In order to answer the questions, I would recall some notes from the courses.
Figure of Social Ecological System
1. Social-ecological systems (SES) : The system includes four sub-levels (resources units, resources system, governance system, and user), outside settings (social, economic, and political settings), and related ecosystems.
1. Social-ecological systems (SES) : The system includes four sub-levels (resources units, resources system, governance system, and user), outside settings (social, economic, and political settings), and related ecosystems.
Figure of the adaptive cycle
2. Adaptive cycle: it can be defined in four stages - conservation, release, reorganization, and growth. Good explain from Video
Def. connectedness/control : the degree of system to control itself and the resistance to external variation
Def. capital/potential/wealth : the ecological, social, economic capitals
Example of the adaptive cycle: The succession of a forest:
r -> k
Individual species and the diversity of species would increase. ( Population of species increase -> capital up; diversity increase -> connectedness decrease)
k -> Omega
The limitation factor limited grow and reduce the capacity, ex the forest is burning, or the forest is infected by the virus. (the population decrease - capital down; diversity of species still stay in a situation - connectedness keeps the same)
Omega -> Alpha
Species start to find their way to adapt new environment. (diversity would decrease due to the species, which can not adopt the environmental change - connectedness decrease; total population would grow - capita increase)
Alpha -> r
Connect to previous stage, some species would find the way to survive. Some would be died. Diversity keep the same. After the system is stable the connectedness and capital would start to grow up again. (Population down)
Case study – Shimen Reservoir Management:
The case I chose is the management of the Shimen Reservoir in Taiwan. The reservoir is located in the remote mountain with the high biodiversity. These place is original owned by the aboriginal, and until now some of them still live there.
In 2004 the strong typhoon destroyed Taiwan, the total participate in three days were above 1700 mm. The soil can not absorb the significant amount of water, and go with the rain into the dam. The slurry flowed into the dam made the waterworkrs could not deal with the water. Citizens in the downstream can not get clean water for half month. Therefore, government started a plan to prevent the same story happen. The water management agent, who is responsible for the reservoir, considered to build more small dams in the mountain would be an effective solution.
Before starting Industrial Ecology program, I worked in the ecological consultant and checked the ecological effect when they planned to build the small dams. My company collected and analyzed the ecological information in the reservoir area for the government. I played a observation role in this SES.
Define the actors:
Governance system: related government agents, ex Soil and Water Conservation Bureau, Water Resource Agent, local government, and Forestry Bureau
User: people live in the reservoir, tourists, and construction companies
Resource system: mountains in the reservoirs
Resource units: water, plants, and animals in this mountains
Before the government paid attention on the reservoir (2004), people burned or cut the forest to culture the tea or bamboo. Although there were some laws to restrict these activities, the monitor agent did not practice its duty well. When the forest disappeared the habitat for the creatures was also gone. At that time the number of the rare animals and plants kept decreasing. At this moment, the ecosystem at in the k -> Omega phase due to losing the richness in the mountain.
After 2004 Government restricted the development in the mountain so people can not burn the forest. At the same time, the forest agent retrieved the land from the local in the reservoir. The strategies were successful for the ecological system because the populations for the rare species increased. The ecosystem is at the r -> k phase.
Reference
Ostrom, E. (2009). A general framework for analyzing the sustainability of social-ecological systems, Science 325, 419-422.
2. Adaptive cycle: it can be defined in four stages - conservation, release, reorganization, and growth. Good explain from Video
Def. connectedness/control : the degree of system to control itself and the resistance to external variation
Def. capital/potential/wealth : the ecological, social, economic capitals
Example of the adaptive cycle: The succession of a forest:
r -> k
Individual species and the diversity of species would increase. ( Population of species increase -> capital up; diversity increase -> connectedness decrease)
k -> Omega
The limitation factor limited grow and reduce the capacity, ex the forest is burning, or the forest is infected by the virus. (the population decrease - capital down; diversity of species still stay in a situation - connectedness keeps the same)
Omega -> Alpha
Species start to find their way to adapt new environment. (diversity would decrease due to the species, which can not adopt the environmental change - connectedness decrease; total population would grow - capita increase)
Alpha -> r
Connect to previous stage, some species would find the way to survive. Some would be died. Diversity keep the same. After the system is stable the connectedness and capital would start to grow up again. (Population down)
Case study – Shimen Reservoir Management:
The case I chose is the management of the Shimen Reservoir in Taiwan. The reservoir is located in the remote mountain with the high biodiversity. These place is original owned by the aboriginal, and until now some of them still live there.
In 2004 the strong typhoon destroyed Taiwan, the total participate in three days were above 1700 mm. The soil can not absorb the significant amount of water, and go with the rain into the dam. The slurry flowed into the dam made the waterworkrs could not deal with the water. Citizens in the downstream can not get clean water for half month. Therefore, government started a plan to prevent the same story happen. The water management agent, who is responsible for the reservoir, considered to build more small dams in the mountain would be an effective solution.
Before starting Industrial Ecology program, I worked in the ecological consultant and checked the ecological effect when they planned to build the small dams. My company collected and analyzed the ecological information in the reservoir area for the government. I played a observation role in this SES.
Define the actors:
Governance system: related government agents, ex Soil and Water Conservation Bureau, Water Resource Agent, local government, and Forestry Bureau
User: people live in the reservoir, tourists, and construction companies
Resource system: mountains in the reservoirs
Resource units: water, plants, and animals in this mountains
Before the government paid attention on the reservoir (2004), people burned or cut the forest to culture the tea or bamboo. Although there were some laws to restrict these activities, the monitor agent did not practice its duty well. When the forest disappeared the habitat for the creatures was also gone. At that time the number of the rare animals and plants kept decreasing. At this moment, the ecosystem at in the k -> Omega phase due to losing the richness in the mountain.
After 2004 Government restricted the development in the mountain so people can not burn the forest. At the same time, the forest agent retrieved the land from the local in the reservoir. The strategies were successful for the ecological system because the populations for the rare species increased. The ecosystem is at the r -> k phase.
Reference
Ostrom, E. (2009). A general framework for analyzing the sustainability of social-ecological systems, Science 325, 419-422.
