TY - JOUR

T1 - An expert-based reference list of variables for characterizing and monitoring social-ecological systems

AU - Pacheco-Romero, Manuel

AU - Alcaraz-Segura, Domingo

AU - Vallejos, María

AU - Cabello, Javier

N1 - Funding Information: We gratefully acknowledge the effort and ideas contributed by workshop participants (Appendix 2), especially to José Paruelo, Hugo Berbery, Howard Epstein, Julio Peñas, Antonio Castro, Esteban Jobbágy, and Néstor Fernández, as well as the commitment of those scientists who participated in the surveys (Appendix 9). We are also grateful to the two anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments, which substantially improved the manuscript. We thank the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Business (Project CGL2014-61610-EXP) for financial support, as well as the Spanish Ministry of Education for the MPR fellowship (FPU14/06782). This research was done within the LTSER platforms “The Arid Iberian South East LTSER Platform, " Spain (LTER_EU_ES_027), and “Sierra Nevada/Granada (ES- SNE), " Spain (LTER_EU_ES_010), and contributes to the work done within the GEO BON working group on ecosystem services. Funding Information: We gratefully acknowledge the effort and ideas contributed by workshop participants (Appendix 2), especially to José Paruelo, Hugo Berbery, Howard Epstein, Julio Peñas, Antonio Castro, Esteban Jobbágy, and Néstor Fernández, as well as the commitment of those scientists who participated in the surveys (Appendix 9). We are also grateful to the two anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments, which substantially improved the manuscript. We thank the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Business (Project CGL2014-61610-EXP) for financial support, as well as the Spanish Ministry of Education for the MPR fellowship (FPU14/06782). This research was done within the LTSER platforms “The Arid Iberian South East LTSER Platform,” Spain (LTER_EU_ES_027), and “Sierra Nevada/Granada (ES-SNE),” Spain (LTER_EU_ES_010), and contributes to the work done within the GEO BON working group on ecosystem services. Publisher Copyright: © 2020 by the author(s).

PY - 2020

Y1 - 2020

N2 - The social-ecological system (SES) approach is fundamental for addressing global change challenges and to developing sustainability science. Over the last two decades, much progress has been made in translating this approach from theory to practice, although the knowledge generated is still sparse and difficult to compare. To better understand how SESs function across time, space, and scales, coordinated, long-term SES research and monitoring strategies under a common analytical framework are needed. For this purpose, the collection of standard datasets is a cornerstone, but we are still far from identifying and agreeing on the common core set of variables that should be used. In this study, based on literature reviews, expert workshops, and researcher perceptions collected through online surveys, we developed a reference list of 60 variables for the characterization and monitoring of SESs. The variables were embedded in a conceptual framework structured in 13 dimensions that were distributed throughout the three main components of the SES: the social system, the ecological system, and the interactions between them. In addition, the variables were prioritized according to relevance and consensus criteria identified in the survey responses. Variable relevance was positively correlated with consensus across respondents. This study brings new perspectives to address existing barriers in operationalizing lists of variables in the study of SESs, such as the applicability for place-based research, the capacity to deal with SES complexity, and the feasibility for long-term monitoring of social-ecological dynamics. This study may constitute a preliminary step to identifying essential variables for SESs. It will contribute toward promoting the systematic collection of data around most meaningful aspects of the SESs and to enhancing comparability across place-based research and long-term monitoring of complex SESs, and therefore, the production of generalizable knowledge.

AB - The social-ecological system (SES) approach is fundamental for addressing global change challenges and to developing sustainability science. Over the last two decades, much progress has been made in translating this approach from theory to practice, although the knowledge generated is still sparse and difficult to compare. To better understand how SESs function across time, space, and scales, coordinated, long-term SES research and monitoring strategies under a common analytical framework are needed. For this purpose, the collection of standard datasets is a cornerstone, but we are still far from identifying and agreeing on the common core set of variables that should be used. In this study, based on literature reviews, expert workshops, and researcher perceptions collected through online surveys, we developed a reference list of 60 variables for the characterization and monitoring of SESs. The variables were embedded in a conceptual framework structured in 13 dimensions that were distributed throughout the three main components of the SES: the social system, the ecological system, and the interactions between them. In addition, the variables were prioritized according to relevance and consensus criteria identified in the survey responses. Variable relevance was positively correlated with consensus across respondents. This study brings new perspectives to address existing barriers in operationalizing lists of variables in the study of SESs, such as the applicability for place-based research, the capacity to deal with SES complexity, and the feasibility for long-term monitoring of social-ecological dynamics. This study may constitute a preliminary step to identifying essential variables for SESs. It will contribute toward promoting the systematic collection of data around most meaningful aspects of the SESs and to enhancing comparability across place-based research and long-term monitoring of complex SESs, and therefore, the production of generalizable knowledge.

KW - Coupled human and natural systems

KW - Essential social-ecological variables

KW - Essential variables

KW - Long-term social-ecological research

KW - LTSER

KW - Place-based social-ecological research

KW - Social-ecological dimensions

KW - Social-ecological interactions

KW - Social-ecological monitoring

KW - Social-ecological system framework

KW - Social-ecological system functioning

KW - Environmental planning

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85090810723&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/3313cf03-911d-304a-9bce-168d2e96d808/

U2 - 10.5751/ES-11676-250301

DO - 10.5751/ES-11676-250301

M3 - Journal articles

AN - SCOPUS:85090810723

VL - 25

JO - Ecology and Society

JF - Ecology and Society

SN - 1708-3087

IS - 3

M1 - 1

ER -