Premium
A social–ecological approach to conservation planning: embedding social considerations
Author(s) -
Ban Natalie C,
Mills Morena,
Tam Jordan,
Hicks Christina C,
Klain Sarah,
Stoeckl Natalie,
Bottrill Madeleine C,
Levine Jordan,
Pressey Robert L,
Satterfield Terre,
Chan Kai MA
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
frontiers in ecology and the environment
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.918
H-Index - 164
eISSN - 1540-9309
pISSN - 1540-9295
DOI - 10.1890/110205
Subject(s) - set (abstract data type) , environmental resource management , conservation psychology , ecology , environmental planning , geography , computer science , biodiversity , economics , biology , programming language
Many conservation plans remain unimplemented, in part because of insufficient consideration of the social processes that influence conservation decisions. Complementing social considerations with an integrated understanding of the ecology of a region can result in a more complete conservation approach. We suggest that linking conservation planning to a social–ecological systems (SES) framework can lead to a more thorough understanding of human–environment interactions and more effective integration of social considerations. By characterizing SES as a set of subsystems, and their interactions with each other and with external factors, the SES framework can improve our understanding of the linkages between social and ecological influences on the environment. Using this framework can help to identify socially and ecologically focused conservation actions that will benefit ecosystems and human communities, and assist in the development of more consistent evidence for evaluating conservation actions by comparing conservation case studies.