Article Review Essay Sample: Wilderness Conservation and the Reach of the State

Overview of Paper

The paper "Wilderness conservation and the reach of the state: Evidence from national borders in the Amazon" sets out to investigate the issues surrounding the preservation of the wilderness ecosystems in the Amazon. Specifically, the authors use data from the Brazilian international border to determine the deforestation changes in the Amazon. To achieve this objective, the authors employ appropriate theoretical framework and economic models and find that deforestation policy interventions have a significant impact on the conservation of wilderness ecosystems.

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Paper's Main Point

The main finding of the paper is that policy instruments have a significant influence on the preservation of the Amazonian ecological landscape. That is, the government through the various regulatory bodies can affect the conservation outcomes in the Amazon. The evidence from the study shows that there has been a significant fall in deforestation rates in Brazil following policy interventions (Burgess, Costa, & Olken, 2018). The results are in sharp contrast with other regions such as Indonesia and the Democratic Republic of Congo which have a similar climate but have experienced increased rates of deforestation. The apparent contrast further entrenches the main point that conservation of the wilderness depends on the policy instruments adopted by the state.

How the Author's Show the Main Point

The authors arrive at their conclusion using established empirical methods in the field of economics. They start by describing the deforestation problem that has affected the Amazon region. The authors then describe the theoretical models to be used in investigating the problem. They also explain the data collection method which in this case is the detection of deforestation using Landsat 7. The discussion of the results leads to the finding that policy measures indeed affect rates of deforestation. The authors show this clearly in the conclusion section of the paper. They state that "We observe sharp discontinuities in forest loss at the border and a diminution in these as Brazil implemented policies to detect and penalize illegal logging" (Burgess, Costa, & Olken, 2018, p. 12).Other Things the Authors Do

In addition to their presentation of the main point, the authors also provide an in-depth discussion of the results of the study. The main areas of their discussion include deforestation, annual forest loss, and heterogeneity by land classification in Brazil. These aspects are a vital component of the paper because they form the basis for drawing the main conclusion. Importantly, the authors also use footnotes to provide useful and additional information to the audience. This step significantly improves the academic appeal of the paper.

Response

In general, the paper follows the standard format for a scientific study of this nature. The authors provide a convincing explanation of the research problem using solid background information. Furthermore, I find the study to be quite useful because it offers knowledge on the subject of conservation which is vital to the survival of mankind and other species within the ecosystem. The authors also exhibit dexterity in the use of graphical representations to give the audience a visual perspective of the discussion (Figueroa, 2016).

Suggestion

I would propose that the editor accepts the paper. The authors demonstrate originality in their work. Besides, they have shown a satisfactory understanding of the scientific methods of research in economics (Figueroa, 2016). Moreover, the paper addresses an issue of importance not only at the national level but also globally. Most importantly, they propose a solution that can be replicated by other regions of the world to steer conservation efforts.

References

Burgess, R., Costa, F. J., & Olken, B. A. (2018). Wilderness Conservation and the Reach of the State: Evidence from National Boarders in the Amazon. Cambridge: National Bureau of Economic Research.

Figueroa, A. (2016). Rules for scientific research in economics: The Alpha-Beta Method. Cham: Palgrave Macmillan.