Lyubov A Kurkalova

Research Interests

Lyubov (Luba) Kurkalova is interested both in (a) analyzing the impacts of policy and economic factors on forest and agricultural land use, production, and the environment, and in (b) developing the tools - spatially explicit models and econometric techniques - for such analyses. Her research program has received over $9.8 million in extramural funding from USDOE, NSF, and USDA. Dr. Kurkalova has published her research in multiple peer-reviewed journals including Energy Economics, Journal and Soil and Water Conservation, Environmental Modeling and Software, Biomass and Bioenergy, and Environmental Management.

External URL

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8873-3908

Recent Publications

• Mulrooney, T.J., Liang, C.L., Kurkalova, L.A., McGinn, C., & Okoli, C. (2023). Quantitatively defining and mapping rural: A case study of North Carolina. Journal of Rural Studies, 97, 47-56, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2022.11.011
• Tran, D., & Kurkalova, L.A. (2023). Testing for complementarity between the use of continuous no-till and cover crops: an application of Entropy approach. Soil Security, 13, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soisec.2023.100118
• Azubike, C.S., Kurkalova, L.A., & Mulrooney, T.J. (2022). A comparison of raster-based forest land data in Crop Data Layer and National Land Cover Database. Forests, 13(7), 1023, https://doi.org/10.3390/f13071023
• Gebrehiwot, A.A., Hashemi-Beni, L., Kurkalova, L.A., Liang, C.L., & Jha, M.K. (2022). Using ABM to study the potential of land use change for mitigation of food deserts. Sustainability, 14, 9715, https://doi.org/10.3390/su14159715
• Liang, C.-L., Mooney, S., Kurkalova, L.A., Roper, D.K., & Hashemi Beni, L. (2021). Best practices and lessons learned in grant writing for agricultural and applied economists to engage in interdisciplinary studies. Applied Economics Teaching Resources, 3(2), 1-18, https://doi.org/10.22004/ag.econ.312078
• Bostian, M.B., Kurkalova, L.A., Barnhart, B.L., Jha, M.K., & Whittaker, G.W. (2021). Bilevel optimization of conservation practices for agricultural production. Journal of Cleaner Production, 300, 126874, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.126874
• Hashemi-Beni, L., Kurkalova, L.A., Mulrooney, T.J., & Azubike, C.S. (2021). Combining multiple geospatial data for estimating above ground biomass in North Carolina forests. Remote Sensing, 13(14), 2731, https://doi.org/10.3390/rs13142731
• Liang, C.-L., Kurkalova, L.A., Mulrooney, T., Jha, M., Hashemi Beni, L., Monty, G., & Miao, H. (2021). Introducing the innovative design to examine human-environment dynamics of food deserts. Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development, 10(2), 123-133. https://doi.org/10.5304/jafscd.2021.102.037
• Mulrooney, T.J., Foster, R., Liang, C.L., Miao, H., Jha, M., Hashemi-Beni, L., Monty, G., & Kurkalova, L.A. (2021). Using geospatial networking tools to optimize source locations as applied to the study of food availability: A study in Guilford County, North Carolina. Applied Geography, 128, 102415, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeog.2021.102415
• Tran, D. Q., & Kurkalova, L. A. (2019). Persistence in tillage decisions: Aggregate data analysis. International Soil and Water Conservation Research, 7(2), 109-118, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iswcr.2019.03.002  
• Kurkalova, L. A., & Tran, D. Q. (2018). Impact of stover collection on Iowa land use. In Land Allocation for Biomass Crops (pp. 145-157). Springer, Cham. (https://www.springer.com/us/book/9783319745350)
• Kurkalova, L. A., & Tran, D. Q. (2017). Is the use of no-till continuous or rotational? Quantifying tillage dynamics from time-ordered spatially aggregated data. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation, 72(2), 131-138, http://dx.doi.org/10.2489/jswc.72.2.131
• Kurkalova, L. A., & Carter, L. (2017). Sustainable production: Using simulation modeling to identify the benefits of green information systems. Decision Support Systems, 96, 83-91, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dss.2017.02.006
• Boakye-Boaten, N. A., Kurkalova, L., Xiu, S., & Shahbazi, A. (2017). Techno-economic analysis for the biochemical conversion of Miscanthus x giganteus into bioethanol. Biomass and Bioenergy, 98, 85-94, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.biombioe.2017.01.017
• Wade, T., Kurkalova, L., & Secchi, S. (2016). Modeling field-level conservation tillage adoption with aggregate choice data. Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, 266-285, https://www.jstor.org/stable/44131338 
• Kurkalova, L. A. (2015). Cost‐Effective Placement of Best Management Practices in a Watershed: Lessons Learned from Conservation Effects Assessment Project. JAWRA Journal of the American Water Resources Association, 51(2), 359-372, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1752-1688.12295
• Dodder, R. S., Kaplan, P. O., Elobeid, A., Tokgoz, S., Secchi, S., & Kurkalova, L. A. (2015). Impact of energy prices and cellulosic biomass supply on agriculture, energy, and the environment: An integrated modeling approach. Energy Economics, 51, 77-87, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.eneco.2015.06.008
• Jang, T., Vellidis, G., Kurkalova, L. A., Boll, J., & Hyman, J. B. (2015). Prioritizing watersheds for conservation actions in the southeastern coastal plain ecoregion. Environmental management, 55(3), 657-670, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00267-014-0421-9
• Kurkalova, L.A., & Wade, T.R. (2013). Aggregated choice data and logit models: Application to conservation tillage adoption by farmers in the state of Iowa. Applied Econometrics and International Development, 13(2): 119-128, http://www.usc.es/economet/eaat.htm 
  
