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Simple cause–effect relationships shown as causal loop diagrams (CLD). The variable at the tail of the arrow causes a change to the variable at the head. A plus sign indicates that the variable at the tail and the variable at the head of the arrow change in the same direction, while a minus sign indicates that the variables at the tail and head change in opposite directions. Thus, if the variable at the tail increases, the variable at the head decreases and vice versa. The letter R in the middle of a loop indicates that the loop is reinforcing, causing either a systematic growth or decline. The letter B indicates that the loop is balancing and moves the system towards equilibrium. Thus, (i) The rain irrigates the soil, which is needed for the grass to grow. Another effect of the rain is that my hair becomes wet. The growth of the grass and the wet hair seem to be correlated due to the same cause but the grass does not grow because my hair is wet. Even if the phenomena are statistically correlated, the cause–effect relationship is not sound. (ii) A cause–effect relationship with two counteracting factors acting on effect 1
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Translating policies about sustainable development as a social process and sustainability outcomes into the real world of social–ecological systems involves several challenges. Hence, research policies advocate improved innovative problem-solving capacity. One approach is transdisciplinary research that integrates research disciplines, as well as r...
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To support human well-being, green (or ecological) infrastructure policy stresses the need to sustain functional networks of representative terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems for the sus-tainable provision of multiple ecosystem services. Implementing this means that the com-plexity of interactions between social and ecological systems at multiple s...
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... On private lands, where decisions of individual landowner can have major effects on conservation efforts, gaining a better understanding of these interdependencies in the context of wildlife management is crucial. Adopting a social-ecological perspective allows for more holistic and effective strategies, as it integrates diverse stakeholder values, knowledge systems, and ecological processes, leading to more sustainable and community-supported conservation outcomes (Angelstam et al. 2013;Hummel et al. 2017;Hull et al. 2023). The application of this approach to wildlife management is a potential pathway to better understanding and addressing wicked problems that have to date largely defied resolution, despite significant research and management effort globally. ...
As human activity accelerates the global crisis facing wildlife populations, private land conservation provides an example of wildlife management challenges in social-ecological systems. This study reports on the research phase of ‘WildTracker’ - a co-created citizen science project, involving 160 landholders across three Tasmanian regions. This was a transdisciplinary collaboration between an environmental organisation, university researchers, and local landholders. Focusing on mammal and bird species, the project integrated diverse data types and technologies: social surveys, quantitative ecology, motion sensor cameras, acoustic recorders, and advanced machine-learning analytics. An iterative analytical methodology encompassed Pearson and point-biserial correlation for interrelationships, Non-Metric Multidimensional Scaling (NMDS) for clustering, and Random Forest machine learning for variable importance and prediction. Taken together, these analyses revealed complex relationships between wildlife populations and a suite of ecological, socio-economic, and land management variables. Both site-scale habitat characteristics and landscape-scale vegetation patterns were useful predictors of mammal and bird activity, but these relationships were different for mammals and birds. Four focal mammal species showed variation in their response to ecological and land management drivers. Unexpectedly, threatened species, such as the eastern quoll (Dasyurus viverrinus), favoured locations where habitat was substantially modified by human activities. The research provides actionable insights for landowners, and highlights the importance of ‘messy,’ ecologically heterogeneous, mixed agricultural landscapes for wildlife conservation. The identification of thresholds in habitat fragmentation reinforced the importance of collaboration across private landscapes. Participatory research models such as WildTracker can complement efforts to address the wicked problem of wildlife conservation in the Anthropocene.
... Where transdisciplinarity in scientific practice encourages advances and provides new perspectives (Knapp et al., 2019), one can think of connectivity as the core, where these perspectives can be further shaped, changed, broken, and rebuilt through continuous feedback. The benefits of connectivity between disciplines and iterative learning processes to scientific practices are further stimulated by transdisciplinarity and interdisciplinary research, and preferably, with the engagement of external stakeholders and community participation (Angelstam et al., 2013). Engaging stakeholders and society for reversing biodiversity loss has been widely acknowledged by intergovernmental actors (IPBES, 2019) as an integral part of generating change which has enough momentum for transfor- mation and impact. ...
