Search Results (102)

Situated in the southern hilly-mountain belt of China’s “Three Zones and Four Belts Strategy”, Gannan region is a critical ecological shelter belt for the Ganjiang River. Decades of intensive mineral extraction and irrational agricultural development have rendered it into an ecologically fragile area. Consequently, multiple restoration initiatives have been implemented in the region over recent decades. However, it remains unclear how relationships among ecosystem services have evolved under these interventions and how future ecosystem management should be optimized based on these changes. Thus, in this study, we simulated and assessed the spatiotemporal dynamics of five key ESs in Gannan region from 1990 to 2020. Through integrated correlation, clustering, and redundancy analyses, we quantified ES interactions, tracked the evolution of ecosystem service bundles (ESBs), and identified their socio-ecological drivers. Despite a 31% decline in water yield, ecological restoration initiatives drove substantial improvements in key regulating services: carbon storage increased by 6.9 × 10¹² gC while soil conservation rose by 4.8 × 10⁸ t. Concurrently, regional habitat quality surged by 45% in mean scores, and food production increased by 2.1 × 10⁵ t. Critically, synergistic relationships between habitat quality, soil retention, and carbon storage were progressively strengthened, whereas trade-offs between food production and habitat quality intensified. Further analysis revealed that four distinct ESBs—the Agricultural Production Bundle (APB), Urban Development Bundle (UDB), Eco-Agriculture Transition Bundle (ETB), and Ecological Protection Bundle (EPB)—were shaped by slope, forest cover ratio, population density, and GDP. Notably, 38% of the ETB transformed into the EPB, with frequent spatial interactions observed between the APB and UDB. These findings underscore that future ecological restoration and conservation efforts should implement coordinated, multi-service management mechanisms. Full article

Rural post-poverty alleviation areas are not on a solid developmental footing and therefore remain at risk of returning to poverty in the midst of rapid urbanization. Vulnerability assessment of socio-ecological systems is critical for identifying risks and enhancing resilience in rural areas transitioning out of poverty. Based on research data from 2012, 2017, and 2022 in the post-poverty alleviation areas of Hunan Province, this research establishes a Vulnerability-Scoping-Diagram (VSD) assessment framework for rural development vulnerability and Spatially-Explicit-Resilience-Vulnerability (SERV) analysis model from a socio-ecological system perspective. It comprehensively analyzes the spatial and temporal variations of the Rural Development Vulnerability Index (RDVI) in the study area. Geodetector is used to explore the main factors influencing the spatial and temporal variability of RDVI, and vulnerability type zones are classified by combining the dominant elements method. The findings indicate that: (1) The rural development vulnerability index of post-poverty alleviation areas in Hunan Province has obvious characteristics of spatial and temporal differentiation. The RDVI in western Hunan and southern Hunan is always high, while the RDVI in ChangZhuTan and Dongting Lake regions decreases year by year. (2) The RDVI of post-poverty alleviation areas in Hunan Province is determined by the three dimensions of exposure, sensitivity, and adaptability, exhibiting significant spatial and temporal variations. (3) Spatial autocorrelation analysis showed that areas with similar rural socio-ecological vulnerability in post-poverty alleviation areas of Hunan Province were significantly clustered spatially. (4) The core influencing factors of RDVI in Hunan’s post-poverty alleviation areas have shifted from natural disaster risk to multiple risk dimensions encompassing social resource load and ecological environment risk superimposition, resulting in more complex and diversified influencing factors. (5) By combining results from the RDVI assessment with the dominant elements method, the regions can be classified into multiple vulnerability type districts dominated by multiple elements or single-element dominance, leading to corresponding development suggestions. The study aims to examine the process of changes in vulnerability within rural development in post-poverty alleviation areas and its causal factors from a socio-ecological system perspective. This will provide a foundation for policy formulation to consolidate the results of post-poverty alleviation and promote the sustainable development of rural areas. Full article

