HUMAN-ECOLOGY AND RESOURCE SUSTAINABILITY - THE IMPORTANCE OF INSTITUTIONAL DIVERSITY

We define the concept of a common-pool resource based on two attribute s: the difficulty of excluding beneficiaries and the subtractability o f use. We present similarities and differences among common-pool resou rces in regard to their ecological and institutional significance. The design principles that characterize long-surviving, delicately balanc ed resource systems governed by local rules systems are presented, as is a synthesis of the research on factors affecting institutional chan ge. More complex biological resources are a greater challenge to the d esign of sustainable institutions, but the same general principles app ear to carry over to more complex systems. We present initial findings from pilot studies in Uganda related to the effects of institutions o n forest conditions.