Socio-ecological Production Landscapes And Seascapes Research Articles

The Many Meanings of ‘One’: The Concept and Practice of the One Health Approach in Socio-Ecological Production Landscapes and Seascapes

Abstract What does One Health mean for a complex socio-ecological system? How can this integrated approach be put into practice? Can it foster on-the-ground local management and national policy uptake? Our commentary explores these questions by looking at the concept of One Health in the context of socio-ecological production landscapes and seascapes (SEPLS) and the use of resilience assessment in SEPLS as a tool for its operationalisation in Taiwan. We conclude that One Health has a high sustainability potential for holistic, dynamic and integrated solutions in complex systems at various scales. One Health impact statement From a ‘scapes’ perspective, the One Health approach offers an opportunity to take a fresh look at the familiar socio-ecological components of a landscape or seascape – community, biodiversity and abiotic environment. In fact, in addition to the holistic and dynamic qualities of it as a concept, its implementation in a real-world setting allows to explore its many meanings of ‘One’. One Health stands for ‘oneness’ – as many inter-connected elements within one system, for being ‘the only one’ – as the most valuable and cherished thing, and for ‘one for all’ – as what is to be co-created and shared by all living beings.

Enhancing synergies in nature\u2019s contributions to people in socio-ecological production landscapes and seascapes: lessons learnt from ten site-based projects in biodiversity hotspots

Trade-offs in nature’s contributions to people (NCP), particularly in material NCP versus regulating and non-material NCP, continue to rise. Socio-ecological production landscapes and seascapes (SEPLS) represent harmonious human–nature interactions resulting in positive outcomes for both biodiversity and human well-being, thus implying synergies among multiple NCP are possible. In case studies of ten projects selected from biodiversity hotspots under the GEF-Satoyama Project, we investigated whether and how synergies in NCP exist within SEPLS and explored management interventions that enhanced these synergies. Using the responses to an online survey completed by project managers from each project and drawing on project reports, we identified a wide array of NCP deriving from various ecosystems within the project SEPLS. Habitat and food provisions, both attributed to multiple ecosystem types, were key components of the NCP bundles present in the project SEPLS. Among the management options that enhanced NCP in SEPLS were food-centred approaches entailing organic agriculture, eco-labelling, branding and improved agricultural practices. Habitat-centred approaches included participatory biodiversity monitoring, ecosystem restoration, co-management and conservation agreements with landowners. Synergies in NCP were generated by integrating these interventions with enabling governance structures and through community empowerment. If combined with mapping and modelling techniques, identifying NCP bundles in SEPLS from local people’s perspectives as we outlined in this study, would help to better contextualise the analysis of NCP bundles. Such contextualised NCP bundle analyses will help field practitioners understand how to enhance synergies between multiple NCP and the broader conservation community could access untapped NCP knowledge.

Assessment of the Resilience of a Tartary Buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum) Cultivation System in Meigu, Southwest China

Recent socioeconomic development, increased transport and new agricultural technology are endangering the survival of traditional agriculture and the Yi people’s traditional knowledge of cultivating Tartary buckwheat. The cultural heritage of Tartary buckwheat cultivation among the Yi communities needs to be investigated and protected before its loss. The main objectives of this study are to document the Tartary buckwheat cultivation system, to analyze the agroecosystem networks that support the current system, and to measure the resilience of the ecological, agricultural and social systems using relevant indicators. The Tartary buckwheat cultivation system in Meigu County uses a rotation system, in which various crops are planted alternatively (e.g., Tartary buckwheat, green manure and potato/corn), utilizing bunch planting and furrow drilling technology. Tartary buckwheat has an important position in the major festival activities among the Yi people’s communities. Network analysis on the current agricultural system, ecosystem and social system indicated that the system was stable. The mean score of ecological, agricultural and social stability were 2.50, 2.85 and 2.53, respectively, indicating moderately stability. In contrast, socio-ecological production landscapes and seascapes (SEPLS) resilience indicators in Meigu performed only moderately, with a score of 2.63. The assessment of the resilience of the Tartary buckwheat cultivation system can provide some guidance for policy makers to strengthen biodiversity conservation, sustainable agricultural production and livelihood development (e.g., land use, responding to extreme environmental stresses and improving education levels).

