Reference and Verification on the Theory of Common-pool Resources Self-Governance: From Perspective of Research and Practice of Forest Management in China

Abstract

This paper seeks to apply the framework of Common-Pool Resources(CPRs)to the reform of forest management in China.The paper first explains Social Ecological-system(SES)to show the value of CPRs theories and based on which the forests research network developed by Elinor Ostrom and other scholars.Based on the diversity of forest resources and the distinctiveness of social and cultural environment in China,we will argue that to improve the management of forest resources in China,we should overcome the flaws of free market mechanism and the rigidity of traditional government regulation,push forward the reform on the ownership of forests and make the mechanism and tools employed to manage forests more strengthened,specialized and effective.Meanwhile,this paper uses China’s forest management experience to test Common-Pool Resource framework and contributes to the theory development.This demonstrates the theoretical value of China case.

立足于中國森林治理的現實狀況,對公共池塘資源自主治理學派的主要理論進行梳理,著重介紹埃莉諾·奧斯特羅姆的社會—生態系統(Social Ecological-System,SESs)研究方法,提出公共池塘自主治理理論和由此拓展的森林研究網絡體系,對中國森林治理研究和實踐具有重要的借鑒意義。中國森林治理應力圖超越市場和政府的缺陷,正確處理政府與社會的關系,在推動森林產權改革、充分認識森林資源所處的文化和社會特殊性的基礎上強化、細化和有效化森林治理的機制和途徑。與此同時,基于中國森林治理的經驗,對于公共池塘資源自主治理理論進行驗證,可以顯示中國森林治理實踐的理論價值。