User cost in renewable natural resources.

The development of the concept of user cost has been traced and its application in the economics of natural resources has been shown. The concept is useful in determining the optimum levels of investment and exploitation in a renewable natural resource like forestry. Application of user cost demonstrates that the rate at which a resource should be exploited is not the same at which it can be replenished, but the two are very much related to each other through the level of investment. It is not possible to say what the optimum rate of exploitation of a natural resource is without reference to the rate of investment. LE COUT D'USACE POUR LES RESSOURCES NATURELLES RENOU-VELABLES – Le developpement du concept du cout d'usage a ete esquisse et son application dans l'economie des ressources naturelles a ete montree. Le concept est utile en determinant les niveaux optimums d'inveslissement et d'exploitation pour des ressources naturelles comme la foret. L'application du cout d'usage demontre que le taux a partir duquel un bien pourrait-etre exploite n'est pas le meme que le taux a partir duquel ce meme bien peut-etre reconstitue, mais les deux sont etroitement relies a-travers le niveau des investissements. II est impossible de livrer le taux optimum d'exploitation des ressources naturelles sans faire reference au taux d'inveslissement.