• Elobeid, A., Tokgoz, S., Dodder, R., Johnson, T., Kaplan, O., Kurkalova, L., & Secchi, S. (2013). Integration of agricultural and energy system models for biofuel assessment. Environmental Modeling & Software, 48, 1-16, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envsoft.2013.05.007
• Jang, T., Vellidis, G., Hyman, J. B., Brooks, E., Kurkalova, L. A., Boll, J., & Cho, J. (2013). Model for prioritizing best management practice implementation: sediment load reduction. Environmental Management, 51(1), 209-224, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-012-9977-4
• Edwards, J. A., Pumphrey, R. G., Barbato, L., Kurkalova, L. A., & Burkey, M. L. (2012). Building a simple general model of municipal water conservation policy for communities overlying the Ogallala Aquifer. Natural Resources Journal, 52(1), 135-155, https://www.jstor.org/stable/24889600
• Archer, D. W., & Kurkalova, L. A. (2012). Economic Outcomes of Greenhouse Gas Mitigation Options. In Managing Agricultural Greenhouse Gases (pp. 411-422). Academic Press. (http://store.elsevier.com/product.jsp?isbn=9780123868978)
• Bililign, S., Lin, Y. L., Davis, R., Kurkalova, L., Kyei, Y., Rastigejev, Y., ... & Bae, S. (2012). Effects of Global Warming on North Carolina. International Journal of Climate Change: Impacts & Responses, 3(2), 53-70.
• Secchi, S., Kurkalova, L., Gassman, P. W., & Hart, C. (2011). Land use change in a biofuels hotspot: the case of Iowa, USA. Biomass and Bioenergy, 35(6), 2391-2400, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biombioe.2010.08.047
• Secchi, S., Gassman, P. W., Jha, M., Kurkalova, L., & Kling, C. L. (2011). Potential water quality changes due to corn expansion in the Upper Mississippi River Basin. Ecological Applications, 21(4), 1068-1084, https://doi.org/10.1890/09-0619.1
• Kurkalova, L. A., Secchi, S., & Gassman, P. W. (2010). Corn stover harvesting: potential supply and water quality implications. In Handbook of bioenergy economics and policy (pp. 307-323). Springer, New York, NY. (http://www.springer.com/economics/agricultural+economics/book/978-1-4419-0368-6?detailsPage=toc) 
• Rabotyagov, S., Campbell, T., Jha, M., Gassman, P. W., Arnold, J., Kurkalova, L., ... & Kling, C. L. (2010). Least‐cost control of agricultural nutrient contributions to the Gulf of Mexico hypoxic zone. Ecological Applications, 20(6), 1542-1555, https://doi.org/10.1890/08-0680.1
• Bililign , S., Y.-L. Lin, L.A. Kurkalova, Y. Rastigeyev, K. Schimmel, S. Bae, R. Davis, S. Ilias, Y. Kyei, and G. Uzochukwu. (2009). Climate and water resources: a challenge to integrated science/social policy formulation. Convergence Review, Summer 2009, Issue 2, pp. 63-72.
• Secchi, S., Jha, M. K., Kurkalova, L. A., Feng, H., Gassman, P. W., & Kling, C. L. (2007). Privatizing ecosystem services: water quality effects from a carbon market. Choices, 22(316-2016-7009), 97-102, https://www.jstor.org/stable/choices.22.2.0097
• Feng, H., Kling, C., Kurkalova, L., & Secchi, S. (2007). Subsidies! The Other Incentive‐Based Instrument: The Case of the Conservation Reserve Program. Moving to Markets in Environmental Regulation: Lessons from Twenty Years of Experience, 230-249. Oxford University Press, New York, NY, https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195189650.001.0001