This paper analyses how strategic interactions between actors influence the development of circular economy (CE) initiatives in food systems. Using a case study from Saint-Hyacinthe, a mid-sized and agri-food technopole in Québec (Canada), we investigate how cooperation, competition, and power asymmetries shape CE adoption across the supply chain. Drawing on game theory and a typology of management dynamics, the study identifies four patterns: negotiated management, constrained leadership, hierarchical relationships, and competitive behaviour. Empirical data were collected through two collaborative workshops involving public, private, and community-based actors, resulting in 244 coded entries across 12 boards. These allowed us to assess actors’ interests, attitudes, and capacities in relation to CE strategies at upstream, midstream, and downstream stages. The results show that strategies aligned with dominant interests and existing capacities are more likely to be supported, while those requiring structural change are tolerated or marginalized. Findings highlight the role of incentive mechanisms, institutional flexibility, and coordination in enabling more transformative circular initiatives. By adopting a stage-sensitive perspective, this study also fills a gap in the literature by examining how actor dynamics differ across upstream, midstream, and downstream segments of the food system, contributing to CE research by applying game theory to actor configurations and interaction dynamics in food systems. It calls for further exploration of interdependencies and contextual conditions that either facilitate or hinder the emergence of effective, inclusive, and systemic CE transitions. Full article

In view of the growing interest in green building transitions (GBTs) over the past decade, various GBT frameworks have been developed. Concurrently, a comprehensive systematic review of GBT research is yet to be conducted, leaving ambiguity surrounding the evolution and adoption of diverse models in this field. In general, existing frameworks mainly adopt socio-technical or socio-institutional approaches. Focusing on different individual practices, these studies have resulted in fragmented results. There is a lack of an integrative understanding of the socio-ecology of the GBT system. Hence, this study aims to consolidate existing research works conducted in the GBT fields and develop an integrative GBT framework towards a socio-ecological approach. A mixed-methods approach was employed, combining qualitative content analysis with quantitative bibliometric methods. The findings indicated that qualitative approaches (constituting 47%, encompassing 34 articles) and modeling techniques (comprising 37%, amounting to 27 articles) emerged as the predominant research methodologies employed. Evolutionary game theory and the multi-level perspective stood out as the most prevalent theoretical frameworks utilized in studies of GBT. Noteworthy contributions to the field were observed from China (with 29 articles) and the UK (with 17 articles). Notable keywords such as “barriers” (frequency = 16) and “energy” (frequency = 11) were identified as pivotal in the analysis. Furthermore, a total of ten co-occurrence clusters were identified to classify related keywords, enhancing content relevance and pinpointing key thematic groupings. The findings highlighted the need for a new direction in future GBT research, specifically focusing on the socio-ecological perspective. This perspective not only focuses on the human dimension of technical and institutional factors but also on the exchange between the ecosystem and society. It also emphasizes the resilience and adaptability to absorb disruptions and progress towards a more desired system state. This study offers valuable contributions to the existing body of GBT literature and has implications for researchers and research institutions in this field. Full article

An urban–rural–natural imbalance is evident; investigating the spatiotemporal evolution of the transitional geo-space (TG) between them facilitates the integration of urban–rural land use planning. In this study, we proposed a complex system model to explore the interactive dynamics between the social–economic systems and natural ecosystems of Changning County, Southwest China, with the TG being identified and classified across the two systems. Based on a three-dimensional “direction–speed–pattern” framework, we further quantified production–living–ecological space (PLE) changes and examined the impacts of these changes on the TG from 2000 to 2022. The results are as follows: (1) The TG was classified into five categories that were stratified according to the coupling intensity and orientation of the socioeconomic system and natural ecosystems in Changning County. (2) The transition type with the most complex socio-ecological coupling was the type of semi-socioeconomic process–semi-natural ecological process, occupying 32.6% (309.4 km²) of the county’s total area in 2000 and demonstrating the most pronounced spatial dynamics, exhibiting a reduction of 78.6 km² during the study period. (3) Negative impacts on TG dynamics were observed for the conversion of ecological space into agricultural production space (p < 0.01; R² > 0.24) and the dynamic degree of PLE transformations (p < 0.01; R² > 0.13). (4) The impacts of trends in PLE on the TG varied significantly across temporal phases, whereas the CONTAG index exhibited consistently non-significant effects throughout all study periods. This study provides a new insight into understanding the optimization of spatial development patterns in urban–rural–natural regions and offers theoretical support for the governance of national land space and high-quality economic and social development in mountainous areas. Full article

