Which of the following scenarios best explains the concept of the tragedy of the commons?
Fish farming, a type of aquaculture, produces fish through selective breeding to produce a cheap source of protein, reducing the fishing pressure on wild stock fish.
A collapse of the fishing industry leads to a loss of fishing-related jobs, which will have negative consequences on the economy.
Declines in the fish population lead to a decline in the population of fish predators, affecting the entire food chain.
Fish are shared resources, and as the fishing industry competes for the fish, the resource extraction is no longer sustainable.
One example of the tragedy of the commons occurs when trees are harvested from tropical rain forests without any regulations. Which of the following best describes why this is an example of the tragedy of the commons?
Tropical rain forests have a thin layer of decaying organic matter and relatively low nutrient levels slowing tree growth.
Trees are an important resource, but not all individuals can access the resource.
Timber producers remove as much timber as possible as cheaply as possible.
Tropical rain forests have the highest number of species per unit area, and trees are important for stability in the ecosystem.
Many communities experience the tragedy of the commons.
One way a local community might regulate a shared and limited resource and reduce the tragedy of the commons is to
eliminate ownership of the resources and make them available to all
reduce the cost of access to the resources
offer subsidies to users of the resources in the form of tax breaks
divide the resources into parcels and assign them to individuals