In a general discrete time model of optimal forest management where land may be diverted to alternative use and stocks of standing trees may yield flow benefits, we investigate the economic and ecological conditions under which optimal paths lead to (total) deforestation i.e., complete long term...

We consider an optimally managed renewable resource with stochastic non-concave growth function. We characterize the conditions under which the optimal policy leads to global extinction, global conservation and the existence of a safe standard of conservation. Our conditions are specified in...