According to a 2019 United Nations report, of all the known species, up to 1 million face extinction globally. Despite being considered a pressing global risk with several international efforts to protect and to restore, biodiversity loss and the degradation of ecosystems continue at an alarming rate. In December 2022, the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP15) saw the adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, where four overarching international goals for biodiversity and 23 targets were set. While this is a positive step towards addressing the drivers of biodiversity loss, we will need not just public and political will but also more effective methods to integrate and use scientific information to reach the goals and targets outlined. To facilitate this, scientists and research institutions need to establish alternative and new approaches to transform the way science is conducted, communicated, and integrated into the policymaking process. This will require the scientific community to become proficient at working in interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary teams, establishing connectivity across scientific disciplines and engaging in the policymaking process to ensure that the best available scientific evidence is not only comprehensible to decision-makers but also timely and relevant. This commentary details how scientists can embrace transformative change within and outside of their own communities to increase the impact of their research and help reach global targets that benefit society.
... On private lands, where decisions of individual landowner can have major effects on conservation efforts, gaining a better understanding of these interdependencies in the context of wildlife management is crucial. Adopting a social-ecological perspective allows for more holistic and effective strategies, as it integrates diverse stakeholder values, knowledge systems, and ecological processes, leading to more sustainable and community-supported conservation outcomes (Angelstam et al. 2013;Hummel et al. 2017;Hull et al. 2023). The application of this approach to wildlife management is a potential pathway to better understanding and addressing wicked problems that have to date largely de ed resolution, despite signi cant research and management effort globally. ...
As human activity accelerates the global crisis facing wildlife populations, private land conservation provides an example of wildlife management challenges in social-ecological systems. This study reports on the research phase of ‘WildTracker’ - a co-created citizen science project, involving 160 landholders across three Tasmanian regions. This was a transdisciplinary collaboration between an environmental organisation, university researchers, and local landholders. Focusing on mammal and bird species, the project integrated diverse data types and technologies: social surveys, quantitative ecology, motion sensor cameras, acoustic recorders, and advanced machine-learning analytics. An iterative analytical methodology encompassed Pearson and point-biserial correlation for interrelationships, Non-Metric Multidimensional Scaling (NMDS) for clustering, and Random Forest machine learning for variable importance and prediction. Taken together, these analyses revealed complex relationships between wildlife populations and a suite of ecological, socio-economic, and land management variables. Both site-scale habitat characteristics and landscape-scale vegetation patterns were useful predictors of mammal and bird activity, but these relationships were different for mammals and birds. Four focal mammal species showed variation in their response to ecological and land management drivers. Unexpectedly, threatened species, such as the eastern quoll ( Dasyurus viverinus) , favoured locations where habitat was substantially modified by human activities. The research provides actionable insights for landowners, and highlights the importance of ‘messy’, ecologically heterogeneous, mixed agricultural landscapes for wildlife conservation. The identification of thresholds in habitat fragmentation reinforced the importance of collaboration across private landscapes. Participatory research models such as WildTracker can complement efforts to address the wicked problem of wildlife conservation in the Anthropocene.
... In certain contexts, the orientation to the present of politicians, the scientists' fair of political abuses of politicians, the stakeholders thinking more concentrated on their needs than on requirements based on ethics or concepts make difficult the interactions and the participative approaches (Elzinga, 2008;Kiteme and Wiesmann 2008). To solve these problems, we need to come up with methodswhich enable participatory deliberation and transdisciplinary research, yielding practical science-based outcomes (Angelstam et al. 2013;Hirsch Hadorn et al. 2008). ...
... In other cases, scientists and practitioners can jointly lead the research process. Finally, social partners can also play a central role in leading TD research [120]. Thus, in TD research, os-cillation can be detected at several levels of exploration: at the level of scientific disciplines, areas of science, knowledge, communication between academics and society, etc. ...
