Social-Ecological Resilience and Law by Garmestani Ahjond;Allen Craig;

Author:Garmestani, Ahjond;Allen, Craig;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: -
Publisher: Columbia University Press
Published: 2013-12-30T00:00:00+00:00

SEVEN

Ecosystem Services, Ecosystem Resilience, and Resilience of Ecosystem Management Policy

J. B. RUHL AND F. STUART CHAPIN III

Two emerging theoretical models have captivated ecological science and policy over the past decade. One is the concept of ecosystem services, which focuses on the benefits that people derive from ecosystems, including the flows of economically valuable services to human populations (Costanza et al. 1997; Daily 1997; Ruhl et al. 2007; Ruhl and Salzman 2007). The other is resilience theory, which explores how natural and social systems withstand disturbances over time (Gunderson and Holling 2002; Gunderson et al. 2010). In this chapter, we examine the connections between the two.

Ecosystem services theory and resilience theory have both gained tremendous stock in ecosystem management policy over the past decade (Ruhl and Salzman 2007; Benson and Garmestani 2011). The reason is simple—each resonates firmly in the modern conception of ecosystems as complex adaptive systems (Levin 1999). Ecosystem services theory merges the disciplines of ecology, geography, and economics to gain a better understanding of how complex ecological landscapes produce a natural economy that sustains human and social capital (Ruhl et al. 2007). Resilience theory studies the social-ecological interface to gain a better understanding of how dynamic forces in nature affect social systems, and vice versa (Benson and Garmestani 2011). Standing alone, each of these theoretical models has established substantial independent credibility throughout academic, government, and private research bodies. Less attention has been paid, however, to the relationship between ecosystem services theory and resilience theory. Are the two mutually antagonistic or will one support application of the other? How will knowing about one model influence how the other is developed and used? Given how important ecosystem services theory and resilience theory have become to environmental policy, it is fitting to devote attention to these questions.

We approach the topic from two perspectives. The first is to ask whether using the concept of ecosystem services in policy can support the resilience of ecological systems. Is there anything to be gained in sustainable ecosystem management by applying ecosystem services theory, and are there any risks from doing so? The second perspective is to ask whether using the concept of ecosystem services in ecosystem management policy can support the resilience of policy itself. Will using ecosystem services concepts help ecosystem management policy deliver on its goals over sustained time frames in the face of massive perturbations, such as global climate and economic changes?

The reason for dividing the analysis into these two perspectives is that promoting resilience of ecosystems, if that is our policy goal, does not necessarily demand that we achieve resilience in ecosystem management policy, and likewise, achieving resilience in ecosystem management policy does not necessarily confer ecosystem resilience. The two, quite simply, are not the same or even necessarily compatible, and this is often overlooked in resilience theory literature. It may be desirable to support resilience in both ecosystems and ecosystem management policy, but there may be complex trade-offs between the two that make mutual optimization unattainable. How and where we

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