Can the lake keep giving?
A renewable resource can be depleted when withdrawal exceeds replenishment. Ostrom's work shows why institutions and local cooperation matter; collapse is not an inevitable property of sharing.
Inside this model
The lake starts at 80 fish units, with capacity 100. Each season regrowth is r × stock × (1 − stock/100). Catch blends unrestricted demand with min(demand, regrowth), according to compliance, then is capped at available stock.
Out in the world
A practical use
A shared irrigation system needs withdrawals that account for replenishment. Rules can change the resource trajectory even when individual demand stays the same.
A useful lens. Not a universal law.
- Compliance is imposed, not explained. Real institutions require monitoring, legitimacy and enforcement; real ecosystems have uncertain growth and shocks. This is a stock-flow model, not a fishery forecast.
Associated thinkers
Further reading
Explore the original research or the teaching reference behind this experiment.
Elinor Ostrom — Beyond markets and states ↗