2021
Andersson, Erik; Haase, Dagmar; Anderson, Pippin; Cortinovis, Chiara; Goodness, Julie; Kendal, Dave; Lausch, Angela; McPhearson, Timon; Sikorska, Daria; Wellmann, Thilo
What are the traits of a social-ecological system: towards a framework in support of urban sustainability Journal Article
In: npj Urban Sustainability, 2021.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Ecosystem services, Environmental impact, Environmental studies, Human behaviour, Social-Ecological System, Sustainability, Traits, Urban ecology, Urban governance
@article{Thilo_Wellmann_91204221,
title = {What are the traits of a social-ecological system: towards a framework in support of urban sustainability},
author = {Erik Andersson and Dagmar Haase and Pippin Anderson and Chiara Cortinovis and Julie Goodness and Dave Kendal and Angela Lausch and Timon McPhearson and Daria Sikorska and Thilo Wellmann},
url = {http://doi.org/10.1038/s42949-020-00008-4},
doi = {10.1038/s42949-020-00008-4},
year = {2021},
date = {2021-01-01},
urldate = {2021-01-01},
journal = {npj Urban Sustainability},
abstract = {To ensure that cities and urban ecosystems support human wellbeing and overall quality of life we need conceptual frameworks that can connect different scientific disciplines as well as research and practice. In this perspective, we explore the potential of a traits framework for understanding social-ecological patterns, dynamics, interactions, and tipping points in complex urban systems. To do so, we discuss what kind of framing, and what research, that would allow traits to (1) link the sensitivity of a given environmental entity to different globally relevant pressures, such as land conversion or climate change to its social-ecological consequences; (2) connect to human appraisal and diverse bio-cultural sense-making through the different cues and characteristics people use to detect change or articulate value narratives, and (3) examine how and under what conditions this new approach may trigger, inform, and support decision making in land/resources management at different scales.},
keywords = {Ecosystem services, Environmental impact, Environmental studies, Human behaviour, Social-Ecological System, Sustainability, Traits, Urban ecology, Urban governance},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {article}
}
To ensure that cities and urban ecosystems support human wellbeing and overall quality of life we need conceptual frameworks that can connect different scientific disciplines as well as research and practice. In this perspective, we explore the potential of a traits framework for understanding social-ecological patterns, dynamics, interactions, and tipping points in complex urban systems. To do so, we discuss what kind of framing, and what research, that would allow traits to (1) link the sensitivity of a given environmental entity to different globally relevant pressures, such as land conversion or climate change to its social-ecological consequences; (2) connect to human appraisal and diverse bio-cultural sense-making through the different cues and characteristics people use to detect change or articulate value narratives, and (3) examine how and under what conditions this new approach may trigger, inform, and support decision making in land/resources management at different scales.