Experience from the experiment
on common pool resources
Bogataj, N., Premrl, T., Udovč, A.
Institutional settings
•  Irrespective on the type of ownership
(80 % of forests are privately owned)
there are two particularities affecting
forest management:
–  free access to forests and
–  management has to be performed
according to the plan approved by the
Ministry responsible for forestry.
Research question
•  The goal was to test if sustainable
management is a strategy that actors would
pursue as a long term best practice, or
whether it is adopted because of the
existing state rules.
•  to test if non-experienced and experienced
forest users/owners manage their forests
differently.
•  Respondents were selected from the three
types of stakeholders: study circle groups,
university students and members of a agrarian
common (AC).
METHODS
•  a web based survey of
standpoints on management,
decision making and
sustainability and
•  economic experiment
•  Individual interview
First game- individual decision
making
RESULTS
a)  Lowest remaining of “re”-source in all groups
b)  Medium group and individual earnings
c)  Harvesting was higher in the second half of
the game
COMMENT
a)  Absence of restrictive rules lead to
devastation or overexploitation of common
pool resource, “tragedy of commons”
b)  “free riders” are max their profit
c)  “fair players” are rescuing their profit
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2nd game – voting and inspection
RESULTS
a)  The highest remaining of growing stock
b)  “free riding” was not so common in AC group
c)  “free riders” earned more than “fair players”
d)  “free riders” were caught rarely
e)  Majority followed the rules
f)  Some collective action
COMMENT
a)  Inspector was identified as local forester
b)  Low possibility of inspection 1/6
c)  Introducing the harvesting rule and inspector
induced Collective action ?
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3th game – communication
allowed
RESULTS
•  The largest harvesting with higher
remaining of growing stock (1st game)
•  Team game
•  Team decisions were mostly respected
•  Players earned more then in 1st or 2nd
game
•  Profit was shared more equally (AC
equally)
COMMENT
collective action, communication, team work
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General comments
•  problem of the value of the starting
stock
•  reasons for homogenized group
decision making in AC:
–  a strong leader (personally or
professionally?),
–  quality of communication or
–  norms, developed in the long-term period.
Contacts:
Andrej Udovč
[email protected]
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