Linking Social and Ecological Systems: Management Practices and Social Mechanisms for Building Resilience

Description

While scientists usually examine either ecological systems or social systems, the need exists for an interdisciplinary approach to the problems of environmental management and sustainable development. Developed under the auspices of the Beijer Institute in Stockholm, this volume analyzes social and ecological linkages in selected ecosystems using an international and interdisciplinary case study approach. The chapters provide detailed information on a variety of management practices for dealing with environmental change. Taken as a whole, the book contributes to the greater understanding of essential social responses to changes in ecosystems. A key feature is a set of new, or rediscovered, principles for sustainable ecosystem management.

Fikret Berkes is Director of the Natural Resources Institute at the University of Manitoba, Canada. Carl Folke is Deputy Director of the Beijer International Institute of Ecological Economics at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Stockholm, Sweden.

'This is a scholarly work, with an international focus, providing detailed ethnography and analysis of local and regional resource management systems. It should prove useful to ecologists, some anthropologists, cultural geographers and ecological economists ... The systems-based, interdisciplinary, non-reductionist spirit that permeates this book represents a significant contribution to the understanding of human/nature relations.' Michael Redclift, The Times Higher Education Supplement 'Fikret Berkes and Carl Folke brought together a remarkable group of people and organized their scholarly work to produce a splendid volume that marries the best research on social and ecological systems that exists today.' Ecological Economics 'These volumes offer the basis of a synthetic view of environment and human decision-making. Such work is of the highest importance, both as a basis for policy and for its inherent intellectual challenge.' W. M. Adams, TREE 'Berkes and Folke have produced a high quality publication which contributes to the laying of foundations for more harmonious socio-environmental relations in the future' Journal of Applied Ecology '...an unusually coherent edited collection, which develops an unambiguous and compelling argument for adopting a rigorous interdisciplinary appraoch to natural resource management.' Journal of Applied Ecology 'A welcome contribution to the debate on the sustainable use of natural resources.' Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institution