Urban–rural fringe areas are critical transition zones where ecological functions and human activities interact intensely, often leading to complex spatial patterns and trade-offs among ecosystem services (ESs). Understanding these patterns and their socio-ecological drivers across multiple spatial scales is essential for sustainable land-use planning and ecosystem management. This study, using the urban–rural fringe (URF) of Beijing as an example, quantified eight representative ecosystem services at the 1 km grid, 3 km grid, and township scales. It employed hotspot analysis, Moran’s Index, and the Spearman correlation to analyze trade-offs and synergies (TOSs) among ESs. The study also applied a self-organizing map and the NbClust function to identify and determine the optimal number of ecosystem service bundles (ESBs) for ecological functional zoning. Redundancy analysis was used to explore the impacts of six socio-ecological drivers on the spatial distribution of ESs. The results revealed the following: (1) The spatial distribution of ESs in Beijing’s URF exhibits clustering and cross-scale variations, with spatial clustering intensifying as the scale expands. (2) TOSs among ESs vary in strength and direction across the three spatial scales. (3) The primary drivers of TOSs at all three scales are the normalized vegetation index and annual precipitation. (4) Based on the supply intensity of various ESs, the study area was classified into four types of ESBs across the three scales: ecologically restricted areas, food production areas, ecologically balanced areas, and high-quality ecological areas. The township scale is more conducive to planning and management, while the 1 km and 3 km grid scales are more helpful for understanding the relationship between land use and ESs. Full article

This review paper examines two underutilized yet transformative drivers in addressing the climate crisis: (1) the role of cultural belief systems in fostering large-scale behavioral shifts toward sustainability, and (2) the use of participatory artificial intelligence (AI) methods to mitigate natural disaster risks, such as flooding. Despite their potential, both areas remain largely untapped. The first driver stems from persistent inertia in behavioral change, prompting the 2023 IPCC Report to call for an ‘inner transition’—a cultural shift in which deeply held values shape socio-ecological behavior, encouraging individuals to move away from business-as-usual lifestyles. However, the mechanisms behind such a transition remain unclear, and empirical support for this approach is still emerging. The second driver highlights the untapped potential of advanced computational techniques in developing intelligent solutions for worsening ecological crises. AI development is often expert-driven, disconnected from societal needs and lived realities. To bridge this gap, inclusive technology co-design—engaging all societal groups, especially those most affected by climate change—is crucial. Additionally, effective mechanisms for networking, amplifying, and scaling these efforts are essential. This paper proposes an integrated, multi-method framework that unites both drivers, offering a novel approach to accelerating progress in climate action. Full article

Urban flooding represents a critical socio-ecological challenge exacerbated by climate change and rapid urbanization, with green infrastructure (GI) emerging as a transformative approach to flood management. This study employs an innovative methodological framework integrating the Biblioshiny, CiteSpace, and Orange3 analytical tools to examine research trends and evolutions in GI for urban flooding from 2015 to 2024. The bibliometric analysis of 813 publications reveals a profound epistemological transition from technically oriented approaches toward integrated socio-ecological frameworks. The citation patterns demonstrate increasing scholarly attention on multifunctionality, climate resilience, and governance dimensions, with the United States and China emerging as dominant research hubs. The analysis identifies distinct thematic clusters reflecting the field’s intellectual progression from hydrological engineering paradigms toward systemic conceptualizations that recognize the complex interactions between technical, ecological, and social dimensions. Despite these advancements, persistent knowledge gaps remain regarding longitudinal performance evaluations, governance frameworks for maintenance, and scalar integration from site-specific interventions to watershed-level outcomes. These findings emphasize the need for methodological innovation addressing the temporal dimensions of GI performance and institutional arrangements for its implementation across diverse urban contexts, positioning GI as a critical component of sustainable urban water management amid increasing climatic uncertainty. Full article

