Toward Principles for Enhancing the Resilience of Ecosystem Services

• Published in: Annual review of environment and resources Vol. 37; no. 1; pp. 421 - 448
• Main Authors: Biggs, Reinette, Schlüter, Maja, Biggs, Duan, Bohensky, Erin L, BurnSilver, Shauna, Cundill, Georgina, Dakos, Vasilis, Daw, Tim M, Evans, Louisa S, Kotschy, Karen, Leitch, Anne M, Meek, Chanda, Quinlan, Allyson, Raudsepp-Hearne, Ciara, Robards, Martin D, Schoon, Michael L, Schultz, Lisen, West, Paul C
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Palo Alto, CA Annual Reviews 01-01-2012
• Subjects: Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Applied ecology; Biological and medical sciences; connectivity; Conservation, protection and management of environment and wildlife; diversity; Environmental Sciences; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; learning; participation; polycentric; social-ecological; Participation; polycentric; Environmental policy; Review; Biodiversity; Recommendation; Resilience; Learning; diversity; connectivity; Ecosystem; Ecosystem services; social-ecological; Social aspect
• ISSN: 1543-5938; 1545-2050; 1545-2050
• DOI: 10.1146/annurev-environ-051211-123836

Enhancing the resilience of ecosystem services (ES) that underpin human well-being is critical for meeting current and future societal needs, and requires specific governance and management policies. Using the literature, we identify seven generic policy-relevant principles for enhancing the resilience of desired ES in the face of disturbance and ongoing change in social-ecological systems (SES). These principles are (P1) maintain diversity and redundancy, (P2) manage connectivity, (P3) manage slow variables and feedbacks, (P4) foster an understanding of SES as complex adaptive systems (CAS), (P5) encourage learning and experimentation, (P6) broaden participation, and (P7) promote polycentric governance systems. We briefly define each principle, review how and when it enhances the resilience of ES, and conclude with major research gaps. In practice, the principles often co-occur and are highly interdependent. Key future needs are to better understand these interdependencies and to operationalize and apply the principles in different policy and management contexts.