Social drivers forewarn of marine regime shifts

Hicks, Christina and Crowder, Larry B. and Graham, Nicholas Anthony James and Kittinger, John N. and Le Cornu, Elodie (2016) Social drivers forewarn of marine regime shifts. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 14 (5). pp. 252-260. ISSN 1540-9295

[thumbnail of Hicks Frontiers resubmitted_2]
Preview
PDF (Hicks Frontiers resubmitted_2)
Hicks_Frontiers_resubmitted_2.pdf - Accepted Version
Available under License Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial.

Download (8MB)

Abstract

Some ecosystems can undergo regime shifts to alternative compositions of species. Although ecological indicators can identify approaching regime shifts, we propose that rapid changes in the social drivers underlying ecosystem change may provide additional and potentially earlier indicators of impending shifts. We demonstrate this by reconstructing the underlying social drivers of four iconic marine regime shifts: Pacific kelp forests, Northwest Atlantic continental shelf, Jamaican coral reefs, and the Chesapeake Bay estuary. In all cases, a range of social drivers – including opening of lucrative markets, technological innovations, and policies that enhanced the driver – ultimately prompted these ecosystem shifts. Drawing on examples emerging from environmental management practice, we present three practical recommendations for using social drivers as early indicators: monitor social change, determine social trigger points, and identify policy responses. We argue that accounting for the underlying social drivers of ecosystem change could improve decision making.

Item Type:
Journal Article
Journal or Publication Title:
Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment
Additional Information:
Copyright by the Ecological Society of America
Uncontrolled Keywords:
/dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/2300/2303
Subjects:
?? ecologyecology, evolution, behavior and systematics ??
ID Code:
80029
Deposited By:
Deposited On:
25 Aug 2016 15:58
Refereed?:
Yes
Published?:
Published
Last Modified:
15 Jul 2024 16:08