University students increasingly encounter significant mental health challenges as they navigate a pivotal period of personal and academic transition. Heightened by academic demands, financial insecurity, social isolation, and cultural expectations, these pressures can profoundly affect their emotional well-being. In response to this growing concern, a qualitative phenomenological study was undertaken to explore the subjective experiences of university students regarding their mental health. Guided by a socioecological framework, the research examined the complex interplay of individual, interpersonal, institutional, and societal factors shaping students’ perceptions and lived realities of mental well-being. The study utilized a phenomenological design and included 56 students from eight degree programs. The data collection methods included semi-structured interviews, reflective diaries, focus groups, ecological mapping, and ethnographic observation. The findings revealed that complex interactions between personal, social, institutional, and structural factors significantly influence students’ mental well-being. The research identified strategies students use to maintain or improve mental health, along with barriers and facilitators they encounter in the university context. The results emphasize the need for universities to adopt comprehensive, student-centered interventions, such as peer mentorship and mutual support programs, supported by updated institutional policies. These measures aim to create inclusive, adaptive, and less stressful environments, providing a model for other universities seeking to address similar challenges. Full article

Understanding the feedback relationships and evolutionary stages of water–socioecological systems (W-SESs) is crucial for achieving sustainable development in basins. This study focuses on the Lake Victoria Basin (LVB) in East Africa, where population growth, rapid urbanization, and developing industrialization have intensified water resource supply–demand conflicts, leading to socioecological issues such as water environmental degradation and ecological conflicts. The objective of this research is to develop a theoretical framework for the Lake Victoria Basin W-SESs (LVB-WSESs) based on the SES framework, identify the main drivers and critical nodes in the evolution of the LVB-WSESs, analyze the root causes of water–society–ecology conflicts, and explore the feedback relationships and evolutionary stages of the LVB-WSESs over the past century. To achieve this, we employed an integrated qualitative and quantitative analysis of historical data combined with tipping point detection to systematically assess the dynamics of the LVB-WSESs. Our findings show that, under the drivers of climate change (with a 1 °C increase in annual temperature since 1920s), population growth (a six-fold increase since 1920s), economic development, land-use change, urbanization, and species invasion, the basin’s demand for water resources, water environments, and aquatic ecosystems has continually increased, leading to the gradual degradation and imbalance of the basin’s ecological functions. The evolution of the LVB-WSESs can be divided into five stages against the historical backdrop of societal transitions from colonial to independent democratic systems: the stable resource utilization period, the slow environmental change period (1920s–1960s), the rapid environmental imbalance period (1960s–1990s), the transition period from environmental imbalance to protection (1990s–2015), and the reconstruction period of socioecological equilibrium. This study not only enhances understanding of the long-term dynamics of the LVB-WSESs but also provides practical implications for sustainable water management in similar basins globally. It enriches the local practice of global sustainable development theories, providing new theoretical perspectives and case references for future watershed sustainable management. By identifying critical drivers and evolutionary stages, our findings can inform policy decisions and interventions to mitigate socioecological conflicts and achieve basin-level sustainability. Full article

This study explores how traditional ecological knowledge in Chile can contribute to adaptation strategies within increasingly complex socio-ecological landscapes. It addresses the need for innovative approaches to knowledge production and application in the face of climate change and related crises. Through an exploratory, multi-sited qualitative methodology—integrating ethnographic observation, participatory methods, and in-depth interviews across various regions—this research identifies patterns, contrasts, and synergies in TEK practices related to water management, agroecology, community resource governance, and cultural heritage. The results show that TEK is not a static repository but rather a set of dynamic and adaptive practices and understandings shaped over centuries of interaction with heterogeneous environments. Although pressures such as migration, industrialization, resource privatization, and climatic threats endanger its continuity, TEK demonstrates the ability to integrate with scientific and political frameworks, enabling culturally relevant adaptation driven by local communities. These findings highlight the relevance of relational and transdisciplinary approaches to reduce epistemic gaps, foster cooperation, and guide more equitable, multi-level environmental governance. In conclusion, strengthening TEK’s role—through supportive policies, collaborative research, and inclusive dialogues—can enhance resilience, guide sustainable transitions, and enrich global adaptation strategies that respect local contexts and cultural diversity, thereby advancing progress toward the SDGs. Full article

This article examines dams from a relational perspective, understanding them as hydrosocial infrastructures resulting from interactions between actors, their mental models, institutions, and water flows. Through a literature review in the fields of science and technology as well as socioecological studies, we identified six attributes and five drawbacks of dams from a relational perspective that are not usually fully considered. Additionally, we collated these drawbacks and attributes for four dams in Colombia. The article contributes theory to approaching energy infrastructures, such as dams, from the hydrosocial, socioecological, and sociotechnical literature. The article highlights the importance of a new view to planning and government of the territory, as well as water administration and energy transition toward more just socioecological relations. Full article

