scholarly journals Participatory Qualitative Modeling to Assess the Sustainability of a Coastal Socio-Ecological System

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sophie Gourguet ◽  
Martin Pierre Marzloff ◽  
Cedric Bacher ◽  
Pierre Boudry ◽  
Philippe Cugier ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Complex Dynamics ◽  
Ecological Systems ◽  
Ecological System ◽  
Qualitative Modeling ◽  
Shellfish Aquaculture ◽  
Rearing Density ◽  
Qualitative Models ◽  
Alternative Scenarios ◽  
System Sustainability ◽  
Social Components

Assessing the sustainability of socio-ecological systems requires understanding the interactions between numerous ecological, economic and social components. Models are often used to investigate how interactions shape system feedbacks and drive the complex dynamics at play in such systems. However, building these models is a non-trivial exercise, which often neglects stakeholder knowledge and perceptions. We adopted a participatory approach that relies on conducting workshops to engage stakeholders into the development of qualitative models of system feedback. This type of participatory qualitative modeling is well suited to address the complexity of socio-ecological systems in a holistic manner, identify key stakes and feedbacks, and predict responses to perturbations. We use this approach to investigate the factors that condition sustainability of the socio-ecological system associated with shellfish aquaculture in the Normand-Breton Gulf in France. Six region-specific workshops were organized with shellfish producers, managers and other stakeholders to identify and describe key components, interactions and pressures that contribute to overall socio-ecological dynamics. Differences and commonalities in system perceptions were identified across the different regions and focus groups. We reconciled stakeholder-specific discrepancies in model structure into a synthetic representation that conciliates alternative views of the system. Next, we predicted how the system might respond to alternative scenarios of change. Overall, our participatory qualitative modeling exercise identified key drivers of the system under study that constitute effective management levers to maintain system sustainability. For instance, low social acceptability of the aquaculture industry generally appears to be a major constraint on the sustainability of shellfish aquaculture in the Normand-Breton Gulf, while reducing rearing density appears to be a key driver of sustainability.

Growing the Ancient Maya Social-Ecological System from the Bottom Up

2016 ◽  
pp. 301-322 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott Heckbert ◽  
Christian Isendahl ◽  
Joel D. Gunn ◽  
Simon Brewer ◽  
Vernon L. Scarborough ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Complex Dynamics ◽  
Forest Succession ◽  
Network Models ◽  
Ecological System ◽  
Anthropogenic Pressure ◽  
Ancient Maya ◽  
Trade Networks ◽  
Archaeological Data ◽  
Social Ecological ◽  
System Sustainability

Archaeological data can be represented in quantitative models to test theories of societal growth, development, and resilience. This chapter describes the results of simulations employing integrated agent-based, cellular automata, and network models to represent elements of the ancient Maya social-ecological system. The purpose of the model is to better understand the complex dynamics of the Maya civilization and to test quantitative indicators of resilience as predictors of system sustainability or decline. The model examines the relationship between population growth, agricultural production, pressure on ecosystem services, forest succession, value of trade, and the stability of trade networks. These combine to allow agents representing Maya settlements to develop and expand within a landscape that changes under climate variation and responds to anthropogenic pressure. The model is able to reproduce spatial patterns and timelines somewhat analogous to that of the ancient Maya, although this model requires refinement and further archaeological data for calibration.

scholarly journals Models of Frequency Characteristics of Ecological Systems and their Conversion to Sound Form

2020 ◽  
Vol 161 ◽  
pp. 01061
Author(s):  
Alexander Bogomolov ◽  
Victor Nevezhin ◽  
Elena Piskun ◽  
Vladimir Khokhlov
Keyword(s):  
Frequency Spectrum ◽  
Ecological Systems ◽  
Frequency Characteristics ◽  
The State ◽  
Ecological System ◽  
New Information ◽  
Vibrational Characteristics ◽  
The Fourier Transform ◽  
The Moment ◽  
Creative Understanding

Real-time monitoring of the state of ecological systems can contribute to early warning of their deviation from an equilibrium state (homeostasis) or a change that leads to a threat to human health or existence. In addition to the existing means of monitoring the state of ecological systems and models for predicting the assessment of their state in the future, it is proposed to use models of the frequency characteristics of these systems, monitoring of which can detect signals about the appearance of unwanted deviations from homeostasis in the form of a change in the frequency spectrum. A change in the frequency spectrum can be converted into the sound waveform, which will allow timely detection of this undesirable change in the state of the ecological system. As a new information channel and analysis of the dynamics of the state of ecological systems, in the article it is proposed to use the wavelet transform of time series with the subsequent translation of the totality of their harmonic vibrations into sound form. In contrast to the Fourier transform, in which the spectrum of stationary and non-stationary processes is practically indistinguishable and it is impossible to determine the moment of the appearance of a new harmonic, the wavelet transformation gives this opportunity. In addition to the purely utilitarian application of the conversion of the vibrational characteristics of an ecological system into sound form, it becomes be possible to convert them into the “music” of ecological systems, which may give a new direction for creative understanding of the state of nature.

