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Contagious Cooperation, Temptation, and Ecosystem Collapse

Author

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  • Richter, Andries
  • Soest, Daan van
  • Grasman, Johan

Abstract

Real world observations suggest that social norms of cooperation can be effective in overcoming social dilemmas such as the joint management of a common pool resource – but also that they can be subject to slow erosion and sudden collapse. We show that these patterns of erosion and collapse emerge endogenously in a model of a closed community harvesting a renewable natural resource in which individual agents face the temptation to overexploit the resource, while a cooperative harvesting norm spreads through the community via interpersonal relations. We analyze under what circumstances small changes in key parameters (including the size of the community, and the rate of technological progress) trigger catastrophic transitions from relatively high levels of cooperation to widespread norm violation – causing the social-ecological system to collapse.

Suggested Citation

  • Richter, Andries & Soest, Daan van & Grasman, Johan, 2013. "Contagious Cooperation, Temptation, and Ecosystem Collapse," Climate Change and Sustainable Development 148927, Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei (FEEM).
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:feemcl:148927
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.148927
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    Cited by:

    1. Mirza, M. Usman & Richter, Andries & van Nes, Egbert H. & Scheffer, Marten, 2019. "Technology driven inequality leads to poverty and resource depletion," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 160(C), pages 215-226.
    2. Wang, Jizhe & Alita, Lita & Jiang, Ming & Nie, Zihan & Tu, Qin & Liu, Min, 2024. "Collective action in the pastural area of Inner Mongolia, China: Evidence from a lab-in-the-field experiment," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 144(C).
    3. Richter, Andries & Grasman, Johan, 2013. "The transmission of sustainable harvesting norms when agents are conditionally cooperative," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 93(C), pages 202-209.
    4. Ajayi, J. O., . "Comparative Economic Study of Mixed and Sole Cassava Cropping Systems in Nigeria," AGRIS on-line Papers in Economics and Informatics, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Faculty of Economics and Management, vol. 6(4), pages 1-9.
    5. Richter, Andries & Dakos, Vasilis, 2015. "Profit fluctuations signal eroding resilience of natural resources," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 117(C), pages 12-21.
    6. Gabriel S. Sampson & James N. Sanchirico, 2019. "Exploitation of a Mobile Resource with Costly Cooperation," Environmental & Resource Economics, Springer;European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists, vol. 73(4), pages 1135-1163, August.
    7. Nhim, Tum & Schuch, Esther & Richter, Andries, 2023. "Water scarcity and support for costly institutions in public goods: Experimental evidence from Cambodia," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 212(C).
    8. Ajayi, J. O., . "Effects of Climate Change on the Production and Profitability of Cassava in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria," AGRIS on-line Papers in Economics and Informatics, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Faculty of Economics and Management, vol. 7(2), pages 1-9.
    9. Schaap, Robbert & Richter, Andries, 2019. "Overcapitalization and social norms of cooperation in a small-scale fishery," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 166(C), pages 1-1.
    10. Liu, Zhaoyang & Gong, Yazhen & Kontoleon, Andreas, 2018. "How do Payments for Environmental Services Affect Land Tenure? Theory and Evidence From China," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 144(C), pages 195-213.
    11. Ajayi, J. O., . "Awareness of Climate Change and Implications for Attaining the Millennium Development Goals (MDGS) in Niger Delta Region of Nigeria," AGRIS on-line Papers in Economics and Informatics, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Faculty of Economics and Management, vol. 6(01), pages 1-9.

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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • C73 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Game Theory and Bargaining Theory - - - Stochastic and Dynamic Games; Evolutionary Games
    • D62 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Externalities
    • D64 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Altruism; Philanthropy; Intergenerational Transfers
    • Q20 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Renewable Resources and Conservation - - - General

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