12th Pacific Science Inter-Congress, 8-12 July 2013
University of the South Pacific, Laucala Bay Campus, Suva, Fiji
Analysing and modelling social-ecological system using
a transdisciplinary framework: a case study from the
Moorea Lagoon, French Polynesia.
Leenhardt P1., Claudet J1.
1
USR 3278 CNRS EPHE CRIOBE, University of Perpignan,
66860 Perpignan Cedex, France and Laboratoire d'Excellence
CORAIL, France
A social-ecological system (SES) is commonly recognized as a
complex adaptive system. Modelling the dynamics of an SES raises
enormous challenges and demands the use of cross-scale
approaches and requires accounting for feedbacks, non-linear
dynamics and emergent phenomena. Here we present a
transdisciplinary framework to analyze and model social-ecological
system using a complex system analatycal approach. This
framework synthesizes key concepts and properties for describing,
analysing and modelling social-ecological systems subjected to
multiple natural and anthropogenic interventions (including both
stressors and management actions. Our case study is the Moorea
Lagoon, French Polynesia. This complex adaptive SES relies on the
production of major provisioning and cultural ecosystem services
(e.g. food production, recreation). Our framework proposes to
explore the dynamics, the synergies and/or the trade-offs among
these different ecosystem services subjected to local stressors (e.g.
overfishing, tropical cyclones and coral predation by crown-ofthorns starfish). This research will contribute to a better
understanding of complexity and dynamism that characterizes
social-ecological systems in a coral reef context and will provide
critical information for the management of sustainable SESs.
Key Words: Social-ecological system, management actions, multiple
stressors, feedbacks.