Sustainability Of Socio-ecological Systems Research Articles

Conceptual framework for analyzing the sustainability of socio‐ecological systems with a focus on ecosystem services that support water security

AbstractWater security is a global concern sharpened by the biggest humanity challenge of climatic crisis. With the end of designing and implementing efficient and sustainable water management strategies, it is necessary to recognize the interdependence and coevolution between natural and social systems and understand how the double way relationships between these systems shape sustainability. The socio‐ecological systems (SES) sustainability approach is an alternative to this end. Conceptual challenges have been identified in the analysis of the sustainability of SES. These challenges include (i) A lack of clarity in the definition of SES sustainability, (ii) the non‐inclusion of some inherent SES characteristics that determine critical thresholds, and (iii) a lack of conceptual frameworks for analyzing the sustainability of SES and water security‐related ecosystem services. This study proposes a conceptual framework, based on a strong sustainability approach, for analyzing SES sustainability focusing on water security and addressing the above‐mentioned challenges. This conceptual development includes three elements: (i) the key thresholds to ensure ecological functionality; (ii) the benefits that society derives from ecological functioning and; (iii) the two‐way relationship between natural capital and social systems. Analyzing these three elements helps identification of different sustainability states of SESs, focusing on water security, in the presence of endogenous or exogenous drivers of change. The conceptualization and operationalization of SES sustainability focusing on water security allows the analysis of the trajectories of change and provides insights into the required water management strategies in the target territory.

Preparing for an uncertain future: Merging the strategic foresight toolkit with landscape modeling in northeast Minnesota’s forests

“The Great Acceleration” poses serious challenges to land managers, policy makers, and all who are interested in the global sustainability of socioecological systems. Methods that can effectively address the uncertainty of the future to allow more robust and adaptive planning and management are urgently needed. We present a case study from northeastern Minnesota to highlight how strategic foresight methods and landscape modeling can serve as complementary tools to generate divergent yet plausible participatory scenarios to ultimately model the potential impacts of these scenarios on fundamental ecosystem services over 50 years. The landscape scenarios generated from the scenario process ranged widely, from optimistic futures to dire outcomes; these scenarios were far more divergent than outcomes explored in a traditional factorial landscape modeling study. This greater range in possible futures leads to more useful model outputs to guide the decisions of planners, managers, and policymakers. Our study illustrates advantages of blending the power of multiple strategic foresight tools with landscape modeling to generate alternative future storylines that are enlightening (i.e., expanding the scope of possibilities), useful (via strong contrasts), and yet plausible (i.e., grounded by robust science and stakeholder perspectives). Strategic foresight methods such as horizon scanning can also be useful in on-going monitoring of landscapes to support adaptive management aimed at fostering sustainable futures. Combining these approaches enhances creativity and wide-ranging plausibility (strategic foresight) with science-based assessments of outcomes and trajectories (landscape modeling), increasing the likelihood of creating resilient, preferred futures.

From a Challenge to an Opportunity: Sustainability and the “Dark Side” of Social Capital in Paros, Greece

The role of social capital for socio-ecological systems is undisputed. While fostering cooperation in some communities, however, social capital can also lead to tight social control and distrust towards outsiders and new practices, contributing to the persistence of undesirable, unsustainable practices. This paper explores the challenges emerging from the “dark side” of social capital for sustainability efforts in socio-ecological systems, raising the question how they can be addressed and overcome. It focuses on the case of Paros, Greece, where decades of mass tourism and conventional agriculture have put a heavy burden on the socio-ecological system. In the aftermath of the 2008-2011 crisis, returnees and newcomers leaving mainland Greece brought new ideas on how to reconcile the island's economy, ecology, and society with one another. Interviews reveal how the specifics of social capital in Paros posed structural, cognitive, and relational challenges to their projects. Surprisingly, though, those challenges could be turned into opportunities to embed new projects on the island. Promoting sustainability in socio-ecological systems may thus be less a matter of creating more social capital, but one of tailoring interventions to the specific type of social capital available.

