Virtual special issue: Social-ecological systems research in tropical ecosystems |
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Authors: | Leandra Merz |
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Institution: | University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA |
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Abstract: | Biodiversity is declining globally, primarily due to anthropogenic threats. Therefore, effective conservation efforts must integrate human and environmental components. Social-ecological systems research is increasingly being adopted as a means of studying complex relationships between people and the environment. I assess how researchers are employing social-ecological systems approaches or frameworks to the study of tropical ecosystems. I reviewed articles published in Biotropica from 2010 through 2022 searching for research on social-ecological systems. A broad keyword search revealed only 2 articles using a variation of social-ecological systems, human-environment systems, or coupled human and natural systems. This contrasts with a growing number of articles published with these search terms in other conservation-related journals, primarily led by environmental scientists. After reviewing titles for all 1298 research articles published during this period, I selected 12 articles for inclusion in the virtual special issue “Social-Ecological Systems Research in Topical Ecosystems”. These articles cover a broad range of geographical locations, ecosystem types, species, and conservation themes. Social-ecological systems frameworks offer an integrated way to study complex relationships between humans and nature, yet this type of research appears under-utilized by authors in Biotropica. I offer seven guidelines for authors interested in pursuing this research such as developing collaborations between social and environmental scientists. |
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Keywords: | bibliometrics conservation coupled human and natural systems human-environment systems socio-ecological systems |
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