Sustainability in a social-ecological context: Integrating the dynamics of social and ecological systems

Human activities are altering many factors that determine the fundamental properties of ecological and social systems. Is sustainability a feasible goal in a world in which these controls are changing directionally and rapidly over time? Addressing this question requires an integrated social-ecological perspective because of the central roles of processes in both domains in the changes that are occurring. In this talk we focus on two primary social-ecological linkages: ecosystem services, which determine the benefits that society derives from ecosystems; and ecological institutions, the repeatable patterns of behavior (rules) by which people influence ecosystems. Through this focus on ecosystem services and ecological institutions, four broad policy strategies emerge for sustaining social-ecological systems at times of rapid change: (a) reducing vulnerability by sustaining basic ecological processes (supporting services) that govern the flow of ecosystem services to society; (b) increasing adaptability by maintaining a diversity of biological and social options and experimenting with potentially innovative solutions; (c) fostering resilience by learning to cope with surprises and strengthening feedbacks that stabilize the desirable states of the system; and (d) facilitating transformation to new, potentially more beneficial states by taking advantage of opportunities created by crisis. Each strategy provides societal benefits, and all of them can be pursued simultaneously.