Analysis of the variables that contribute to self-organization for the management of family lands in the Yánesha Native Community Santa Rosa de Chuchurras, Pasco, Peru

This research analyzed the variables that contribute to self-organization within the general framework for analysing the sustainability of socioecological systems (SES). In our case study, a correlation analysis showed that 80% of the variables contribute to the self-organization of the community in relation to the key resource: family land. There was evidence of land use transition, initially dependent on agrosilvopastoral system, towards diverse economic activities and with it also the inclusion of informal norms (institutional bricolage). These changes stem from two circumstances that threaten community organization. The first is linked to the absence of legal recognition of family lands by the Peruvian State, despite the prioritization of family economic activities over collective actions. The second is the precarious road connectivity that makes exporting difficult, slowing down production and the quality of their supply. If these two circumstances were addressed through public policies: a) the emigration of the community’s younger population would be reduced; b) foreign investment would be attractive in this community; c) would increase the flow of energy and information between the community and its environment improving social capital and trust; and finally, d) uncertainty would be reduced, strengthening community self-organization.

Traditional food knowledge of local people and its sustainability in mountains of Uttarakhand State of India.

With homogenisation of various cultural groups due to outside forces and the effect of globalisation, many traditional foods, as developed by various cultural groups, have been lost or on the verge of elimination. In this context, the present study aims to examine and document the traditional food knowledge of local people in Uttarakhand State of India. Interviews and interactions with the local people resulted in documentation of 38 cuisines traditionally prepared by the local people of selected study regions in Uttarakhand. Apart from boiled rice and chapattis (flatbread) of wheat flour, chapattis and porridge of finger millet flour and boiled barnyard and foxtail millets were frequently consumed dishes in combination with dishes made with locally grown pulses such as horse gram and black gram and vegetables such as potato, radish and other leafy vegetables. The supplementary dishes were locally called as fanu, chaisu, gathoni, thechwani, kafli and kadhi. Plants formed the major ingredients in making traditional cuisines. The present study documented 41 plant species comprising of cereals, millets, pulses and spices. With a view to enhance the taste of the dishes, different spices and condiments such as Allium humile, Allium wallichii, Cleome viscosa, Cannabis sativa, Perilla frutescens and Cinnamomum tamala were used by the local people. These dishes possessed some unique characteristics and ethno-medicinal values; hence, when required, they were used to cure a number of ailments as well. Since most of the mountain region in the study area was once inaccessible and health facilities were not much developed till recent times, the traditional health-care system was supported by the traditional food systems. The findings of the present study are further discussed in the context of sustainability of socio-ecological systems of Uttarakhand.

Stochastic Multi-species MSY to Achieve Ecological-Economic Sustainability of a Coral Reef Fishery System in French Polynesia

This paper investigates the ecological-economic sustainability of coral reef socio-ecological systems under fishing and environmental pressures. To achieve this, a dynamic, spatially explicit, multi-species, multi-fleet fisheries model is developed. Stochastic environmental shocks are assumed to alter coral cover and consequently the entire coral reef social-ecological system. The model is calibrated using ecological, socio-economic and environmental data in French Polynesia. Four exploratory fishing strategies and a goal-seeking strategy entitled Stochastic Multi-Species Maximum Sustainable Yield (SMMSY) are compared in terms of ecological-economic outcomes and sustainability of the socio-ecological system. The SMMSY turns out to promote ecological-economic sustainability. It is characterised by a global increase in fishing effort pointing to the relative current under-exploitation of the fishery. SMMSY balances the trophic level of catches after natural shocks and sustains the fundamental herbivore grazing process. SMMSY strategies are also more diversified in terms of temporality, gears, spatial distribution of fishing and target species.

Study protocol: International joint research project 'climate change resilience of Indigenous socioecological systems' (RISE).

