Collective cooperation

Using data gathered from the Wolong Nature Reserve, China, RPV collaborated with other researchers on examining the effects of group size (i.e., number of households monitoring a single forest parcel) on both collective action (forest monitoring) and resource outcomes (changes in forest cover) while controlling for potential confounding factors [1]. This research is part of a postdoctoral study within RPV by Wei Liu.

The research will help guide further studies on governance of the commons. Results demonstrate that group size has nonlinear effects on both collective action and resource outcomes, with intermediate group size contributing the most monitoring effort and leading to the biggest forest cover gain.

The findings suggest that it may be possible to improve collective action and resource outcomes i) by altering factors that lead to the nonlinear group-size effect, including punishing free riding, ii) enhancing overall and within-group enforcement, iii) improving social capital across groups and among group members, and iv) allowing self-selection during the group formation process so that members with good social relationships can form groups autonomously.

(The image is of Wolong National Nature Reserve in Sichuan Province China, which is home to many species, the most famous being the giant panda). 

Last edited: 22 May 2014