Comparison of Frameworks for Analyzing Social-ecological Systems

Jochen Hinkel,Pieter W G Bots,Claudia R Binder,Claudia Pahl-Wostl

doi:10.5751/es-05551-180426

Abstract

Binder, C. R., J. Hinkel, P. W. G. Bots, and C. Pahl-Wostl. 2013. Comparison of frameworks for analyzing social-ecological systems. Ecology and Society 18(4): 26. https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-05551-180426

Highlights

Within the last decade, significant progress has been made with respect to interdisciplinary investigation and modeling of coupled social-ecological systems (SES)
Various research approaches have been developed and applied to different studies in which the interaction between the social system and the ecological system has been explicitly considered (Young et al 2006, Binder 2007, Liu et al 2007). These approaches include: q combining material or energy flows and economic flows (Duchin and Steenge 1999, Bouman et al 2000, Kytzia et al 2004; for a review see Binder 2007); q modeling human behavior and drivers that impact on an ecosystem or an ecosystem service (Redman 1999, Antle and Stoorvogel 2006); q identifying and modeling specific goods that are relevant for the human system as well as for the ecological system (Liu et al 2007); q studying the resilience and adaptive management of social-ecological systems (Folke et al 2002, Holling and Allen 2002, Walker et al 2002)
Having characterized 10 frameworks for analyzing socialecological systems with respect to contextual and structural criteria, we find that these frameworks vary significantly regarding their theoretical and disciplinary origin, their purpose, and the way in which they conceptualize the social and the ecological systems, their interaction and dynamics

Summary

Introduction

Significant progress has been made with respect to interdisciplinary investigation and modeling of coupled social-ecological systems (SES). Various research approaches have been developed and applied to different studies in which the interaction between the social system and the ecological system has been explicitly considered (Young et al 2006, Binder 2007, Liu et al 2007). Q studying the resilience and adaptive management of social-ecological systems (Folke et al 2002, Holling and Allen 2002, Walker et al 2002)

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