Assessment of the Resilience in SEPLS (Socio-Ecological Production Landscapes and Seascapes) in Yanuo Village, Xishuangbanna, Southwest China

Participatory ‘assessment workshops’ were held in 2018 in Yanuo Village, Xishuangbanna, Southwest China. The ‘Indicators of Resilience in Socio-Ecological Production Landscapes and Seascapes (SEPLS)’ tool was used to provide the community with a framework for discussion and analysis of socio-ecological processes essential for resilience. Workshops were planned and implemented by local people together with researchers from outside the community. Discussion, including a scoring process, was undertaken using a subset of twenty indicators designed to capture the communities’ perceptions of factors affecting the resilience of their landscapes. The indicators were also used to provide the local community with a framework to discuss both current conditions of resilience and potential areas for improvement. A key result was that the existing community management approach did not include loss of traditional knowledge as a factor that would impact on the livelihoods and well-being of the community. A mechanism to encourage young people to inherit and actively use traditional knowledge was agreed to be necessary and included in economic activities. In addition, the socio-economic infrastructure in the community needs further improvement. This community management assessment framework in Yanuo Village can be scaled out to other communities in tropical montane regions with similar socio-economic environments by supporting stakeholders (policymakers, NGOs and development agencies, etc.).

Resilience Assessment Workshops: A Biocultural Approach to Conservation Management of a Rural Landscape in Taiwan

Local and indigenous communities play a crucial role in stewardship of biodiversity worldwide. Assessment of resilience in socio-ecological production landscapes and seascapes (SEPLS) is an essential prerequisite for sustainable human–nature interactions in the area. This work examines application of resilience assessment workshops (RAWs) as a biocultural approach to conservation management in Xinshe SEPLS, Hualien County, Taiwan. RAWs were conducted in 2017–2018 in two indigenous communities—Amis Fuxing Dipit Tribe and Kavalan Xinshe Paterongan Tribe—as a part of an ongoing multi-stakeholder platform for the “Forest–River–Village–Sea Ecoagriculture Initiative” (the Initiative). Objectives of the study include (1) performing a baseline landscape resilience assessment in two communities and identifying their common and varying concerns and priorities, and (2) eliciting a community-driven vision for enhancement of the landscape resilience based on adjustments to the action plan of the Initiative. Assessment methodology employs 20 indicators of resilience in SEPLS jointly developed by the United Nations University Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability (UNU-IAS) and Biodiversity International; an “Explain–Score–Discuss–Suggest” model is applied. Results show that the communities’ primary issues of concern and adjustments to the action plan are related to biodiversity-based livelihoods, transfer of traditional knowledge, and sustainable use of common resources. The study concludes that this approach has a high potential to help facilitate nature-based solutions for human well-being and biodiversity benefits in Xinshe SEPLS.

Non-Market Food Provision and Sharing in Japan’s Socio-Ecological Production Landscapes

Socio-ecological production landscapes and seascapes (SEPLS) are characterized by a dynamic mosaic of different ecosystem types that maintain relatively high biodiversity and produce a bundle of ecosystem services. One unique characteristic of SEPLS is the sharing of provisioning services within and beyond communities, such as forests, agricultural and marine products. Conventional ecosystem assessments based on statistical data often ignore the benefits of these non-market provisioning services. This short communication quantifies the contribution of the sharing of food provisioning services in Japan in terms of their amount and variety, and it analyzes the relationship between such sharing practices and landscape types. Using an online web survey, we investigated the benefits of sharing goods and services provided from SEPLS. In both mountainous and flat agricultural areas, 16% of the total food amount came from non-market sources, compared to 10% in urbanized areas. Farmland and forests had significant positive correlations with most non-market food items in terms of amount. Greater amounts of built-up area in the landscape were associated with a lesser amount of non-market food provision. Food sharing culture can contribute to enhancing resilience against socio-economic changes and natural disasters. This study provides baseline information for monitoring the hidden flow of food provision and its multiple functions.

Revealing major terrestrial- and marine species-based provisioning ecosystem services provided by the socio-ecological production landscapes and seascapes of Lefke Region in North Cyprus

