Global mapping of social–ecological systems science in conservation conflict research

Conservation conflicts are arguably one of the most complex challenges facing global biodiversity conservation. Social–ecological systems (SES) science is uniquely positioned to address this challenge. However, there is scarce scientific evidence to demonstrate that global empirical research on conservation conflicts has been conducted through an SES lens. We systematically mapped the scientific literature on a global scale to understand the landscape of conservation conflict research addressed from an SES perspective. Our mapping and subsequent analysis of 865 studies over the past three decades revealed that most research has been conducted in the US and Mexico, with conflicts arising from decisions over land use and ocean management as the most frequently studied. Of the analyzed studies, the most influential SES frameworks used were ascribed to three key publications. Our findings highlight the relative scarcity of research on conflicts in biodiversity hotspots of the Middle East, the Caribbean, and North and Central Africa.