scholarly journals Socio-Ecological System of a Region: Trends and Contradictions (the Case Study of the Astrakhan Region)

REGIONOLOGY ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 538-557 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena V. Ostrovskaya ◽  
Nadezhda V. Dulina ◽  
Ekaterina V. Kargapolova ◽  
Yulia G. Mironova
Keyword(s):  
Stable State ◽  
Ecological System ◽  
Practical Significance ◽  
Ecological Aspects ◽  
Positive Assessment ◽  
Materials Used ◽  
State Of Affairs ◽  
Social Components

Introduction. The study of the causes affecting the formation of the ecological situa- tion in various regions of Russia seems to be of relevance. The purpose of the paper is to identify trends and contradictions in the transformation of the socio-ecological system of a region by means of a case study of the Astrakhan Region. Materials and Methods. The materials used were the pieces of sociological re- search conducted in the Astrakhan Region in 2010-2016. Among the methods used were: questioning, interviewing, and analysis of statistical information. The study was conducted in terms of the systemic approach that combines the ecological and social components. Results. The analysis of the causes of the unfavorable ecological situation in the Astrakhan Region has been carried out. The study has revealed lack of awareness among the residents of the existing level of air and water pollution, which usually characterize the ecological aspects of the quality of life of people, directly affecting their health, work efficiency, and development of the territorial community. Discrep- ancy between the positive assessment of air and water quality and the real state of affairs in the region has been revealed. Discussion and Conclusions. The data obtained allow to draw a conclusion about the imbalance of the socio-ecological system of the Astrakhan Region and its un- stable state. The practical significance of the study is in the possibility of using the results of the research to predict changes in the socio-ecological system of a region and in the development of methodological recommendations on how to manage it.

Journey from Order to Chaos and Returning

2017 ◽  
pp. 379-389
Author(s):  
Anuraj Singh
Keyword(s):  
Time Delay ◽  
Mathematical Models ◽  
Negative Feedback ◽  
Chaotic Systems ◽  
Ecological Systems ◽  
Ecological System ◽  
Control Parameters ◽  
Dynamical Behaviors ◽  
Delay Models ◽  
Nonlinear Delay

In this chapter, different aspects have been described to investigate the ecological system with respect to several factors that may be responsible for emergence of complex behaviors. Some mathematical models incorporate time delay(s) such as delay due to maturation, gestation and other kinds of negative feedback. These nonlinear delay models have led to complexities in the system. The emphasis is to explore the complex dynamical behaviors including chaos in ecological models with respect to different control parameters. Motivation behind synchronization and stabilization of chaos in the system has also been emphasized. Hence, in this chapter attempts have been made to study order and chaos in variety of models applicable to multi-species ecological systems. Such a study is important since the ecological systems have all the necessary ingredients to be able to support chaos. The attempt is made to brief different mechanism that may bring order into chaotic systems or vice versa.

scholarly journals The Social-Ecological Keystone Concept: A Quantifiable Metaphor for Understanding the Structure, Function, and Resilience of a Biocultural System

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 3294 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kawika Winter ◽  
Noa Lincoln ◽  
Fikret Berkes
Keyword(s):  
System Theory ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Cultural Landscapes ◽  
Focal Point ◽  
Ecological Systems ◽  
Ecological System ◽  
Holistic View ◽  
Social Ecological Systems ◽  
Social Ecological ◽  
Biocultural Restoration

Social-ecological system theory draws upon concepts established within the discipline of ecology, and applies them to a more holistic view of a human-in-nature system. We incorporated the keystone concept into social-ecological system theory, and used the quantum co-evolution unit (QCU) to quantify biocultural elements as either keystone components or redundant components of social-ecological systems. This is done by identifying specific elements of biocultural diversity, and then determining dominance within biocultural functional groups. The “Hawaiian social-ecological system” was selected as the model of study to test this concept because it has been recognized as a model of human biocomplexity and social-ecological systems. Based on both quantified and qualified assessments, the conclusions of this research support the notion that taro cultivation is a keystone component of the Hawaiian social-ecological system. It further indicates that sweet potato cultivation was a successional social-ecological keystone in regions too arid to sustain large-scale taro cultivation, and thus facilitated the existence of an “alternative regime state” in the same social-ecological system. Such conclusions suggest that these biocultural practices should be a focal point of biocultural restoration efforts in the 21st century, many of which aim to restore cultural landscapes.

scholarly journals The Deinstitutionalization of Persons with Psychosocial Disabilities from the Perspective of Ecological Systems Theory

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 ◽  
pp. 28-43
Author(s):  
Rasa Genienė ◽  
Eglė Šumskienė ◽  
Violeta Gevorgianienė ◽  
Jurga Mataitytė-Diržienė
Keyword(s):  
Social Security ◽  
Systems Theory ◽  
Social Care ◽  
Ecological Theory ◽  
Local Communities ◽  
Ecological Systems ◽  
Ecological System ◽  
Ecological Systems Theory ◽  
Persons With Disabilities ◽  
The Social

