TY - JOUR

T1 - Delineating boundaries of social-ecological systems for landscape planning

T2 - A comprehensive spatial approach

AU - Martín-López, Berta

AU - Palomo, Ignacio

AU - García-Llorente, Marina

AU - Iniesta-Arandia, Irene

AU - Castro, Antonio J.

AU - García Del Amo, David

AU - Gómez-Baggethun, Erik

AU - Montes, Carlos

PY - 2017/7/1

Y1 - 2017/7/1

N2 - An increasing number of studies demonstrate the need of applying a social-ecological system approach for landscape planning. However, there is a lack of empirical research that operationalizes the concept of social-ecological system for landscape planning through the characterization of social-ecological interactions. In this study, we develop a methodological framework to delineate the boundaries of social-ecological systems and to characterize their main social-ecological units in a spatially explicit way. Social-ecological units represent the interactions between the biophysical and socio-economic sub-systems at local scale. The methodology is structured in four phases: (1) ecological regionalization, i.e. identification and mapping of consistent ecological units based on biophysical variables; (2) socio-economic regionalization, i.e. identification and mapping of homogeneous groups of municipalities based on socio-economic variables; (3) identification of social-ecological systems boundaries and characterization of social-ecological units; and (4) validation of the social-ecological systems boundaries with key informants through participatory mapping. By applying the proposed methodological framework to three different Mediterranean cultural landscapes, we define the boundaries of social-ecological systems and illustrate how social and ecological sub-systems interact at local scale. We conclude that the proposed methodological framework is useful to operationalize the concept of social-ecological systems in landscape planning.

AB - An increasing number of studies demonstrate the need of applying a social-ecological system approach for landscape planning. However, there is a lack of empirical research that operationalizes the concept of social-ecological system for landscape planning through the characterization of social-ecological interactions. In this study, we develop a methodological framework to delineate the boundaries of social-ecological systems and to characterize their main social-ecological units in a spatially explicit way. Social-ecological units represent the interactions between the biophysical and socio-economic sub-systems at local scale. The methodology is structured in four phases: (1) ecological regionalization, i.e. identification and mapping of consistent ecological units based on biophysical variables; (2) socio-economic regionalization, i.e. identification and mapping of homogeneous groups of municipalities based on socio-economic variables; (3) identification of social-ecological systems boundaries and characterization of social-ecological units; and (4) validation of the social-ecological systems boundaries with key informants through participatory mapping. By applying the proposed methodological framework to three different Mediterranean cultural landscapes, we define the boundaries of social-ecological systems and illustrate how social and ecological sub-systems interact at local scale. We conclude that the proposed methodological framework is useful to operationalize the concept of social-ecological systems in landscape planning.

KW - Transdisciplinary studies

KW - Human-nature system

KW - Indicators

KW - Landscape planning

KW - Multivariate analysis

KW - Regionalization

KW - Social-ecological units

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85018741954&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.landusepol.2017.04.040

DO - 10.1016/j.landusepol.2017.04.040

M3 - Journal articles

AN - SCOPUS:85018741954

VL - 66

SP - 90

EP - 104

JO - Land Use Policy

JF - Land Use Policy

SN - 0264-8377

ER -