• Secchi, S., Gassman, P. W., Jha, M., Kurkalova, L., Feng, H. H., Campbell, T., & Kling, C. L. (2007). The cost of cleaner water: Assessing agricultural pollution reduction at the watershed scale. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation, 62(1), 10-21, https://www.jswconline.org/content/62/1/10.short
• Feng, H., Kurkalova, L. A., Kling, C. L., & Gassman, P. W. (2007). Transfers and environmental co-benefits of carbon sequestration in agricultural soils: retiring agricultural land in the Upper Mississippi River Basin. Climatic Change, 80(1), 91-107, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-006-9143-1
• Feng, H., Kurkalova, L. A., Kling, C. L., & Gassman, P. W. (2006). Environmental conservation in agriculture: Land retirement vs. changing practices on working land. Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, 52(2), 600-614, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeem.2006.03.004
• Kurkalova, L. A., & Rabotyagov, S. S. (2006). Estimation of a binary choice model with grouped choice data. Economics Letters, 90(2), 170-175, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.econlet.2005.07.022
• Kurkalova, L., Kling, C., & Zhao, J. (2006). Green subsidies in agriculture: Estimating the adoption costs of conservation tillage from observed behavior. Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics/Revue Canadienne D'Agroeconomie, 54(2), 247-267, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-7976.2006.00048.x
• Kurkalova, L. A. (2005). Carbon sequestration in agricultural soils: discounting for uncertainty. Canadian Journal of Agricultural Economics/Revue Canadienne D'Agroeconomie, 53(4), 375-384, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-7976.2005.00025.x
• Zhao, J., Kurkalova, L.A., & Kling, C. L. (2004). Alternative green payment policies when multiple benefits matter. Agricultural and Resource Economics Review, 33(1), 148-158, https://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/31378/
• Kurkalova, L., Kling, C. L., & Zhao, J. (2004). Multiple benefits of carbon-friendly agricultural practices: empirical assessment of conservation tillage. Environmental Management, 33(4), 519-527, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-003-9109-2
  
• Kurkalova, L. A., Kling, C. L., & Zhao, J. (2004). Value of agricultural non-point source pollution measurement technology: assessment from a policy perspective. Applied Economics, 36(20), 2287-2298, https://doi.org/10.1080/00036840412331313512
• Kurkalova, L. A., & Carriquiry, A. (2003). Input-and output-oriented technical efficiency of Ukrainian collective farms, 1989–1992: Bayesian analysis of a stochastic production frontier model. Journal of Productivity Analysis, 20(2), 191-211 https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1025132322762
• Pautsch, G. R., Kurkalova, L. A., Babcock, B. A., & Kling, C. L. (2001). The efficiency of sequestering carbon in agricultural soils. Contemporary Economic Policy, 19(2), 123-134, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1465-7287.2001.tb00055.x. Reprinted in Horan, R.D. (2004). The Economics of Agri-Environmental Policy, Volumes I and II (1st ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781351146968