A. Norström, B. Agarwal, P. Balvanera, Brigitte Baptiste, Elena M. Bennett, Eduardo S Brondízio, R. Biggs, Bruce Campbell, S. Carpenter, J. Castilla, A. Castro, W. Cramer, G. Cumming, M. Felipe‐Lucia, J. Fischer, C. Folke, R. DeFries, S. Gelcich, J. Groth, Chinwe Ifejika Speranza, S. Jacobs, Johanna Hofmann, T. Hughes, David P. M. Lam, Jacqueline Loos, A. Manyani, B. Martín‐López, Megan Meacham, Hannah Moersberger, H. Nagendra, Laura M. Pereira, S. Polasky, Michael L. Schoon, Lisen Schultz, O. Selomane, M. Spierenburg
{"title":"The programme on ecosystem change and society (PECS) – a decade of deepening social-ecological research through a place-based focus","authors":"A. Norström, B. Agarwal, P. Balvanera, Brigitte Baptiste, Elena M. Bennett, Eduardo S Brondízio, R. Biggs, Bruce Campbell, S. Carpenter, J. Castilla, A. Castro, W. Cramer, G. Cumming, M. Felipe‐Lucia, J. Fischer, C. Folke, R. DeFries, S. Gelcich, J. Groth, Chinwe Ifejika Speranza, S. Jacobs, Johanna Hofmann, T. Hughes, David P. M. Lam, Jacqueline Loos, A. Manyani, B. Martín‐López, Megan Meacham, Hannah Moersberger, H. Nagendra, Laura M. Pereira, S. Polasky, Michael L. Schoon, Lisen Schultz, O. Selomane, M. Spierenburg","doi":"10.1080/26395916.2022.2133173","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/26395916.2022.2133173","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT The Programme on Ecosystem Change and Society (PECS) was established in 2011, and is now one of the major international social-ecological systems (SES) research networks. During this time, SES research has undergone a phase of rapid growth and has grown into an influential branch of sustainability science. In this Perspective, we argue that SES research has also deepened over the past decade, and helped to shed light on key dimensions of SES dynamics (e.g. system feedbacks, aspects of system design, goals and paradigms) that can lead to tangible action for solving the major sustainability challenges of our time. We suggest four ways in which the growth of place-based SES research, fostered by networks such as PECS, has contributed to these developments, namely by: 1) shedding light on transformational change, 2) revealing the social dynamics shaping SES, 3) bringing together diverse types of knowledge, and 4) encouraging reflexive researchers.","PeriodicalId":37104,"journal":{"name":"Ecosystems and People","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2022-10-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49229612","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
A. Filyushkina, F. Komossa, M. Metzger, P. Verburg
{"title":"Multifunctionality of a peri-urban landscape: exploring the diversity of residents’ perceptions and preferences","authors":"A. Filyushkina, F. Komossa, M. Metzger, P. Verburg","doi":"10.1080/26395916.2022.2131911","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/26395916.2022.2131911","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Developing successful policies for sustainable land use requires understanding the perspectives of different actors. This study explored how residents – an often under-represented and un-organized group – vary in their valuation of ecosystem services (ES) and perception of multifunctionality in a peri-urban setting. We conducted 127 interviews in the Kromme Rijn region of the Netherlands guided by an interactive, visual canvas tool (STREAMLINE). We addressed four research questions: (1) Is there variation among residents regarding preferences for ES? (2) Which competing interests do residents see in this landscape? (3) Where are hotspots of perceived multifunctionality? and (4) Can the level of perceived multifunctionality be explained by its location on the rural–urban gradient? Our findings demonstrate that while the majority of ES are important to residents of a peri-urban landscape, there is variation in relative preference towards a subset of ES (mainly provisioning services). A typology of preferences distinguishes three groups: (A)‘I want it all’ – all ES (very) important; (B)‘I want most of it’ – majority of ES important; and (C)‘I want some’ – several ES not important at all. The majority of competing interests identified by respondents were between biodiversity and either a provisioning or cultural service. Universal hotspots of perceived multi-functionality overlapped with the area around residential areas, whereas natural (grassland) areas and water were considered multifunctional by only a small share of respondents. These perceptions and preferences do not necessarily align with current policy and management efforts, it is advised that residents’ perceptions and values are better accounted for in landscape governance.","PeriodicalId":37104,"journal":{"name":"Ecosystems and People","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2022-10-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44759465","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
K. Malmborg, I. Wallin, V. Brukas, T. Do, Isak Lodin, T. Neset, A. Norström, N. Powell, K. Tonderski
