Insights on Linking Forests, Trees, and People from the Air, on the Ground, and in the Lab
Elinor Ostrom
- Arthur F. Bentley Professor of Political Science
- Co-Director, Workshop in Political Theory and Policy Analysis, Indiana University, Bloomington
- Founding Director, Center for the Study of Institutional Diversity, School of Human Evolution and Soc
Governing natural resources sustainably is a continuing struggle, and major debates occur over what types of policy "interventions" best protect forests. Ostrom synthesizes the findings from a long-term, interdisciplinary, multiscale, international research program that analyzes the institutional factors affecting forest management. This program analyzes satellite images, conducts socioecological measurements on the ground, and tests the impact of structural variables on human decisions in experimental labs. Results support a new research frontier and move the debate beyond the boundaries of protected areas into larger landscapes where government, community, and co-managed protected areas are embedded.
Wednesday, January 10, 2007