Quantifying resilience

Angeler, David G.; Allen, Craig R.

doi:10.1111/1365-2664.12649

Cited by 259 publications

(249 citation statements)

References 51 publications

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“…Walker et al (2004) extended Holling's definition from the population to the system level as the ability of a social-ecological system to absorb disturbances and re-organize while undergoing change, so as to still retain essentially the same functions, structures, identity, and feedbacks. The ecological resilience definitions by Gunderson and Holling (2002; "the magnitude of disturbance that can be absorbed before the system changes its structure by changing the variables and processes that control behavior") and Angeler and Allen (2016; "a measure of the amount of change needed to change an ecosystem from one set of processes and structures to a different set of processes and structures") make the existence of alternative regimes and thresholds explicit.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A quantitative framework for assessing ecological resilience

Baho¹,

Allen²,

Garmestani³

et al. 2017

E&S

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ABSTRACT. Quantitative approaches to measure and assess resilience are needed to bridge gaps between science, policy, and management. In this paper, we suggest a quantitative framework for assessing ecological resilience. Ecological resilience as an emergent ecosystem phenomenon can be decomposed into complementary attributes (scales, adaptive capacity, thresholds, and alternative regimes) that embrace the complexity inherent to ecosystems. Quantifying these attributes simultaneously provides opportunities to move from the assessment of specific resilience within an ecosystem toward a broader measurement of its general resilience. We provide a framework that is based on reiterative testing and recalibration of hypotheses that assess complementary attributes of ecological resilience. By implementing the framework in adaptive approaches to management, inference, and modeling, key uncertainties can be reduced incrementally over time and learning about the general resilience of dynamic ecosystems maximized. Such improvements are needed because uncertainty about global environmental change impacts and their effects on resilience is high. Improved resilience assessments will ultimately facilitate an optimized use of limited resources for management.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A quantitative framework for assessing ecological resilience

Baho¹,

Allen²,

Garmestani³

et al. 2017

E&S

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“…We developed and evaluated a method for assessing the capacity of urban aquatic SESs to provide ecosystem services in the face of stormwater-related development effects. Consistent with the recommendations of other authors, the method considers socio-technical and ecological aspects of resilience, is grounded in theory, is context specific, and provides insights into system dynamics (Angeler andAllen 2016, Quinlan et al 2016). …”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 86%

“…However, in an analysis of longterm ecological data, Burthe et al (2016) reported both autocorrelation and variance to be poor predictors of system state, recommending that further research investigate the utility of a wider suite of statistical indicators as well as seeking to improve understanding of system behavior through empirical analyses and process-based modeling. Despite considerable progress in the development of approaches for quantifying resilience, Angeler and Allen (2016) commented on the continued need for novel indication and assessment methods that connect the multiple components of resilience. Quinlan et al (2016) recommended that methods should be grounded in theory, aim to improve understanding of the system dynamics, and be context-specific.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation of a new method for assessing resilience in urban aquatic social-ecological systems

Moores¹,

Yalden²,

Gadd³

et al. 2017

E&S

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. 2017. Evaluation of a new method for assessing resilience in urban aquatic social-ecological systems. Ecology and Society 22 (4) ABSTRACT. Urban aquatic social-ecological systems (SESs) comprise socio-technical elements, the built environment and its management, and natural elements (water bodies) that provide ecosystem services. Changed hydrology, poor stormwater quality, and the modification of water bodies associated with urban development brings challenges for maintaining ecosystem services provision in an urban aquatic SES. Water sensitive urban design (WSUD) has emerged as a form of development that aims to better support the provision of ecosystem services. Resilience concepts provide a basis for discriminating between WSUD and conventional development approaches. Building on an existing decision support system, a new, preliminary method for assessing resilience based on the combination of the socio-technical capacity (STC) and natural capacity (NC) of urban aquatic SESs has been developed. The STC score reflects a multicriteria assessment of the characteristics of stormwater infrastructure and management. The NC score reflects an assessment of the state and trajectory of biophysical attributes of the system associated with the provision of ecosystem services. By modeling a series of future urban development scenarios in Auckland, New Zealand, the method has been shown to discriminate between scenario outcomes within constraints associated with the biophysical and built characteristics modeled. Results are consistent with key concepts of resilience theory: outcomes are grouped in regimes and exhibit hysteresis, with the ability of WSUD to improve the state of the system strongly influenced by the presence of legacy effects. The method provides a source of additional, valuable information that complements other indicators by providing a snapshot of the interaction of catchment management effort and outcomes and indicating the likely future state of the SES. Recognizing that the method is limited to providing a relative assessment of resilience and adopts certain simplistic assumptions, further research aims to investigate assessment methods that consider other, fundamental biophysical and social properties of urban aquatic SESs.

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“…enhancing resilience) or fostering its transformation to an alternative state when the system is in an undesirable state (i.e. eroding resilience) (Walker et al 2002, Angeler & Allen 2016.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing the resilient provision of ecosystem services by social-ecological systems: introduction and theory

Sarkki¹,

Ficko²,

Wielgolaski³

et al. 2017

Clim. Res.

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The concepts of resilience and ecosystem services broaden the opportunities for assessing sustainability of social-ecological systems (SESs). The lack of operational frameworks for assessing the resilient provision of ecosystem services by SESs impedes greater integration of resilience thinking in natural resource governance. The greatest challenge so far has been to understand the capacity of the SES to (re)organize itself and sustain the flow of benefits from nature to people under various global and local pressures and trade-offs between ecosystem services users. To assess the resilience of an SES within a single framework, we propose a new approach which is a combination of: (1) the Driver-Pressure-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) framework; (2) social-ecological indicators; and (3) scenario building. Practical application of the approach is demonstrated with the example of European polar and altitudinal treeline areas. The DPSIR framework analyzes causal relationships between the components of the SES. Social-ecological indicators quantify processes in the SES and estimate trends in the DPSIR factors. Combined top-down and bottom-up scenarios envision plausible development paths of the SES in the future based on expected global environmental and social changes which create context specific dynamics between DPSIR factors at specific localities. The proposed approach represents the analytical framework of the European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) action SENSFOR (Enhancing the resilience capacity of SENSitive mountain FORest ecosystems under environmental change) and can be applied to promote systemic resilience thinking in any SES.

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Quantifying resilience

Cited by 259 publications

References 51 publications

A quantitative framework for assessing ecological resilience

A quantitative framework for assessing ecological resilience

Evaluation of a new method for assessing resilience in urban aquatic social-ecological systems

Assessing the resilient provision of ecosystem services by social-ecological systems: introduction and theory

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