{"title":"Knowledge co-production in the Helge å catchment: a comparative analysis","authors":"K. Malmborg, I. Wallin, V. Brukas, T. Do, Isak Lodin, T. Neset, A. Norström, N. Powell, K. Tonderski","doi":"10.1080/26395916.2022.2125583","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/26395916.2022.2125583","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Addressing sustainability challenges in landscape management requires processes for co-producing usable knowledge together with those who will use that knowledge. Participatory futures methods are powerful tools for attaining such knowledge. The applications of such methods are diverse and understanding the intricacies of the knowledge co-production process is important to further develop these research practices. To improve participatory futures methods and contribute to systematic and critical reflections on methodology, we present a comparative analysis of four research projects that applied participatory futures methods in the same study area. Conducted between 2011 and 2020, these projects aimed to co-produce knowledge about the future provision of ecosystem services in the Helge å catchment area in southern Sweden. For structuring the post-hoc, self-reflexive analysis, we developed a framework dividing the knowledge co-production process into three dimensions: settings, synthesis and diffusion. We based the analysis on documentation from the projects, a two-step questionnaire to each research team, a workshop with co-authors and interviews with key participants. The comparison highlights steps in project decision-making, explicit and implicit assumptions in our respective approaches and how these assumptions informed process design in the projects. Our detailed description of the four knowledge co-production processes points to the importance of flexibility in research design, but also the necessity for researchers and other participants to adapt as the process unfolds.","PeriodicalId":37104,"journal":{"name":"Ecosystems and People","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2022-10-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44314260","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
A. Shrestha, S. Karki, U. Koju, T. Maraseni, A. P. Gautam, Timothy Cadman, S. Baral
{"title":"Stakeholder perspectives on the effectiveness of governance in red panda conservation programmes in Nepal: a comparative analysis","authors":"A. Shrestha, S. Karki, U. Koju, T. Maraseni, A. P. Gautam, Timothy Cadman, S. Baral","doi":"10.1080/26395916.2022.2121762","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/26395916.2022.2121762","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT This paper investigates the views of multi-stakeholders on the governance quality of existing forest management strategies for red panda (Ailurus fulgens) protection in Nepal, focusing on forest governance in general, red panda conservation programmes and natural habitat protection in particular. The study deployed two surveys in August and September 2020. The first survey was conducted online for the stakeholders with internet access; for those without, it was conducted over the phone. While the results reveal almost similar perspectives among the stakeholders regarding the effectiveness of the red panda management approaches, they differ significantly between the online survey and telephonic survey, in terms of the relative scores given to these initiatives. In depth, follow-up interviews revealed that marginalised groups had little access to income generation from conservation activities and few capacity-building opportunities. These findings indicate that while management strategies for red panda conservation were generally considered effective by online survey participants which are generally more privileged, this is less effective for marginalised people. Local people, who are typically resource-poor and reliant on the forest, continue to endure inequitable resource distribution and benefit sharing. Consequently, greater attention should be paid to balancing the conservation needs and basic needs of forest-dependent communities through capacity building, income generation and alternative sources of livelihood.","PeriodicalId":37104,"journal":{"name":"Ecosystems and People","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2022-10-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43015434","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Trends in ecosystem goods and services obtained from red panda habitats in north-western Nepal","authors":"M. Bhatta, K. Zander, S. Garnett","doi":"10.1080/26395916.2022.2107079","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/26395916.2022.2107079","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT The habitats of Nepal’s endangered red pandas provide ecosystem goods and services to surrounding human communities. Here, to help reduce pressure on the panda, we quantified the current use of the most important ecosystem goods and services obtained in and around a protected area in western Nepal, trends over the last 20 years, and factors driving those trends. Our results show that more ecosystem goods and services were sourced by communities living outside the protected area than inside except for fodder and bedding for animals, recreational activities and ecotourism. Incomes inside the protected area were higher than outside. Of the seven main services investigated (i) use of medicinal plants had increased but their availability had declined; (ii) bamboo use remained steady but less was available; (iii) there were no perceived trends in firewood use or availability; (iv) there was less transhumant pastoralism to upland pastures but pasture availability had declined; (v) less fodder and bedding for animals was collected inside the park than outside, but the availability was unchanged; (vi) use of sacred religious sites had declined inside but not outside the park; (vii) the reverse was true for recreational tourism. Direct drivers of change in ecosystem service provision included changes in weather patterns and fluctuations in the market for goods; indirect drivers were institutional governance and regulation, population growth, literacy, poverty, and infrastructure development. Policies that ensure sustainable use of ecosystem goods and services from panda habitats could improve local livelihoods, reduce natural resource degradation and help conserve the panda.","PeriodicalId":37104,"journal":{"name":"Ecosystems and People","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2022-08-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41494662","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Andra Ioana Horcea-Milcu, Sara Zaman, A. Filyushkina, M. D. López-Rodríguez, M. Cebrián‐Piqueras, C. Raymond
