The degree to which genetic variation in a given trait varies among different populations of the same species and across different environments has seldom been quantified in wild vertebrate species. We investigated the expression of genetic variability and maternal effects in three larval life-history traits of the amphibian <I>Rana temporaria</I>. In a factorial laboratory experiment, five widely separated populations (max. 1600 km) were subjected to two different environmental treatments. Animal model analyses revealed that all traits were heritable (<I>h</I><SUP>2</SUP>≈0·20) in all populations and under most treatment combinations. Although the cross-food treatment genetic correlations were close to unity, heritabilities under a restricted food regime tended to be lower than those under an <I>ad libitum</I> food regime. Likewise, maternal effects (<I>m</I><SUP>2</SUP>≈0·05) were detected in most traits, and they tended to be most pronounced under restricted food conditions. We detected several cross-temperature genetic and maternal effects correlations that were lower than unity, suggesting that genotype–environment interactions and maternal effect–environment interactions are a significant source of phenotypic variation. The results reinforce the perspective that although the expression of genetic and maternal effects may be relatively homogeneous across different populations of the same species, local variation in environmental conditions can lead to significant variation in phenotypic expression of quantitative traits through genotype–environment and maternal effect–environment interactions.

In a choice experiment, households in Vietnam are offered flood insurance to mitigate increasing catastrophic flood risks due to climate change. Participants are asked to choose their most preferred insurance policy given expected future flood and mortality risks, insurance cover and associated insurance premiums. Although not affordable to everyone, there exists substantial demand for flood insurance. Insurance demand is spatially differentiated, non-linear in flood probabilities and mortality risks, and subject to significant preference heterogeneity. Since respondents are unfamiliar with the concept of flood insurance and education levels are low, choice consistency tests were conducted. These show that choice consistency depends on a combination of respondent characteristics, such as gender and education level, and experimental design characteristics.