BackgroundAnthropogenic changes in the environment are increasingly threatening the sustainability of socioecological systems on a global scale. As stewards of the natural capital of over a quarter of the world’s surface area, Indigenous Peoples (IPs), are at the frontline of these changes. Indigenous socioecological systems (ISES) are particularly exposed and sensitive to exogenous changes because of the intimate bounds of IPs with nature. Traditional food systems (TFS) represent one of the most prominent components of ISES, providing not only diverse and nutritious food but also critical socioeconomic, cultural, and spiritual assets. However, a proper understanding of how future climate change may compromise TFS through alterations of related human-nature interactions is still lacking. Climate change resilience of indigenous socioecological systems (RISE) is a new joint international project that aims to fill this gap in knowledge.Methods and designRISE will use a comparative case study approach coupling on-site socioeconomic, nutritional, and ecological surveys of the target ISES of Sakha (Republic of Sakha, Russian Federation) and Karen (Kanchanaburi, Thailand) people with statistical models projecting future changes in the distribution and composition of traditional food species under contrasting climate change scenarios. The results presented as alternative narratives of future climate change impacts on TFS will be integrated into a risk assessment framework to explore potential vulnerabilities of ISES operating through altered TFS, and possible adaptation options through stakeholder consultation so that lessons learned can be applied in practice.DiscussionBy undertaking a comprehensive analysis of the socioeconomic and nutritional contributions of TFS toward the sustainability of ISES and projecting future changes under alternative climate change scenarios, RISE is strategically designed to deliver novel and robust science that will contribute towards the integration of Indigenous issues within climate change and sustainable agendas while generating a forum for discussion among Indigenous communities and relevant stakeholders. Its goal is to promote positive co-management and regional development through sustainability and climate change adaptation.

Coastal communities’ adaptive capacity to climate change: Pantanos de Centla Biosphere Reserve, Mexico

Measuring the adaptive capacity of human communities living in protected natural areas subject to conservation represents a critical factor in promoting socio-ecological systems sustainability in response to the effects of climate change. This study evaluated the socioeconomic context of communities at two levels (household and community), in areas located inside and outside the Pantanos de Centla Biosphere Reserve (PCBR), Tabasco. For this, a revision of the conservation and training programs was carried out, 209 household surveys were applied, and 15 key stakeholders were interviewed. The adaptive capacity index (ACI), made up of 7 determinants and 40 indicators, shows significant differences in the adaptive capacity (AC) of localities analyzed inside and outside the PCBR. These differences can be attributed to social factors, information, and competence at the community, institutional, and human determinants. The results of this research suggest that decision-makers should encourage policies that promote AC in the studied localities to strengthen the determinants with low values in the institutional, human, and economic aspects.

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

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.

КАЧЕСТВО ЖИЗНИ КАК ПОКАЗАТЕЛЬ УСТОЙЧИВОСТИ СОЦИАЛЬНО-ЭКОЛОГИЧЕСКИХ СИСТЕМ

The question of a systematic approach to the study of the sustainability of socioecological systems using indicators of the quality of life is considered

Depopulation and rural shrinkage in Subantarctic Biosphere Reserves: envisioning re-territorialization by young people

Landscape-scale conservation at the regional level is an important challenge for Biosphere Reserves (BRs), especially those located in areas suffering from depopulation and rural shrinkage. This is the case of the BRs of the southernmost part of Chile, in the Magallanes region. An analysis of the implications of deterritorialization (the radical reduction or disappearance of inhabitants, their traditional ecological practices, and their material and affective links with the territory) is lacking in the literature, particularly in relation to the migration of young people towards other human settlements. This is a critical situation for BRs because there is a tight link between depopulation and the sustainability of socio-ecological systems. Here we discuss, on the one hand, the limitations and negative impacts of repopulation attempts by extractive industries and, on the other, the possibilities of involving rural youth in initiatives that encourage the re-territorialization of ecological practices and knowledge that have been developed by generations of local inhabitants, as a way of promoting bioculturally sustainable modes of re-inhabiting these territories.