{"title":"The relationship between values and knowledge in visioning for landscape management: relevance for a collaborative approach","authors":"Andra Ioana Horcea-Milcu, Sara Zaman, A. Filyushkina, M. D. López-Rodríguez, M. Cebrián‐Piqueras, C. Raymond","doi":"10.1080/26395916.2022.2108498","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/26395916.2022.2108498","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Respecting connections between the diversity of values and forms of knowledge is essential to support a decision-making that fosters relationships between ecosystems and people. However, little theory has been developed for clarifying interactions between values and knowledge, and their relevance for environmental policy. We surfaced the overlooked relationship between values and knowledge by studying individual cognitive and emotional processes during a guided visioning exercise in the context of the multifunctional landscapes of Östergötland, Sweden. We investigated these cognitive processes using 30 semi-structured interviews and questionnaires organized around three types of relationships: vision ⇔ values, vision ⇔ knowledge, and especially values ⇔ knowledge. The analysis of the relationship between vision and values reveals that all types of values including core human values, relational, and intrinsic values are important in shaping the decision-making context in which landscape management visions arise. The relationship between vision and knowledge uncovers the mix of experiential and theoretical knowledge that informs the decision-making context. Interviews unfold three modalities in terms of how values and knowledge relate: i) linked and not necessarily connected (e.g. when individuals perceive a high conflict between their knowledge and their values leading to one construct silencing the other); ii) mutually reinforcing (e.g. when values and knowledge are seen as feeding into one another); and iii) intertwined (e.g. when individuals perceive that values and knowledge can co-exist). We discuss our findings in the context of their relevance for a collaborative decision-making process for balancing consensus and dissensus in multifunctional landscapes.","PeriodicalId":37104,"journal":{"name":"Ecosystems and People","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2022-08-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48183544","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Carlos Andres Gallegos-Riofrío, E. Zent, Rachelle K. Gould
{"title":"The importance of Latin American scholarship-and-practice for the relational turn in sustainability science: a reply to West et al. (2020)","authors":"Carlos Andres Gallegos-Riofrío, E. Zent, Rachelle K. Gould","doi":"10.1080/26395916.2022.2108499","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/26395916.2022.2108499","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT The paper, ‘A relational turn for sustainability science? Relational thinking, leverage points and transformations’ presents a compelling summary of the incipient relational turn in sustainability science. That piece and the reply and response that follow put forth important arguments about what relational thinking is and how it can infuse sustainability science research. We are grateful for this conversation, but also recognize that crucial intellectual contributions from the Global South require further treatment. In response to West et al’.s invitation to conversation, we offer a summary of a diverse body of scholarship and practice that informs sustainability science in subtle but clear ways: Latin American contributions. We first summarize a set of Latin American theoretical contributions to relational thinking relevant to sustainability science. We then offer examples of how relational thinking infuses everyday life in many Latin American contexts. We close with reflections on the importance of Latin American thinking for sustainability science and transformations toward sustainability.","PeriodicalId":37104,"journal":{"name":"Ecosystems and People","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2022-08-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43220718","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
R. Biggs, Hayley S. Clements, G. Cumming, G. Cundill, Alta de Vos, Maike Hamann, L. Luvuno, D. Roux, O. Selomane, R. Blanchard, J. Cockburn, L. Dziba, K. Esler, C. Fabricius, Rebecka Henriksson, K. Kotschy, R. Lindborg, V. Masterson, J. Nel, P. O’Farrell, C. Palmer, Laura Pereira, S. Pollard, Rika Preiser, R. Scholes, C. Shackleton, S. Shackleton, N. Sitas, J. Slingsby, M. Spierenburg, Maria Tengö, B. Reyers
{"title":"Social-ecological change: insights from the Southern African Program on Ecosystem Change and Society","authors":"R. Biggs, Hayley S. Clements, G. Cumming, G. Cundill, Alta de Vos, Maike Hamann, L. Luvuno, D. Roux, O. Selomane, R. Blanchard, J. Cockburn, L. Dziba, K. Esler, C. Fabricius, Rebecka Henriksson, K. Kotschy, R. Lindborg, V. Masterson, J. Nel, P. O’Farrell, C. Palmer, Laura Pereira, S. Pollard, Rika Preiser, R. Scholes, C. Shackleton, S. Shackleton, N. Sitas, J. Slingsby, M. Spierenburg, Maria Tengö, B. Reyers","doi":"10.1080/26395916.2022.2097478","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/26395916.2022.2097478","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Social-ecological systems (SES) research has emerged as an important area of sustainability science, informing and supporting pressing issues of transformation towards more sustainable, just and equitable futures. To date, much SES research has been done in or from the