One of the ways to understand and assess the technogenic impact on various ecological systems is to apply the Social-Ecological Systems Framework (SESF). SESF is a research concept with a set of variables that are connected to or influence Social-Ecological Systems (Partelow, 2018). Those variables can be divided into ecological variables, consisting of Resource Systems and Resource Units, and social variables consisting of Governance Systems and Actors. Consequently, they interconnect in the Focal Action Situations, resulting in the two last variables, Interactions, and Outcomes (Partelow, 2018). On the one hand, such generalization of variables opens up a large field of possible applications; on the other hand though, further specification is required for every application.
Climate change might be a good example of narrowing the scope. As one of the biggest environmental concerns, the climate change issue is being addressed by initiatives like the Paris Agreement, but, unfortunately, it does not seem enough (Gatusso et al., 2018). Even with the limitations this agreement enforces, the world Ocean, a tool that, with proper management, can turn the tide of losses on the ecological field, is still heavily affected (2018). Ocean-based solutions proposed by Gatusso et al. (2018) imply that reducing atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations, managing solar radiation, and protecting ecosystems might help stall climate change. They also note that combining global initiatives with local actions is needed (2018). Therefore, further downscaling is required.
The world Ocean is vast, so a smaller ecosystem has to be chosen. This is the case with the Ocean Acidification (OA) study at Australia’s Great Barrier Reef (GBR) by Albright et al. (2016). They developed a four-layered research framework, combining science and management to simplify the implementation process. The “Exposure” layer studies the impact of OA on the GBR, while the “Sensitivity/Adaptability” layer showcases the GBR response to OA. The “Integration” layer combines the data from the previous two to explore the interactions and feedback. Lastly, the “Solutions” layer provides options for dealing with OA (Albright et al., 2016). By undertaking small steps on a local scale, like in GBR, it might be possible to affect the global situation on the planet. So, as the downscaling loop begins to move backward, the chance to halt the climate change begins to rise simultaneously.
References
Albright, R., Anthony, K. R. N., Baird, M., Beeden, R., Byrne, M., Collier, C., Dove, S., Fabricius, K., Hoegh-Guldberg, O., Kelly, R.P., Lough, J., Mongin, M., Munday, P.L., Pears, R.J., Russell, B. D., Tilbrook, B., Abal, E. (2016). Ocean acidification: Linking science to management solutions using the Great Barrier Reef as a case study. Journal of Environmental Management, 182, 641–650. Web.
Gattuso, J. P., Magnan, A. K., Bopp, L., Cheung, W. W. L., Duarte, C. M., Hinkel, J., Mcleod, E., Micheli, F., Oschlies, A., Williamson, P., Billé, R., Chalastani, V. I., Gates, R. D., Irisson, J. O., Middelburg, J.J., Pörtner, H., O., Rau, G. H. (2018). Ocean solutions to address climate change and its effects on marine ecosystems.Frontiers in Marine Science, 5. Web.
Partelow, S. 2018. A review of the social-ecological systems framework: applications, methods, modifications, and challenges. Ecology and Society, 23(4). Web.