Thinking in Terms of Social- Ecological Systems: Connecting climate change impacts to human communities Miranda H. Mockrin Rocky Mountain Research Station USDA Forest Service Fort Collins, CO Workshop on Forest Community Vulnerability and Adaptive Capacity in the Context of Climate Change November , Lubrecht Experimental Forest, Montana

Social-ecological systems— definitions and history Combines ecosystems and social science to address the linked ways that social systems and ecology interact Emerged from Stockholm Resilience Center, always linked to resilience as a concept Same as ‘coupled human-natural systems’

Social-ecological systems— definitions and history “We hold the view that social and ecological systems are in fact linked, and that the delineation between social and natural systems is artificial and arbitrary” Berkes et al Navigating social-ecological systems: building resilience for complexity and change. Cambridge University Press. 393 pp.

Social-ecological systems— definitions and history When separated, in the past, ▫social science sometimes focused solely on human interactions, with environmental context seen as constant or unimportant ▫ ecologists concentrated on ‘pristine environments’ and saw humans as external agents, minimizing institutional and policy context (Liu et al. 2007).

Social-ecological systems— definitions and history Grew out of systems ecology/systems approach, with an emphasis on linkages, feedbacks, and thresholds among components. Response to classic utilitarian approaches that considered resources in isolation ▫e.g., harvesting fisheries with a fixed species-specific quota ▫Classical approach assumed scientific knowledge/human control could result in desired management outcomes

Social-ecological systems—limitations Despite emphasis on joining ecology and social science, usually focused on a natural resource or ecological system/case study Questions about these systems/resilience and work with social science (Davidson 2010 Society and Natural Resources)

Examples of climate change & SES Chapin et al Policy strategies to address sustainability of Alaskan boreal forests in response to a directionally changing climate. PNAS 103: 16637– Leslie et al Modeling responses of coupled social-ecological systems of the Gulf of California to anthropogenic and natural pertubations. Ecological Restoration. 24:

Diagram of a social–ecological system comprising an ecological subsystem (left) and a social subsystem (right), each with a spectrum of controls that operate across a range of temporal and spatial scales. Chapin et al. PNAS 2006 ©2006 by National Academy of Sciences

Leslie et al Ecological Restoration. Fig. 1 Major feedback driving the model of the coupled social–ecological systems. Juvenile and adult fish populations are affected by different environmental and exploitation pressures and are linked through immigration and recruitment. Adults are harvested by the sportfishing and artisanal fleets, while the largely immature individuals are impacted by the industrial shrimp fleet via bycatch. The effort employed by the sportfishing and artisanal fleets are driven by the returns to each respective sector

Social-Ecological Systems & USFS Southern Forest Futures Project Resources Product Assesssment

Social-Ecological Systems & USFS Southern Forest Futures Project ▫Forecasting probable changes in southern forests between 2010 and ▫Presents a range of futures or scenarios of the South’s forests  Influences such as urbanization, bioenergy, climate change, land ownership changes, and invasive species.  Goal: inform land management and policy by providing these forecasts about potential long-term change in forests of the 13 southern states.

Forest Wood Products Condition Range Forage Supply Condition Carbon Sequestration Water Supply Vulnerability Wildlife Climate Stress Bird Diversity Recreation Participation Days of Activity Landscape Pattern Fragmentation Edge 2010 RPA Scenario Analysis and Modeling Systems Forecasts of Ecosystem Services/Responses Global SRES Scenarios Socioeconomic Bioenergy Climate US Scenarios Macroeconomic Demographic Basic Assumptions Translated/ Downscaled US Forest Sector Modeling System Global Forest Products Model US Forest Products Model Forest Dynamics Model Land Use Model Timber Supply Forest Area

Social-Ecological Systems & USFS Strong tradition of considering both social and ecological science in resource assessments ▫Emphasis on modeling and ecological approaches ▫Forested ecosystems/resources ▫Large spatial and temporal scales

Connecting Climate Change Impacts to Human Communities: Thinking in terms of social- ecological systems Miranda H. Mockrin Rocky Mountain Research Station USDA Forest Service Fort Collins, CO Workshop on Forest Community Vulnerability and Adaptive Capacity in the Context of Climate Change November , Lubrecht Experimental Forest, Montana