Complex Social-Ecological Systems Network：New Perspective on the Sustainability

Abstract

The complex social-ecological systems network is an integrative platform of ecology, economy, management and complex networks which providing a new perspective on the comprehensive management of ecological and socio economical processes. Through research of the structures, functions and processes, one four-dimensional conceptual model of the complex social-ecological system for sustainable development was set up. The complex social-ecological systems comprise of natural subsystem, social subsystem, economic subsystem and integrative decision subsystem. The complex social-ecological systems network was defined as one six-element tuple which denotes the comprehensive spatial structure with different kinds of nodes of ecosystem, social system and economic system. The complex social-ecological systems network has some important characteristics including hierarchies, power-low, vulnerabilities, resilience, dynamics, co-evolution of flow and structure, et al. At last, based on the Multimedia Environment Pollutant Assessment System (MEPAS) of US EPA, the relationship between POPs (Persistent Organic Pollutants) exposure and lifetime fatal cancer risk was studied, and comprehensive risk network of the Taihu basin water pollution and human body health was established.