Land Use Change, Forest Carbon Leakage, and REDD

Currently, there is substantial concern over global warming, greenhouse gas emissions and their potential effects on society. Much research is concentrating on afforestation, reforestation and reducing deforestation and degradation to diminish atmospheric carbon emissions. My dissertation includes three essays that discuss land-use change in Ecuador, global leakage after implementing several carbon policies and the latest developments related to REDD (Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation). Firstly, I will present a land-use change model for the country of Ecuador where I will estimate the effect of different site characteristics on the percentage of land used for farming (temporary and permanent crops), pasture, and forestry. With the results of this model, I will simulate the effects of several carbon sequestration scenarios to obtain land supply functions and the marginal costs of carbon sequestration. The second essay utilizes a forestry and land use model to compare the implications of different types of carbon policies on global leakage caused by timber price adjustments to a baseline (no-policy scenario) also established by the model. Finally, I define and evaluate the factors that affect REDD costs with a specific focus on its sensitivity to changes in some of its key components.