In a contemporary world facing countless multifaceted crises and challenges, science can still serve as one of the most powerful tools to deal with the ordeals of our time. However, the scientific community needs to provide space for reflection on novel ways of developing its centuries-old heritage and unlocking its potential for the benefit of the world and humanity. The purpose of this article was to deliberate on the image of contemporary science within the framework of the new philosophical paradigm of metamodernism. Following historical strands related to metamodernism and science, the authors encircled the general features and elaborated the main philosophical principles of metamodernism. The main task was to identify elements of contemporary science that conform to the philosophical principles of metamodernism. Thus, several features of science and research, such as the structure of science, scientific truth, metanarratives of science, scientific thinking, system of science, interaction of scientific disciplines, dialogue of science with society and politics, open science, digitalisation of science, etc., were interpreted through the perspective of the ontological, epistemological, axiological, and methodological principles of metamodernism. This article ends with a summary of the main points of the discussion and practical implications of the presented ideas.
... The literature identifies there to be multiple challenges in the management of a transdisciplinary project including the creation of governance structures to include both academic and non-academic perspectives, project management across diverse groups with different requirements and languages, and ensuring excellence and rigour [1]. In this challenging environment it is proposed that TD research is strengthened by having experienced leadership [18]. The Centre's three Principal Investigators (PIs) are experienced in TD research. ...
In order to meet growing complexity in societal and industrial requirements for engineering projects, there is a growing need for research projects that transcend traditional single discipline silos. Widespread experience and a growing academic literature suggest that there are inherent challenges in conducting transdisciplinary research together with further issues arising from institutional barriers, working across diverse teams, and an evolving industrial and funding environment. Failure to engage with these issues may be remiss in discouraging future projects or negatively impacting the success and influence of extant transdisciplinary engineering endeavours. Within this paper we present a case study of the Made Smarter Innovation: Centre for People-Led Digitalisation, a £5 million, engineering led, transdisciplinary research Centre. The approach of the Centre – governance, and research centre design – are presented and through a workshop, the Centre’s Principal Investigators reflected upon common challenges and how management and design of the Centre might have mitigated these issues. Conclusions find that strategies employed in the design of the Centre have alleviated some common challenges to transdisciplinary research, however, integration of senior academics and the lack of broad organisational oversight within non-academic key contacts can be problematic. Future work will look to expand the study and incorporate the perspectives of researchers working within the Centre.
... Istnieją wyspecjalizowane firmy i organizacje, które analizują potrzeby użytkowe obszarów Bejrutu oraz ich mieszkańców. W ramach procesu partycypacji społecznej powstają projekty, które łączą jedno z drugim [3]. Pewne rozwiązania istniały na terenie Bejrutu już w XX wieku [4]. ...
Przedmiotem badań jest analiza rozwiązań opartych na przyrodzie w Bejrucie w przestrzeni ogólnodostępnej, której założeniem jest poprawa jakości życia w mieście. System zagospodarowania przestrzeni zielonej zmieniał się na przestrzeni lat, ale nadal nieco odbiega od tego, jaki stosuje się w krajach europejskich. Władze oraz społeczeństwo Bejrutu dostrzegają pozytywne możliwości, jakie dają te rozwiązania. W artykule przedstawiono trzy projekty rozwiązań opartych na przyrodzie w Bejrucie jako sposoby na redukcję negatywnych zmian klimatycznych oraz poprawienie stosunków między mieszkańcami miasta. Porównano ich stan obecny z tym, jak wyglądały tereny tych projektów w latach 1912, 1923, 1936 i 1961. W badaniu wykorzystano metodykę studium przypadku. Została wykorzystana również metodyka badań obserwacyjnych nieuczestniczących, aby określić postrzeganie danego miejsca przez ludność miasta. Badania opierają się także na przeprowadzonych wywiadach z mieszkańcami Bejrutu (wywiady przeprowadzone były w języku angielskim i arabskim)
... The resolution of the interconnectedness of complex problems takes an interdisciplinary and cross-disciplinary approach to expertise [73,74]. Many of the methods and instruments used in SES research integrate traditional social and natural science methodologies, including quantitative and qualitative methods such as system dynamics modeling, network analysis, agent-based modeling, multi-criteria analysis/indicator-based aggregation, and integrated assessment/decision support systems (Figure 8). ...
This paper reviews the exploration and application of social–ecological systems research perspectives to sustainable development issues such as the areas of coupled human–earth relations, resource management, geographical landscape patterns, system dynamics, and the relationship between ecosystem services and human well-being, and summarizes practical approaches and applied techniques for solving social–ecological system problems in order to understand changes and relationships in complex systems better. The article summarizes the theoretical research on social–ecological systems by domestic and international scholars into six frameworks: system resilience, system cascade, nature’s contribution to humans based on ecosystem services, public resource system management, system behavior scenario analysis, and system regime shift. Innovative research and practice oriented to complexity, coupling, and nonlinearity have emerged. However, there are differences between scientific research and applied practice, including their theoretical and methodological orientations. We should be oriented to social–ecological system problems to achieve a transformation from components to relationships, from outcomes to processes, from single to open systems, from general interventions to context sensitivity, and from linear to complex causality to meet what is required from sustainability science and geography.
... These trends bear clear consequences for the socialecological resilience of rural regions across Europe [6]. Peripheral-rural regions across Europe are thus increasingly facing multiple, complex social-ecological challenges triggered by drivers such as economic globalization, human migration, and climate change, as well as loss of biodiversity and landscape character [7,8]. The unsustainable development of many peripheral-rural areas is reflected in demographic transitions and has been described as an archetypal "wicked challenge" [9,10]. ...
Rural landscapes face multiple challenges, but they can be attractive for developing nature-based tourism. Encouraging place-based participatory governance in local communities represents a relevant transdisciplinary landscape approach. In this study, we map (1) rural and touristic challenges and (2) coping strategies in peripheral–rural municipalities, and we (3) discuss the need for integration of local and regional-level actions. Two island and two mainland municipalities with different demographic profiles and different degrees of touristic specialization in the German Wadden Sea Region were selected as case studies. Through meetings and interviews we mapped perceived challenges and analyzed policies and other coping strategies. We then discuss the need for integration at multiple scales. Island municipalities were more exposed to tourism development challenges than mainland municipalities. Securing public services and welfare, and the sustainable conservation of ecological green infrastructures were particularly challenging. Applying a participatory approach was a coping strategy at the local level. However, there is a need for activities at multiple scales. In coping with rural development challenges, local level participatory approaches and regional planning complement each other. Combination and integration of local and regional-level concepts should be encouraged to support collaborative learning through evaluation.
... The second most prolific author is Per Angelstam, with 14 publications in the GG field. Angelstam's research interests are mainly the management & performance of GG (e.g., Angelstam et al., 2013) and the coordination research of multi-agent in the GG process (e.g., . Angelstam is particularly concerned with the development and conservation of forest resources (Angelstam & Lazdinis, 2017;Angelstam et al., 2021a) and mostly takes Europe as an example (Angelstam et al., 2018(Angelstam et al., , 2021b. ...
As the importance of green governance (GG) for achieving sustainable development is generally recognized, research in this field is booming and has interdisciplinary features. Given of that, a systematic knowledge pedigree analysis is conducted based on 2342 papers related to GG from Web of Science to recognize the research status and better navigate the future research activities. First, the prolific authors, high-cited literature, geographical distribution and cooperation are carried out by using bibliometric tools to recognize the current research status of GG field. Then, the knowledge structure of GG is explained through high-frequency keyword analysis and keywords co-occurrence analysis. Next, the time zone map and strong citation bursts analysis are employed to unearth the knowledge evolution path of GG and reveal the research frontiers related to GG. Based on the above analysis, it is found that green economy, green revolution and justice are the current research hotspots of GG. Additionally, the topics of urban GG, management & performance of GG and the multi-agent to coordinately participate in the GG process are the research focuses. The research evolution of GG has experienced three periods. Through further analysis, three unique features of GG research are refined, i.e., governance agents, governance tools and governance objectives. And, a GG analysis framework contained the features of "agent-tool-objective" is constructed. Finally, four future research opportunities in this field are pointed out. This research integrates the results related to GG scattered in the literature system, which help to enrich the theoretical research of GG and guide the development of GG practice.