The technological development of oil companies in Mexico is essential for ensuring their economic sustainability. A mechanism for the effective management of the technological development of oil companies, and the industry as a whole, is to determine its priority areas. This article provides a calculation for the choice of planning directions for the development of the oil sector in Mexico and related studies. Currently, the most promising technologies are offshore drilling and production. To achieve the study goals, we analyzed the patent activity of the oil sector. The results showed an unfavorable trend: the number of private and public patents in Mexico is decreasing. For example, from 2017 to 2023, the number of patents for offshore technologies decreased by more than 10 times. This dynamic significantly hinders the development of the oil industry. Despite the general measures taken within the framework of energy policy, the volume of oil production is constantly declining. Thus, in order to ensure the continued reproduction potential of the oil sector, it is necessary to take into account the importance of research and development. The innovation rating of the Mexican Petroleum Institute, a state-funded research center for the hydrocarbon sector, has been declining, having fallen by more than 50% from 102 international patents in 2014 to 40 in 2024. Today, the Mexican Institute of Petroleum is in the 48th percentile in terms of research performance among research institutes. The present authors’ approach considers that the intensification of technological development, which is costly, should not be an end in itself but rather an important means of increasing the efficiency of the integrated activities of oil companies. To integrate the patent-technological component of the strategic planning of oil companies, the concept of sub-potentials is proposed. The potential for the functioning and development of an oil enterprise from the point of view of the systems approach is decomposed into the sub-potentials of reproduction, defense, management, and reserve, which, under adverse conditions, can transition to the sub-potentials of threat and containment. An important task is to determine these transition points. The patent-technological component is taken into account in the sub-potential of reproduction. The remaining components of company development are taken into account within the framework of other sub-potentials, which are not discussed in detail in this article. At the same time, due to the unified conceptual approach, the integration of goals and objectives for technological development into a single economic and socio-ecological strategy for oil enterprises is ensured, which is the most effective approach to ensure their sustainable development. The dynamics of patent generation are an important factor in assessing the technological component and, in general, the effectiveness of projects in the energy sector. Full article

The application of circular strategies in the architecture, engineering, construction, and operations (AECO) sector has been extensively researched, demonstrating the significance of technical approaches. However, research also focuses on the organizational challenges that arise within circular networks. Recent studies emphasize the importance of collective action in fostering cooperation across the value chain to achieve circular economy (CE) goals. Nevertheless, a considerable amount of research, including EU policies, tends to concentrate on “end-of-pipe” solutions, while failing to adequately address the socio-ecological challenges inherent in the transition to a CE. This study aims to explore collective activities and work in circular construction ecosystems at the macro, meso, and micro scales, identifying their interconnections. The findings of the literature review indicate that a successful transition to a CE requires a deeper commitment from stakeholders, which is influenced by the structure and relationships within the ecosystem. The increasing complexity of these ecosystems necessitates a redefinition of stakeholder roles and competencies, emphasizing a collective perception of value. Given the lack of tools and research on collaboration, we propose developing a map of circular construction ecosystems to improve the visualization and understanding of their dynamics. Full article

Water access and use impact land management decisions and livelihoods. Despite the integral role water plays in land systems, land system science (LSS) research often fails to explicitly incorporate water into analyses of socioecological systems (SES) resilience related to land. Nonetheless, water scarcity, especially in the face of climate change and resource degradation, is a pressing issue. Water availability is crucial to many ecosystem functions, from supporting biodiversity to mitigating extreme weather events such as flooding or drought. In this introduction to the “Water in Land System Science” Special Issue, we argue for deeper integration of land and water dynamics in LSS to increase SES resilience. First, we present an overview of the need for this integration, followed by a synopsis of the authored contributions in this Special Issue towards this goal. We then provide potential entry points researchers can use to foster this integration, exploring the following topics: water governance and hydrosocial territories, the cultural geographies of water, hydrophilia, water in agricultural transitions, remote sensing innovations, and participatory approaches to the study of the water component of land systems. We conclude that interactions between land, water, and people remain understudied, despite being more important than ever for ensuring future sustainability. Full article