Rick teaches natural resource economics. His research interests are in the areas of environmental and natural resource economics management and policy design.  In particular, he concentrates on understanding feedbacks between economic and ecological systems and how these affect management opportunities.  Rick is an Associate Editor for the American Journal of Agricultural Economics (2008-2011).

Professional Interests

• Bioeconomics
• Management of endangered and threatened species and ecosystems
• The co-evolution of economic and ecological systems
• Prevention and control of invasive alien species
• Infectious disease in wildlife
• Agricultural pollution and conservation

Selected Publications

Horan, R.D., E.P. Fenichel, K. Drury, and D.M. Lodge. 2011. Managing Ecological Thresholds in Coupled Environmental-Human Systems. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences doi:10.1073/pnas.1005431108.

Horan, R.D. and R.T. Melstrom, 2011. No Sympathy for the Devil. Journal of Environmental Economics and Management  (in press).

Bulte, Erwin H., Horan, Richard D. 2010. Identities in the Commons: Dynamics and Norms of Social Capital. The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy 10 (1): Article 13 (Topics).

Fenichel, Eli P., Horan, Richard D., Hickling, Graham J. 2010. Management of Infectious Wildlife Diseases: Bridging Conventional and Bioeconomic Approaches. Ecological Applications 20 903-914.

Fenichel, Eli P., Horan, Richard D., Hickling, Graham. 2010. Bioeconomic Management of Invasive Insect-Vectored Diseases. Biological Invasions 12 2877-2893.

Fenichel, Eli P., Horan, Richard D., Bence, James R. 2010. Indirect Management of Invasive Species Through Bio-Controls: A Bioeconomic Model of Salmon and Alewife in Lake Michigan. Resource and Energy Economics 32 500-518.

Horan, Richard D., Fenichel, Eli P., Wolf, Christopher A., Gramig, Benjamin M. 2010. Managing Infectious Animal Disease Systems. Annual Review of Resource Economics 2: 101-124.

Gramig, Benjamin M., Horan, Richard D., Wolf, Christopher A. 2009. Livestock Disease Indemnity Design when Moral Hazard is Followed by Adverse Selection. American Journal of Agricultural Economics 91 627-641.

Xie, Fang, Horan, Richard D. 2009. Disease and Behavioral Dynamics for Brucellosis Control in Elk and Cattle in the Greater Yellowstone Area. Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics 34 11-33.

Shortle, James S., Horan, Richard D. 2008. The Economics of Water Quality Trading. International Review of Environmental and Resource Economics 2 101-133.

Horan, Richard D., Shogren, Jason F., Gramig, Benjamin M. 2008. Wildlife Conservation Payments to Address Habitat Fragmentation and Disease Risks. Environment and Development Economics 13 415-439.

Horan, Richard D., Wolf, Christopher A., Fenichel, Eli P., Mathews, Jr, Kenneth H. 2008. Joint Management of Wildlife and Livestock Disease. Environmental and Resource Economics 41 47-70.

Horan, Richard D., Bulte, Erwin H., Shogren, Jason F. 2008. Coevolution of Human Speech and Trade. Journal of Economic Growth 13 293-313.

Fenichel, E.P., and R.D. Horan. 2007. Gender-Based Harvesting in Wildlife Disease Management. American Journal of Agricultural Economics 89: 904-920.

Horan, R.D., and R. Claassen. 2007. Targeting Green Payments under a Budget Constraint. Land Economics 83: 319-330.

Funded Research Projects

• “Bioeconomics of Managing Multi-Host Diseases”, Economic Research Service, USDA.
• “Bioeconomics of Managing Pathogens in Multi-Host, Livestock-Wildlife Systems”, National Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program, USDA.