The deinstitutionalization of social care in Lithuania started in 2012 after the adoption of the strategic guidelines by the Ministry of Social Security and Labour. The goal of this reform was to improve the care conditions and introduce new community-based services for persons with disabilities. Almost ten years of the reform resulted in only five percent of persons with disabilities who moved to community settings, mainly group-living homes. The slow-motion of the reform, as well as the tensions in the communities, suggests the need for a thorough analysis of the process of deinstitutionalization and its improvement. Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory is applied as a conceptual and methodological tool for understanding the roles of deinstitutionalization agents at different levels, including the Ministry of Social Security and Labour, municipalities, non-governmental organizations, social care institutions, and local communities. All of these agents are involved and diversely interact among themselves during the transformation process of the social care system. The ecological theory provides the necessary integrated approach to the analysis of the process of deinstitutionalization of the social care system at the micro-, meso-, exo-, and macro levels. Deinstitutionalization and the trajectories of its participants reveal resilient connections with different fields of the ecological system and show that different system components not only represent different systems but become microsystems themselves that affect all elements in the ecological system. The complexity of environmental systems constitutes the basis of ecological systems theory. It serves as a lens to guide the analysis of the transformation of a particular person’s life in the context of deinstitutionalization. Herewith, it is an appropriate tool for understanding the impact of deinstitutionalization on specific local communities.

scholarly journals ASSESSMENT OF DEVELOPMENT OF SOCIO-ECOLOGICAL SYSTEM OF THE INDUSTRIAL CITY

2018 ◽  
Vol 97 (9) ◽  
pp. 803-808
Author(s):  
Yaroslav A. Leshchenko
Keyword(s):  
Dynamic Analysis ◽  
Social Status ◽  
Urban Environment ◽  
Economic Reforms ◽  
Ecological Systems ◽  
Ecological System ◽  
Industrial City ◽  
Social Ecological Systems ◽  
Social Ecological

The assessment of the sustainability of the socio-ecological system of the Siberian industrial city in the period of radical social and economic reforms (period 1990-2012) has been performed by the proposed method. The comprehensive dynamic analysis of the characteristics of the major subsystems (the quality of the urban environment; the reproduction of the population; the medico-demographic status; the socio-economic and medico-social status of the population) showed that during the specified period the habitat and the vital indices of the population was in a state of socio-ecological ill-being. The proposed method, at its core, can be used to establish regularities and features of various types of urban social-ecological systems.

scholarly journals ANALISIS SISTEM SOSIAL-EKOLOGI LADA PUTIH PROVINSI KEPULAUAN BANGKA BELITUNG

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahra Arari Heryanto ◽  
Adi Nugraha
Keyword(s):  
Feedback Loop ◽  
Technology Policy ◽  
Social Systems ◽  
Social Engineering ◽  
Ecological Systems ◽  
Ecological System ◽  
White Pepper ◽  
Social Ecological ◽  
The Social ◽  
Collective Group

ABSTRAKLada putih merupakan komoditas perkebunan yang seluruhnya dikembangkan oleh perkebunan rakyat di Provinsi Kepulauan Bangka Belitung. Penurunan harga lada putih yang cukup drastis di tingkat petani menjadi persoalan yang dihadapi oleh petani, hal ini menandakan persoalan sosial dalam bidang ekonomi yang berimplikasi kepada persoalan ekologi, yaitu penurunan produktivitas. Hasil penelitian menunjukan bahwa Sistem sosial dan sistem ekologi dalam usahatani lada putih membentuk umpan balik (feedback loop) yang sangat banyak, sehingga sistem sosial dan ekologi tidak bisa dipisahkan. Produksi lada putih, keputusan penanaman lada dan sistem kolektif adalah tiga unsur utama dengan kompleksitas tertinggi dalam sistem sosial-ekologi lada putih. Rekayasa sosial (kelembagaan) yang mengarah kepada penguatan sistem kolektif (kelompok) perlu banyak dilakukan bersamaan dengan insentif teknologi pasca panen yang memadai agar keberlanjutan komoditas lada putih dapat terjaga, baik secara sosial maupun ekologi.Kata kunci: Keberlanjutan, Sistem Sosial, Sistem Ekologi, Ekonomi, Lada Putih ABSTRACTWhite pepper is a plantation commodity which is developed by smallholder in the Bangka Belitung Province. Declining price of white pepper at farm level is a problem for the farmers, this indicates a social problem in economic that has implication ecologically, decrease of yield productivity. The research showed that social systems and ecological systems in white pepper farming establish many feedback loops, so that the social and ecological systems could not be separated. White pepper production, pepper planting decisions and the collective system are the three main elements which have highest complexity in the social-ecological system of white pepper. Social engineering (institution) through the strengthening of the collective (group) action system needs to be developed in line with post-harvest technology policy in order to create the sustainability in the white pepper commodity, both socially and ecologically.Keywords : Sustainability, Social System, Ecological System, Economy, White Pepper

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