“Generality of mis-fit”? The real-life difficulty of matching scales in an interconnected world

Abstract

A clear understanding of processes at multiple scales and levels is of special significance when conceiving strategies for human–environment interactions. However, understanding and application of the scale concept often differ between administrative-political and ecological disciplines. These mirror major differences in potential solutions whether and how scales can, at all, be made congruent. As a result, opportunities of seeking “goodness-of-fit” between different concepts of governance should perhaps be reconsidered in the light of a potential “generality of mis-fit.” This article reviews the interdisciplinary considerations inherent in the concept of scale in its ecological, as well as administrative-political, significance and argues that issues of how to manage “mis-fit” should be awarded more emphasis in social-ecological research and management practices. These considerations are exemplified by the case of reindeer husbandry in Fennoscandia. Whilst an indigenous small-scale practice, reindeer husbandry involves multi-level ecological and administrative-political complexities—complexities that we argue may arise in any multi-level system.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s13280-015-0757-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Human–animal agency in reindeer management: Sámi herders’ perspectives on vegetation dynamics under climate change

“…For reindeer herders in northern Fennoscandia, the cumulative effects of other forms of land use, resource exploitation, or increasing carnivore populations require communication and governance between different stakeholders across diverse spatial, temporal, and administrative levels (Keskitalo et al. , Larsen et al. ).…”

“…To understand how and why transformations of reindeer grazing grounds via woody vegetation encroachment occur, the interaction between these ecological processes and anthropogenic impacts that act on the landscape needs to be taken into account. For reindeer herders in northern Fennoscandia, the cumulative effects of other forms of land use, resource exploitation, or increasing carnivore populations require communication and governance between different stakeholders across diverse spatial, temporal, and administrative levels (Keskitalo et al 2016, Larsen et al 2017. Therefore, normative factors and complex power relations between stakeholders need to be addressed explicitly (Plummer and Armitage 2007).…”

Bridging critical institutionalism and fragmented authoritarianism in China: An analysis of centralized water policies and their local implementation in semi‐arid irrigation districts

“…In this sense, the growing discussion about adaption, resilience, social learning, and vulnerability suggests an alternative perspective of "fit" (Pahl-Wostl et al 2007;Carpenter et al 2009;Young 2010;Folke et al 2010Folke et al , 2016. This alternative perspective essentially acknowledges the generality of "misfit" and calls for a realistic approach rather than an idealistic attempt to import "best practices" for governing CPRs (Keskitalo et al 2016). The alternative view is not only consistent with emphasis on the sensitivity and legitimacy mirrored in institutional bricolage but also provokes discussion of the literature on fragmented authoritarianism in China, as it concerns the robustness of an authoritarian state and the sources of its authoritarian resilience under both internal and external challenges (Perry 2007;Cai 2008;Schubert 2008;Yan 2011).…”

Treelines—Approaches at Different Scales

“…It is not a question of whether or not treeline research has to be carried out at large or fine scales, but the scale depends on the objectives and must match the underlying processes [1,2]. The focus may be, for example, on the physiological responses of trees to heat deficiency or insufficient moisture and nutrient supply at the treeline in general or on regional and local treeline spatial patterns and dynamics under the influence of numerous mostly interacting factors.…”