A Planetary Perspective of Earth Systems Sustainability: Reframing Climate Change Implications from Agricultural Adaptations in Maya Milpa Farming Communities in Belize

In a case review of climate-smart agriculture practices in Mayan milpa farming communities in Belize (Central America), this pa- per reframes how small-scale agriculture practices can influence larger Earth systems sustainability. In what has been a sustainable form of farming for hundreds of years, the milpa has become less sustainable due to global climate change, forest loss, soil degradation, population growth, and other factors. This article reviews the findings of a 2020 study of positive socio-ecological systems (SES) influences —environmental, economic, socio-cultural, and technological— from climate-smart practices on local resource sustainability. SES considers several multidisciplinary linkages of human and ecological factors in the agroecological system. SES considers several multidisciplinary linkages of human and ecological factors in the agroecological system. SES influences from small-scale climate-smart agriculture (CSA) practices can have both micro-scale impacts as well as macro-scale implications for SES sustainability and food security. Understanding the implications of small-scale farming on larger Earth systems can inform global climate change mitigations and government policy and action needed to promote CSA practices. This is important for the resilience of vulnerable populations such as Belizean milpa farming communities and others who rely directly on resource sustainability for their food and livelihood security.

An integral approach to address socio-ecological systems sustainability and their uncertainties

The analysis of the sustainability should be addressed with a holistic approach that facilitates an integral analysis of the social, economic, institutional and environmental factors and their interactions characterizing complex socio-ecological systems (SES). Nevertheless, despite the increasing acknowledgment about the need for such systemic approaches, their application in real SES are less frequent than desirable. Among the difficulties behind this, the need for a new conceptual perspective concerning the relationships between science and the management of real SES, as well as the lack of tools to manage the inherent complexity of such systems should be emphasized. In this work, we further discuss these difficulties and propose an integral methodological framework for the assessment of SES sustainability, with the following key components: i) The hierarchical definition of sustainability goals and indicators. ii) A dynamic system model taking into account the key socio-economic and environmental factors and their interactions, in which the most representative indicators and their sustainability thresholds are integrated. iii) The analysis of vulnerabilities to exogenous drivers (scenario analysis) and the exploration of available management and planning options (policy assessment). iv) An uncertainty assessment concerning system behavior and model outcomes to guide decisions for an improved sustainability in complex SES. The whole framework highlights the need to integrate a participative approach, above all at the initial and final steps. In this work, these components are exemplified by means of their application to a real socio-ecological system: Fuerteventura island (The Canary Islands, Spain).

El Proceso de aprobación del área protegida Montes del Queguay Conflictos, actores, desafíos

espanolLas areas protegidas son una herramienta de ordenamiento territorial privilegiada por los Estados para el control del uso del suelo y la sustentabilidad de los sistemas socioecologicos. En este articulo se presenta el estudio del proceso de integracion de Montes del Queguay al Sistema Nacional de Areas Protegidas, realizado con el objetivo de identificar los conflictos que se generan entre actores e intereses en torno a la apropiacion de los servicios ecosistemicos en disputa. Mediante la realizacion de entrevistas semiestructuradas a informantes clave, se delimito la periodizacion del proceso en tres fases (proyecto de solicitud de ingreso, delimitacion del area y elaboracion del plan de manejo) y se muestra como la configuracion del conflicto y el posicionamiento de los actores varian en el tiempo. EnglishProtected areas are a privileged territorial planning tool by the States for the control of land use and the sustainability of socio-ecological systems. This article shows the integration process of Montes del Queguay to the National System of Protected Areas study in order to identify the conflicts that are generated between actors and interests regarding the appropriation of the ecosystem services in dispute. Through the conduction of semi structured interviews with key informants,the periodization of the process was delimited in three phases (admission application project, area delimitation and preparation of the management plan) and we show how the configuration of the conflict and the positioning of the actors vary in time.