Global North, where the challenges and contexts for supporting sustainability transformations are substantially different from the Global South. This paper synthesises emerging insights on SES dynamics that can inform actions and advance research to support sustainability transformations specifically in the southern African context. The paper draws on work linked to members of the Southern African Program on Ecosystem Change and Society (SAPECS), a leading SES research network in the region, synthesizing key insights with respect to the five core themes of SAPECS: (i) transdisciplinary and engaged research, (ii) ecosystem services and human well-being, (iii) governance institutions and management practices, (iv) spatial relationships and cross-scale connections, and (v) regime shifts, traps and transformations. For each theme, we focus on insights that are particularly novel, interesting or important in the southern African context, and reflect on key research gaps and emerging frontiers for SES research in the region going forward. Such place-based insights are important for understanding the variation in SES dynamics around the world, and are crucial for informing a context-sensitive global agenda to foster sustainability transformations at local to global scales.","PeriodicalId":37104,"journal":{"name":"Ecosystems and People","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2022-08-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46505278","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Grassland farmers’ relationship with biodiversity: a case study from the northern Italian Alps","authors":"Alma Maria Moroder, M. Kernecker","doi":"10.1080/26395916.2022.2107080","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/26395916.2022.2107080","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT To successfully understand and shape biodiversity conservation in Alpine grasslands, it is crucial to understand how farmers’ relationship to biodiversity influences their goals and associated practices. We explored how farmers perceive and value biodiversity, how this is related to agricultural and land use practices, and how they view their roles in affecting it. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 22 farmers in the northern Italian Alps and with 6 experts in the fields of grassland management, agriculture, and environmental conservation in 2020. The farmers’ answers were analyzed using a mental model approach, relational thinking, and the literature on the ‘good farmer’. The experts’ responses were used to discuss and contextualize the farmer’s answers. We found that the farmers’ mental model of biodiversity is associated to different aspects of agricultural management practices and farmers’ roles in mountain agricultural landscapes. Instrumental values of biodiversity are negative and strongly perceived as such by farmers, while relational values associated with biodiversity are positive, but more weakly perceived. These differing perceptions and values seem to be associated with two roles that farmers have, as producers and landscape stewards, and how they value fodder quantity and quality. Most farmers don’t include considerations related to the conservation of biodiversity in their management decisions, and mostly do not envision any changes in biodiversity or management in the future. Effective biodiversity conservation in Alpine grasslands will therefore need to tap into these dual roles and the associated instrumental and relational values of biodiversity for a meaningful dialogue on conservation.","PeriodicalId":37104,"journal":{"name":"Ecosystems and People","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2022-08-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44623565","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
N. Ardoin, Rachelle K. Gould, Deborah J. Wojcik, Noelle Wyman Roth, Matt Biggar
{"title":"Community listening sessions: an approach for facilitating collective reflection on environmental learning and behavior in everyday life","authors":"N. Ardoin, Rachelle K. Gould, Deborah J. Wojcik, Noelle Wyman Roth, Matt Biggar","doi":"10.1080/26395916.2022.2101531","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/26395916.2022.2101531","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Collaborative research approaches can promote social learning by curating a structure that facilitates inclusive dialogue and reflection. Within an epistemological frame that upholds notions of emergence rather than extraction, such modes can foster collective reflection in ways that contribute to reversing traditional notions of expertise. In this paper, we describe ‘Community Listening Sessions’, an approach drawing on focus group, learning circle, and participatory research literature. We developed Community Listening Sessions to study the interactional contexts of environmental learning – an inherently social, collective process. In our initial application, through 14 listening sessions hosted across the San Francisco Bay Area (California, USA), we engaged more than 100 community members in discussing how they learn about and take action related to the environment in their daily lives. We make recommendations for future use of Community Listening Sessions for collecting qualitative data in a participatory, equitable way in what can be challenging, high-social-cost discussions, yet those that are critical for addressing issues such as climate change, biodiversity loss, socio-environmental justice, and others that are essential to the future of our species and planet.","PeriodicalId":37104,"journal":{"name":"Ecosystems and People","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2022-08-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43393953","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}