Subscribe free to our newsletters via your
. Solar Energy News .




WATER WORLD
Online photos provide evidence for the value of clean water
by Staff Writers
Twin Cities MN (SPX) Feb 05, 2015


File image.

Think of the last time you planned a visit to a lake. Why did you choose the lake you did? Did you consider the quality of the water? The answers to these questions are critical to understanding how lake users make decisions about their recreation choices and the value society places on water resources.

New research published in Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution presents a novel approach to calculating the value of clean water.

Analyzing photos posted to the online photo-sharing site Flickr, researchers at the Natural Capital Project and Iowa State University found Minnesota and Iowa lakes with greater water quality receive more visits than dirtier lakes, and that users are willing to travel farther to visit those clean, clear lakes.

The traditional approach to gathering lake visitation data would be through expensive and time-consuming surveys, asking people where they recreate and why.

In this study, the researchers used online photographs taken of lakes that were uploaded to Flickr and could easily be analyzed with minimal expense. The researchers used this information, along with spatial analysis techniques and models, to estimate the values users place on lakes.

"The photos tell us a story about what lakes people prefer, where they live, and how far they travel to visit different lakes" said Bonnie Keeler, co-author and lead scientist with the Natural Capital Project at the University of Minnesota's Institute on the Environment.

As the authors note, there are many lakes and rivers that are impaired and efforts to restore or improve water quality can be expensive. This study offers one approach to capturing the value of water quality improvements - information that can inform cost benefit assessments and better targeting of restoration investments. The study is also valuable because it underscores the potential for social-media data to inform social-ecological research.


Thanks for being here;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5 Billed Monthly


paypal only


.


Related Links
University of Minnesota
Water News - Science, Technology and Politics






Comment on this article via your Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle




Memory Foam Mattress Review
Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily
XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News





WATER WORLD
Invasive species in the Great Lakes by 2063
Montreal, Canada (SPX) Feb 01, 2015
The Great Lakes have been invaded by more non-native species than any other freshwater ecosystem in the world. In spite of increasing efforts to stem the tide of invasion threats, the lakes remain vulnerable, according to scientists from McGill University and colleagues in Canada and the United States. If no new regulations are enforced, they predict new waves of invasions and identify som ... read more


WATER WORLD
Biologists partner bacterium with nitrogen gas to make cleaner bioethanol

Renewable energy drives production of southern wood pellets for bioenergy

Toward the next biofuel: Secrets of Fistulifera solaris

Cyanobacterium found in algae collection holds promise for biotech applications

WATER WORLD
Robot acquires chef skills via YouTube instructional vids

Canadian students design robotic sailboat for Atlantic challenge

Upgraded Atlas ready to go wireless at next DARPA Robotics Challenge

Artificial intelligence future wows Davos elite

WATER WORLD
Massachusetts set for offshore wind energy

150-MW Briscoe wind project fully funded

New wind farm study a load of hot air

Dulas to acquire fleet of ZephIR Lidars for rental to UK wind market

WATER WORLD
Low oil price era influencing vehicle markets

Car-sharing service report prompts Google tweet

One eye on China, Renault unveils first compact SUV

Uber steers anti-taxi idea to become global phenomenon

WATER WORLD
Masdar, Masdar Institute And ABB Announce New Facility

Generating Mobius strips of light

Infrared imaging technique operates at high temperatures

membrane will make batteries safer, thinner

WATER WORLD
Major German investments in Hungary despite rights issues: report

S.Africa's power supply 'extremely' limited after fault at nuke plant

Westinghouse Accompanies Historic US Delegation To India

Russia to create water decontamination station for Fukushima-1

WATER WORLD
Russia and DPRK May Develop $20-30 Billion Power Grid Project

Patents provide insight on Wall Street 'technology arms race'

Towards a scientific process freed from systemic bias

US Vows to Help Prop Up Bulgarian Security, Diversify Energy Supplies

WATER WORLD
Researchers unlock new way to clone hemlock trees

Orangutans take the logging road

Brazil's Soy Moratorium still needed to preserve Amazon

Carbon accumulation by Southeastern forests may slow




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2014 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement All images and articles appearing on Space Media Network have been edited or digitally altered in some way. Any requests to remove copyright material will be acted upon in a timely and appropriate manner. Any attempt to extort money from Space Media Network will be ignored and reported to Australian Law Enforcement Agencies as a potential case of financial fraud involving the use of a telephonic carriage device or postal service.