TY - JOUR

T1 - Restoring the human capacity for conserving biodiversity

T2 - a social–ecological approach

AU - Martín-López, Berta

AU - Montes, Carlos

PY - 2015/10/1

Y1 - 2015/10/1

N2 - Achieving biodiversity targets will require acknowledging that human societies are highly interconnected with the biophysical life-support system, conforming social–ecological systems. Under the social–ecological systems framework, we recognize that human wellbeing depends, in part, upon ecosystems; additionally, biodiversity conservation depends on human behavior and governance. Precisely, under the social–ecological systems paradigm, three conservation challenges emerge: (1) to recognize the value pluralism of biodiversity in science and decision-making, (2) to acknowledge that social–ecological systems require institutional diversity to be managed effectively, and (3) to go beyond scientific disciplines towards a real transdisciplinary science. In this context, sustainability science emerges as the body of knowledge able to understand the complex interactions of social-ecological systems. Consequently, we argue that the current challenge of biodiversity conservation needs to be addressed through the operationalization of sustainability science along the three lines above.

AB - Achieving biodiversity targets will require acknowledging that human societies are highly interconnected with the biophysical life-support system, conforming social–ecological systems. Under the social–ecological systems framework, we recognize that human wellbeing depends, in part, upon ecosystems; additionally, biodiversity conservation depends on human behavior and governance. Precisely, under the social–ecological systems paradigm, three conservation challenges emerge: (1) to recognize the value pluralism of biodiversity in science and decision-making, (2) to acknowledge that social–ecological systems require institutional diversity to be managed effectively, and (3) to go beyond scientific disciplines towards a real transdisciplinary science. In this context, sustainability science emerges as the body of knowledge able to understand the complex interactions of social-ecological systems. Consequently, we argue that the current challenge of biodiversity conservation needs to be addressed through the operationalization of sustainability science along the three lines above.

KW - Ecosystem services

KW - Institutions

KW - Local ecological knowledge

KW - Social–ecological systems

KW - Sustainability science

KW - Value-pluralism

KW - Sustainability Science

KW - Social–ecological systems

KW - Value-pluralism

KW - Ecosystems Research

KW - Ecosystem services

KW - Local ecological knowledge

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84942837513&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1007/s11625-014-0283-3

DO - 10.1007/s11625-014-0283-3

M3 - Journal articles

AN - SCOPUS:84942837513

VL - 10

SP - 699

EP - 706

JO - Sustainability Science

JF - Sustainability Science

SN - 1862-4065

IS - 4

ER -