The aim of this study was to identify and evaluate major terrestrial- and marine species-based provisioning ecosystem services (PESs) provided by the socio-ecological production landscapes and seascapes (SEPLS) of Lefke Region located in North Cyprus. The objectives of the study include: (1) identifying major terrestrial-based PESs collected from the SEPLS (e.g. wild plants) and (2) recording major marine-based PESs caught (e.g. fish species), and (3) proposing several policy responses based on the results of (1) and (2) and on a review of the literature and current policies. The method of the study consists of two parts. Primarily, a conceptual framework for understanding the linkages among the SEPLS, PESs and landscape planning in Lefke Region was developed. Secondly, a participatory research approach was implemented to identify major PESs gathered from the SEPLS in the region. A range of data collection tools (e.g. a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews) were used to collect data on the research questions in 12 villages from December 2015 to March 2016. The precise data on the PESs were obtained from 106 participants that responded to the questionnaire. Assessment of the questionnaire showed that the local people collect various terrestrial (49 plant and 5 mushroom species)- and marine (30 fish species)-based PESs from the SEPLS for a variety of purposes (e.g. private own use, income generation and nature experience). Finally, potential policy responses for better conservation and sustainable management of the PESs and the SEPLS (e.g. development of a national landscape planning strategy for North Cyprus and integration of the concept of ecosystem services) of the region were examined. It is expected that the results of this study can draw attention of policy-makers, planners and natural resource managers to better understand the feedbacks between SEPLS and associated ecosystem services in terms of biodiversity conservation, food production and sustainable livelihood development in Lefke Region and elsewhere.

Assessment of the resilience of socio-ecological production landscapes and seascapes: A case study from Lefke Region of North Cyprus

The purpose of this study is to assess the resilience of socio-ecological production landscapes and seascapes (SEPLS) of Lefke Region in North Cyprus in the face of disturbance factors (e.g. drought, urbanization and land abandonment) by adopting a set of indicators. The main objectives of the study include measurement of the respective resilience of the ecological, social and agricultural systems of the SEPLS by using relevant indicators. The method of the study consists of three parts: (i) conceptualization of the resilience of the SEPLS of Lefke Region to address the key systems (ecosystem, agricultural and social), their hierarchical structures, components and interrelations; (ii) development of a set of suitable resilience assessment indicators for these systems; (iii) for the development of resilience assessment indicators a participatory approach was designated to collect the relevant data. Accordingly, a multiple-choice questionnaire – consisting of 5 choices – was prepared and relevant data were collected from December 2015 to March 2016 in 12 villages through personal interviews with 106 respondents.The respondents have expressed their preferences by selecting the most suitable choice in 5 which were ordered from the lowest to the highest degree of resilience (1–5 point scale). The results of the evaluation revealed that the average values (importance) of the ecological, agricultural and social resilience are respectively 2,87 (low), 3,44 (moderate) and 2,53 (low) out of maximum 5-points. The overall resilience of the SEPLS was estimated to be low with a 2,94 magnitude. Finally, some conclusions (e.g. integrated landscape management) for strengthening the resilience of the SEPLS in Lefke Region in terms of biodiversity conservation, agricultural production and sustainable livelihood development were drawn based on the major findings of the study.It is expected that the findings and conclusions of this study can draw attention of policy makers and natural resource managers on building and strengthening the resilience of the SEPLS of Lefke Region in terms of biodiversity conservation, sustainable agricultural production and livelihood development.

Noto Peninsula after GIAHS Designation: Conservation and Revitalization Efforts of Noto'sSatoyamaandSatoumi

Abstract: The “Noto's Satoyama and Satoumi” in Noto Peninsula of Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan is a system of Socio-Ecological Production Landscapes and Seascapes (SEPLS) mosaics interconnected with highly productive coastal areas that have been formed and maintained through long-term human influence, which supports not only its diverse and traditional agriculture, forestry and fisheries, but also sustains local livelihoods and conserves its flourishing biodiversity. Since the designation of Noto as Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) in 2011, there have been active developments of conservation and revitalization efforts amongst the local governments, and communities, as well as pouring interest from the academia, international community and private sector. The paper will discuss the developments of Noto's GIAHS through examining several case studies of recent conservation and revitalization efforts of new initiatives and those building on existing schemes. The report will be based on li...

Conservation and Sustainability of Socio-Ecological Production Landscapes and Seascapes

The paper emphasized the establishment of the Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems(GIAHS) and its purpose of dynamic conservation of biodiversity and culture in socioecological productionlandscapes and seascapes (SEPLS), particularly in satoyama landscapes in the Philippines, in Asia and theworld. Then, it outlines the next steps to be taken in order to attain sustainability and resiliency, namely;1) expansion of GIAHS sites and network through exploring Nationally Important Agricultural HeritageSystems (NIAHS) and Locally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (LIAHS), 2) using internationalapproach and frameworks with customization as necessary even in working at the national and locallevels, 3) tapping leading universities to serve as focal points especially in the area of sustainability andresiliency research, economic and ecological valuation studies of ecosystem services, and 4) treatingGIAHS landscapes as a community and NOT as a commodity.Keywords: Ecology, human-nature interaction, Satoyama, socioecological production landscapes, resiliency,descriptive design, Philippines