Psychosocial Predispositions Towards Sustainability and Their Relationship with Environmental Identity

Environmental psychology is a particular area or subfield of psychology, especially involved in the delimitation of the causes and solutions of environmental problems. This area deals with the study of the interactions between human behavior and the socio-physical components of the environment. The emphasis on the interrelationship of environment and behavior is important; not only physical settings affect people’s behavior, individuals actively influence the environment. Thus, several studies have proposed the existence of a series of predispositions which allow the appreciation of diversity and the interdependence of person–environment relationships, making it possible to adopt lifestyles that can guarantee the sustainability of socio-ecological systems for present and future generations. Therefore, in order to work towards the goals of sustainability, it is necessary to know which are the inclinations or dispositions that people present when caring for the environment. The objective of this research was to identify the association between the variables of psychosocial predispositions towards sustainability with environmental identity in a sample of higher education students from southern Sonora. Nine different scales to measure these predispositions were applied to 417 students, considering emotions towards the environment, environmental and socio-environmental actions, as well as a scale to measure environmental identity. Results revealed, on the one hand, that first-order factors emerged consistently, indicating the presence of a higher-order factor (psychosocial predispositions towards sustainability). On the other hand, we found this construct is related in a bidirectional way with environmental identity, that is, that both the emotions and actions carried out by the students in favor of the environment are related to the degree of identification they have with it, and vice versa, thereby demonstrating an interdependence relationship between these two variables. These findings suggest that the presence of certain psychological characteristics in people would promote a closer relationship with nature, which could encourage participation in caring for the environment.

Forest Cover Change, Households’ Livelihoods, Trade-Offs, and Constraints Associated with Plantation Forests in Poor Upland-Rural Landscapes: Evidence from North Central Vietnam

Vietnam’s forests have experienced a notable transformation over the past 20 years from net deforestation to reforestation and expanding forests. Continued reforestation that aims to achieve further economic and environmental benefits remains a national priority and strategy. We explore the current status of plantation forests and highlight possible means to facilitate their expansion in the uplands of Vietnam. We employ mixed method triangulation to empirically explore plantation forests and their economic role in household livelihood, to quantify trade-offs between plantation forests and shifting cultivation, and to assess the constraints on plantation forest expansion in Nghe An province, north-central Vietnam. Results show that forest in the study area expanded by 406,000 ha (71.1%) between 1990 and 2016. Plantation forests increased by nearly 500% (from 32,000 ha to 190,000 ha), while natural forests expanded by 48.1% (from 538,000 ha to 797,000 ha). Plantation forests contributed an average of 35.1 percent of total household income in wealthier households and 27.9 percent of income in poor households. Switching from shifting cultivation to plantation forests would increase total household income and average carbon stock but decrease food provision. Total Economic Value would be higher for plantation forest scenarios if increased carbon stocks in plantations can be monetized. This carbon income might drive conversion of shifting cultivation to plantation forests. Constraints on further expansion of plantation forest are low external cooperation, education, market stability, and agroforestry extension services. Our empirical results inform national plantation forest development, sustainable upland livelihood development, and climate change mitigation programs to ultimately facilitate forest transition and improve the resilience and sustainability of socio-ecological systems.

Energy of Reindeer Breeding: Driving Actions in the Controlling Impacts in Ecological and Ethno-Social Contexts

Sustainability of socio-ecological systems is ensured, firstly, through relatively powerful energy flows associated with the interaction of material components, and secondly, through the low energy controlling impacts that drive these flows. Reindeer herding is based on traditional patterns of controlling the flow of biological matter and energy that have developed in different ethnic communities and different types of geographic landscapes (“tundra feeds reindeer, reindeer feeds man”). These models include sustainable sets of traditional practices, including various methods of individual and group taming of animals, direct and indirect methods of controlling their behaviour, spatio-temporal models of seasonal movements of reindeer herds, etc. All together, they provide a symbiosis between reindeer herder communities and populations of domesticated reindeer. The energy of traditional reindeer breeding is based, on the one hand, on optimal strategies of movement in space, which allows obtain the maximum effect from the use of pasture fodder resources by optimizing the reindeer bodily heat balance. On the other hand, it is connected with the traditional practices, which help to save effort and energy in reindeer herd management. Adaptation of traditional reindeer breeding to industrial and post-industrial society is expressed in the transition to “gasoline” and “digital” reindeer herding. The first transition is accompanied by a dramatic increase in the systematic energy consumption, and the second, apparently, will lead to their reduction

