| Variable Type | Ordinal |
|---|---|
| Variable Component Type | Natural Resource Unit, Natural Resource System |
| Variable Kind | Component |
| Theme | Resource renewability (learn about themes) |
| Projects | SESMAD, Fiji fisheries |
| Question | How productive is the commons? For renewable commons this is often positively associated with levels of rainfall and solar radiation. (e.g., Amazon rainforests have very high productivity, while deserts have low productivity). |
| Select Options | 1 Poorly productive, 2 Moderately Productive, 3 Very productive |
| Unit | |
| Role | |
| Importance | The productivity of a system has important implications regarding the range of appropriation/demand at which resource depletion is possible and the incentives to engage in collective action. More productive resources may be able to cope with higher level of resource extraction. This is important to understand in order to inappropriately crediting a particular governance system or actor groups for effectively managing a resource when sustainable outcomes may result in large part from a high level of productivity. Resources with low productivity make significantly more institutional demands on local governance systems. |
| Definition | "The rate at which a system generates biomass. Primary production is performed by transforming inorganic materials into organic molecules; while secondary production is perfomed by transferring organic materials across trophic levels. Poorly productive: The unit or system produces at very low levels, and cannot withstand much human extraction and use beyond subsistence levels. Moderately Productive: The unit or system produces at moderate levels, and can withstand an equivalently moderate level of human extraction and use. Very productive: The unit or system produces at very high levels, and can withstand extensive human extraction and use, typical of modern large-scale industrial operations, for a period of time." |
| Sectors |