TY - JOUR

T1 - Using a leverage points perspective to compare social-ecological systems: a case study on rural landscapes

AU - Fischer, Jörn

AU - Abson, David

AU - Dorresteijn, Ine

AU - Hanspach, Jan

AU - Hartel, Tibor

AU - Schultner, Jannik

AU - Sherrene, Kate

N1 - This publication was funded by the Open Access Publication Fund of Leuphana University Lüneburg. Publisher Copyright: © 2022 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. Funding Information: We acknowledge the generous support by numerous funding bodies who supported elements of the research synthesised here, including the Australian Research Council, the Australian Government Department of Environment, the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, and the European Research Council. We also thank the many colleagues we have worked with us on these case studies, and the many stakeholders we engaged with during our research. Detailed acknowledgements to the many funding bodies, colleagues and stakeholders, are provided in the acknowledgements sections of the papers listed in the supplementary material.

PY - 2022/3

Y1 - 2022/3

N2 - A leverage points perspective recognises different levels of systemic depth, ranging from the relatively shallow levels of parameters and feedbacks to the deeper levels of system design and intent. Analysing a given social-ecological system for its characteristics across these four levels of systemic depth provides a useful diagnostic to better understand sustainability problems, and can complement other types of cause-and-effect systems modelling. Moreover, the structured comparison of multiple systems can highlight whether sustainability challenges in different systems have a similar origin (e.g. similar feedbacks or similar design). We used a leverage points perspective to systematically compare findings from three in-depth social-ecological case studies, which investigated rural landscapes in southeastern Australia, central Romania, and southwestern Ethiopia. Inductive coding of key findings documented in over 60 empirical publications was used to generate synthesis statements of key findings in the three case studies. Despite major socioeconomic and ecological differences, many synthesis statements applied to all three case studies. Major sustainability problems occurred at the design and intent levels. For example, at the intent level, all three rural landscapes were driven by goals and paradigms that mirrored a productivist green revolution discourse. Our paper thus highlights that there are underlying challenges for rural sustainability across the world, which appear to apply similarly across strongly contrasting socioeconomic contexts. Sustainability interventions should be mindful of such deep similarities in system characteristics. We conclude that a leverage points perspective could be used to compare many other types of social-ecological systems around the world.

AB - A leverage points perspective recognises different levels of systemic depth, ranging from the relatively shallow levels of parameters and feedbacks to the deeper levels of system design and intent. Analysing a given social-ecological system for its characteristics across these four levels of systemic depth provides a useful diagnostic to better understand sustainability problems, and can complement other types of cause-and-effect systems modelling. Moreover, the structured comparison of multiple systems can highlight whether sustainability challenges in different systems have a similar origin (e.g. similar feedbacks or similar design). We used a leverage points perspective to systematically compare findings from three in-depth social-ecological case studies, which investigated rural landscapes in southeastern Australia, central Romania, and southwestern Ethiopia. Inductive coding of key findings documented in over 60 empirical publications was used to generate synthesis statements of key findings in the three case studies. Despite major socioeconomic and ecological differences, many synthesis statements applied to all three case studies. Major sustainability problems occurred at the design and intent levels. For example, at the intent level, all three rural landscapes were driven by goals and paradigms that mirrored a productivist green revolution discourse. Our paper thus highlights that there are underlying challenges for rural sustainability across the world, which appear to apply similarly across strongly contrasting socioeconomic contexts. Sustainability interventions should be mindful of such deep similarities in system characteristics. We conclude that a leverage points perspective could be used to compare many other types of social-ecological systems around the world.

KW - Ecosystems Research

KW - Farming

KW - holistic management

KW - paddock trees

KW - path dependence

KW - productivism

KW - smallholders

KW - Transylvania

KW - Farming

KW - Holistic management

KW - paddock trees

KW - path dependence

KW - productivism

KW - smallholders

KW - Transylvania

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85125749716&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1080/26395916.2022.2032357

DO - 10.1080/26395916.2022.2032357

M3 - Journal articles

VL - 18

SP - 119

EP - 130

JO - Ecosystems and People

JF - Ecosystems and People

SN - 2639-5908

IS - 1

ER -