Title: Economic impacts of E. Coqui frogs in Hawaii

Authors: Brooks A. Kaiser, Kimberly M. Burnett

Addresses: Gettysburg College, Gettysburg, PA, USA. ' University of Hawaii, Manoa, HI, USA

Abstract: Eleutherodactylus coqui, a small frog native to Puerto Rico, was introduced to Hawaii in the late 1980s, presumably as a hitchhiker on plant material from the Caribbean or Florida. The severity of the frogs| songs has lead to a hypothesis that the presence of the frog on or near a property results in a decline in that property|s value. The objective of this study is to measure the damage costs from the coqui|s loud mating songs through a hedonic pricing model. We find that the per-transaction reduction in value appears to be about 0.16%, holding constant district, acreage, financial conditions, zoning, and neighbourhood characteristics.

Keywords: economic impact; E. Coqui frogs; Eleutherodactylus coqui; small frogs; Hawaii; property values; damage costs; mating songs; hedonic pricing models; modelling.

DOI: 10.1504/IER.2006.053951

Interdisciplinary Environmental Review, 2006 Vol.8 No.2, pp.1 - 11

Published online: 13 May 2013 *

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