Pathways of Adaptation to Climate Change: Analysis and Transformation of the Governance System of the Ardennes Mountain Area

The Ardennes are a mountain forest area in the heart of Europe. It is fundamental for this mountain area to be able to anticipate climate change and its expected impacts. In this article, we are particularly interested in the Ardennes governance system. We first use transformational sustainability research methods through a methodological framework that combines different methods. In this context, we proceed with a diagnostic analysis of the sustainability of the Ardennes governance system. This analysis was developed from a version of the general framework for the analysis of the sustainability of socio-ecological systems developed by Ostrom. It was adapted to a large system and applied as part of a participatory research process. This identified three main vulnerabilities: the absence of an observatory of the socio-ecological system as a whole, the lack of a structured intersectoral dialogue, and the limited capacity to act of local authorities and civil society. We therefore suggest conducting prospective and retrospective analyses to identify adaptation paths of the governance system in relation to climate change. This should make it possible to design and experiment interventions to transform the governance of this large socio-ecological system towards greater sustainability.

Sensitivity Analysis in Socio-Ecological Models as a Tool in Environmental Policy for Sustainability

The assessment of environmental policies and sustainability in socio-ecological systems (SES) should be tackled from a holistic perspective, using methodologies such as dynamic system models. However, the integral assessment of SES generally suffers from high levels of uncertainty. In this work, the potential of sensitivity analysis (SA) to assess uncertainty and its implications in SES models, specifically in the Fuerteventura sustainability model, has been explored. An extensive SA was applied in different stages of model development and application. The different SA techniques applied allowed, besides a detailed assessment of robustness, the identification of leverage points and their application to define environmental policies and management measures intended to improve sustainability. The results suggest that measures based on leverage points identified by the SA in the model are more effective than others proposed so far by different agents. Furthermore, the assessment of uncertainty of measures thought to contribute to sustainability shows that, when uncertainty ranges are considered, the thresholds of some sustainability indicators might be exceeded, whereas mean values would not. Therefore, the surpassing of some sustainability thresholds might go unnoticed if uncertainties are not considered in the policy analysis. This work shows SA to be a powerful tool that provides important insights to policy makers and end users, with regard to improving environmental policies for sustainability.

Quinoa and production rules: how are cooperatives contributing to governance of natural resources?

The sharp increase in the price and production of quinoa between 1990 and 2014 has had important impacts in Bolivia’s southern Altiplano region, previously considered one of the poorest regions in the country. The socio-economic status of most inhabitants improved significantly as a result of the “quinoa boom”. However, it also caused severe disturbances in socio-ecological systems and posed challenges to resource governance by traditional indigenous institutions. This article focuses on the role of farmer cooperatives, in particular, and examines how their production rules may have mitigated some of the challenges associated with the quinoa boom. We assess the activities of cooperatives with the help of Elinor Ostrom’s Institutional Analysis and Development (IAD) framework and analytic tools such as the ADICO grammar (Attribute, Deontic, aIm, Condition, Or else) and the eight design principles. The key production rules of cooperatives are examined and compliance with these rules is estimated based on semi-structured interviews and a survey conducted with quinoa producers (n=305). We argue that the cooperatives successfully contributed to alleviate pressures on resources in a context where traditional authorities were challenged by new tasks associated with land grabbing and the crowding out of diversified agricultural activities. In conclusion, we argue that collaboration between traditional authorities and farmer cooperatives holds great potential for improving the governance and sustainability of socio-ecological systems in the region.