How to Concretize Research on the Coupling of Ecosystems to Human Activities? From Socioeconomic Indicators to Styles of Living and Acting

2011 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 218-243 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jens Jetzkowitz ◽  
Jörg Schneider
Keyword(s):  
Research Strategy ◽  
Ecological Systems ◽  
Alien Plants ◽  
Plant Species Composition ◽  
Socioeconomic Indicators ◽  
Ecological Studies ◽  
Social Ecological Systems ◽  
Social Ecological ◽  
Interdisciplinary Research Project ◽  
The Impact

Recent ecological studies have identified human activity as a relevant dimension of current evolutionary processes. However, most of these studies rely on socioeconomic indicators that consider the impact of activities on ecosystems but have only limited informative value on the effects of concrete patterns of action. This paper focuses on the concept of style as a tool for the study of the interface between society and nature. We exemplify our thesis with reference to changes in plant biodiversity in settlements, and start by summing up the methods and findings of our interdisciplinary research project that aimed to explain the distribution of native and alien plants. Since the findings indicate that styles of living and acting influence plant species composition, we apply the findings of our research strategy beyond the narrow focus of our study. Finally, we comment on methodological implications for the study of the societal aspects of social-ecological systems.

Sustainable livelihoods approach through the lens of the State-and-Transition Model in semi-arid pastoral systems

2016 ◽  
Vol 38 (6) ◽  
pp. 541 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcos H. Easdale ◽  
Dardo R. López
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Livelihoods ◽  
Ecological Systems ◽  
The State ◽  
Transition Model ◽  
Pastoral Systems ◽  
Social Ecological Systems ◽  
Social Ecological ◽  
State And Transition Model ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Semi Arid

Dealing with complex challenges worldwide regarding sustainable development and environmental management requires applied frameworks to understand and manage change in complex social-ecological systems. In this regard, frameworks that have originated from different research arenas such as the State-and-Transition Model and the sustainable livelihoods approach provide a conceptual basis for theory and operative integration. The aim of this paper was to provide a conceptual model for social-ecological research and sustainable management in semi-arid pastoral systems. We suggest integrating the state-and-transition model by including structural and functional features of social-ecological systems into the sustainable livelihoods approach. Both attributes are analysed at a household level in five types of capital that typically comprise social-ecological systems: natural, human, manufactured, social and financial. We propose to perform the structural-functional analysis for each capital as separate sub-systems in order to assess the impact of different disturbance factors. Some implications of this framework are explained by providing an example of the impact of drought in smallholder pastoral systems from semi-arid rangelands of North-West Patagonia, Argentina. This approach is encouraging as a step towards two main challenges: (i) the provision of applied frameworks for social-ecological assessment and management, and (ii) an attempt to bring closer science and decision making.

scholarly journals Assessing the Complexity of Social-Ecological Systems: Taking Stock of the Cross-Scale Dependence

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (15) ◽  
pp. 6236 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leandra R. Gonçalves ◽  
Mayara Oliveira ◽  
Alexander Turra
Keyword(s):  
Coastal Zone ◽  
Response Assessment ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Ecosystem Approach ◽  
Ecological Systems ◽  
Social Ecological Systems ◽  
Social Ecological ◽  
Fit For Purpose ◽  
The Cross ◽  
The Impact

Human demands and activities introduce cross-scale pressures in different systems and scales, affecting the provision of ecosystem services and causing an unbalanced effect on human well-being within the territory. The existing institutions are frequently considered panaceas since they do not take into account the different spatial and jurisdictional scales of the social-ecological systems (SES). This paper aims to broaden the existing DPSIR (Drivers–Pressures–State–Impact–Response) assessment frameworks to strengthen the ecosystem approach and promote an integrated cross-scale perspective. The concept of the Cross-scale Ecosystem-Based Assessment (DIET) was developed and applied to a case study on the demand of seafood provisions. The assessment has indicated that the activities related to the specified demand occur at different scales and generate cumulative impacts and pressures on other scales, especially in the coastal zone. The existing responses to address this issue are highly fragmented, both spatially and among sectors. DIET was applied here to the land–sea interface to illustrate how coastal zone governance and management can be improved and how the impact of certain drivers or activities in the SES can be reduced. DIET may help to reduce the governance morbidity and prevent panaceas by fostering the integration of institutions in pursuing flexible, adaptive and fit-for-purpose policies to address complex issues so as to secure social-ecological justice and well-being for all humans.

