Interactive effects of homeowners’ environmental concerns and rebate incentives on preferences for low-input residential landscapes

《Interactive effects of homeowners’ environmental concerns and rebate incentives on preferences for low-input residential landscapes》

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关键字: C18;D12;Q56;Environmentally friendly landscaping;Environmental concerns;Latent class mixed logit;Monetary incentive

作者单位: Food and Resource Economics Department, University of Florida, P.O. Box 110240, Gainesville, FL, 32611, United States;Food and Resource Economics Department, University of Florida, 2725 S. Binion Road, Apopka, FL, 32703, United States;Food and Resource Economics Department, University of Florida, P.O. Box 110240, Gainesville, FL, 32611, United States;Food and Resource Economics Department, University of Florida, 2725 S. Binion Road, Apopka, FL, 32703, United States

摘要: Incorporating partial turfgrass and micro-irrigation into traditional residential landscapes with predominantly turfgrass lawns has the potential to conserve water and reduce fertilization needs. However, homeowner-led conversions to partial turfgrass lawns are not common, and financial incentive programs offering rebates for turfgrass lawn modification are one of the mechanisms used to encourage conversion at the household level. To investigate the main determinants of single-family homeowners’ lawn conversion decisions, this study incorporated the interactive effects of rebate incentives and environmental concerns in a discrete choice experiment conducted in Central Florida. Results from the latent class mixed logit model showed that conservation programs are more effective for households with greater environmental concerns when supplemented with financial incentives. Specifically, although rebate incentives did not significantly influence participants’ choices in the overall sample, we found that participants in the environment-oriented segment (classified using a latent segmentation model) did prefer landscape designs that incorporated rebate incentives. Implications for relevant stakeholders are discussed.