach.