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Achieving the promise of integration in social-ecological research: A review and prospectus

Publication ,  Journal Article
Guerrero, AM; Bennett, NJ; Wilson, KA; Carter, N; Gill, D; Mills, M; Ives, CD; Selinske, MJ; Larrosa, C; Bekessy, S; Januchowski-Hartley, FA ...
Published in: Ecology and Society
October 1, 2018

An integrated understanding of both social and ecological aspects of environmental issues is essential to address pressing sustainability challenges. An integrated social-ecological systems perspective is purported to provide a better understanding of the complex relationships between humans and nature. Despite a threefold increase in the amount of social-ecological research published between 2010 and 2015, it is unclear whether these approaches have been truly integrative. We conducted a systematic literature review to investigate the conceptual, methodological, disciplinary, and functional aspects of social-ecological integration. In general, we found that overall integration is still lacking in social-ecological research. Some social variables deemed important for addressing sustainability challenges are underrepresented in social-ecological studies, e.g., culture, politics, and power. Disciplines such as ecology, urban studies, and geography are better integrated than others, e.g., sociology, biology, and public administration. In addition to ecology and urban studies, biodiversity conservation plays a key brokerage role in integrating other disciplines into social-ecological research. Studies founded on systems theory have the highest rates of integration. Highly integrative studies combine different types of tools, involve stakeholders at appropriate stages, and tend to deliver practical recommendations. Better social-ecological integration must underpin sustainability science. To achieve this potential, future social-ecological research will require greater attention to the following: the interdisciplinary composition of project teams, strategic stakeholder involvement, application of multiple tools, incorporation of both social and ecological variables, consideration of bidirectional relationships between variables, and identification of implications and articulation of clear policy recommendations.

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Published In

Ecology and Society

DOI

EISSN

1708-3087

Publication Date

October 1, 2018

Volume

23

Issue

3

Related Subject Headings

  • Ecology
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
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Guerrero, A. M., Bennett, N. J., Wilson, K. A., Carter, N., Gill, D., Mills, M., … Nuno, A. (2018). Achieving the promise of integration in social-ecological research: A review and prospectus. Ecology and Society, 23(3). https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-10232-230338
Guerrero, A. M., N. J. Bennett, K. A. Wilson, N. Carter, D. Gill, M. Mills, C. D. Ives, et al. “Achieving the promise of integration in social-ecological research: A review and prospectus.” Ecology and Society 23, no. 3 (October 1, 2018). https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-10232-230338.
Guerrero AM, Bennett NJ, Wilson KA, Carter N, Gill D, Mills M, et al. Achieving the promise of integration in social-ecological research: A review and prospectus. Ecology and Society. 2018 Oct 1;23(3).
Guerrero, A. M., et al. “Achieving the promise of integration in social-ecological research: A review and prospectus.” Ecology and Society, vol. 23, no. 3, Oct. 2018. Scopus, doi:10.5751/ES-10232-230338.
Guerrero AM, Bennett NJ, Wilson KA, Carter N, Gill D, Mills M, Ives CD, Selinske MJ, Larrosa C, Bekessy S, Januchowski-Hartley FA, Travers H, Wyborn CA, Nuno A. Achieving the promise of integration in social-ecological research: A review and prospectus. Ecology and Society. 2018 Oct 1;23(3).

Published In

Ecology and Society

DOI

EISSN

1708-3087

Publication Date

October 1, 2018

Volume

23

Issue

3

Related Subject Headings

  • Ecology