People and forests : communities, institutions, and governance / edited by Clark C. Gibson, Margaret A. McKean, and Elinor Ostrom

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Explaining deforestation: the role of local institutions -- Common property: what is it, what is it good for, and what makes it work? -- Small is beautiful, but is larger better? Forest-management institutions in the Kumaon Himalaya, India -- Successful forest management: the importance of security of tenure and rule enforcement in Ugandan forests -- Optimal foraging, institutions, and forest change: a case from Nepal -- A lack of institutional demand: why a strong local community in Western Ecuador fails to protect its forest -- Indigenous forest management in the Bolivian Amazon: lessons from the Yuracaré people -- Population and forest dynamics in the hills of Nepal: institutional remedies by rural communities -- Forests, people, and governance: some initial theoretical lessons -- Appendix: International forestry resources and institutions research strategy.

This text explores the complex interactions between local communities and their forests. It focuses on the rules by which communities govern and manage their forest resources to offer policymakers a sophisticated view of local forest management.