Levels, scales, linkages, and other 'multiples' affecting natural resources

Natural resources are affected by several types of “multiples.” Some analysts emphasize linkages across multiple scales while others focus on interactions across multi-level institutions or multiple fields of action. Different ways of framing the “multiples” associated with socio-ecological systems are important because they influence what analysts see – and do not see. Given the complexity of these systems, a narrow frame of analysis increases the risk that critical issues will be overlooked. Framing analysis in terms of “multi-dimensional linkages” – including multiple scales, multi-level institutions, and other types of multiples – reduces that risk by directing attention to a broader range of factors, processes, and interactions.