scholarly journals How Can Local Governance Systems Strengthen Community Resilience? A Social-Ecological Systems Approach

2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 62-73
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Carabine ◽  
Emily Wilkinson
Keyword(s):  
Local Governance ◽  
Ecological Systems ◽  
Community Level ◽  
Risk Governance ◽  
Social Ecological Systems ◽  
Social Ecological ◽  
Governance Systems ◽  
Entry Points ◽  
Local Risk ◽  
The Impact

At their core, donor-funded climate and disaster resilience programmes provide goods and services to help build assets and minimise the impact of shocks and stresses on people’s lives and livelihoods. Little is known, however, about the way local risk governance systems and the broader institutional arrangements, in which they are embedded, mediate people’s access to these services and therefore lead to improved resilience. Drawing on Social-Ecological Systems theory, we explore those characteristics of risk governance systems believed to be more favourable for building resilience at the community level in different developing country contexts. These include: diversity; polycentricism and connectivity; decentralisation and flexibility; participation and community engagement; and, learning and innovation. This review paper proposes a conceptual framework and assesses the evidence linking risk governance and access to the services needed to build resilient outcomes, drawing particularly on evidence from the Sahel and Horn of Africa. In doing so, we can start to understand where the entry points might be for strengthening resilience and the conditions needed for community-level initiatives to be brought to scale from the bottom up.

On the Meaning of “Coevolution” in Social-Ecological Studies

2019 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-64
Author(s):  
Eric Desjardins ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Analysis ◽  
Niche Construction ◽  
Functional Integration ◽  
Ecological Systems ◽  
Ecological Research ◽  
Ecological Studies ◽  
Geographic Mosaic ◽  
Social Ecological Systems ◽  
Social Ecological ◽  
Geographic Mosaic Theory

Researchers studying linked Social-Ecological Systems (SESs) often use the notion of coevolution in describing the relation between humans and the rest of nature. However, most descriptions of the concept of socio-ecological coevolution remain elusive and poorly articulated. The objective of the following paper is to further specify and enrich the meaning of “coevolution” in social-ecological studies. After a critical analysis of two accounts of coevolution in ecological economics, the paper uses the frameworks of Niche Construction Theory and the Geographic Mosaic Theory to define social-ecological coevolution as the reciprocal adaptation of human-social and ecological ensembles through human and ecological niche construction activities. In sum, this conceptual analysis suggests that an ecologization of Darwinian coevolution can bring clarity to profound functional integration that takes place between humans and ecological systems, and at the same time opens fruitful avenues for social-ecological research.

Systems theories

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marc J. Stern
Keyword(s):  
Social Networks ◽  
Problem Solving ◽  
Natural Resources ◽  
Real World ◽  
Common Pool Resources ◽  
Ecological Systems ◽  
Effective Governance ◽  
Social Ecological Systems ◽  
Social Ecological ◽  
Real World Problem

This chapter covers systems theories relevant to understanding and working to enhance the resilience of social-ecological systems. Social-ecological systems contain natural resources, users of those resources, and the interactions between each. The theories in the chapter share lessons about how to build effective governance structures for common pool resources, how to facilitate the spread of worthwhile ideas across social networks, and how to promote collaboration for greater collective impacts than any one organization alone could achieve. Each theory is summarized succinctly and followed by guidance on how to apply it to real world problem solving.

scholarly journals Invasion landscapes as social‐ecological systems: Role of social factors in invasive plant species control

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johanna Yletyinen ◽  
George L. W. Perry ◽  
Olivia R. Burge ◽  
Norman W. H. Mason ◽  
Philip Stahlmann‐Brown
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Social Factors ◽  
Invasive Plant ◽  
Ecological Systems ◽  
Invasive Plant Species ◽  
Social Ecological Systems ◽  
Social Ecological
Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document