Socio-ecological vulnerability to tipping points: A review of empirical approaches and their use for marine management

R A M Lauerburg; R Diekmann; B Blanz; K Gee; H Held; A Kannen; C Möllmann; W N Probst; H Rambo; R Cormier; V Stelzenmüller

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.135838

Socio-ecological vulnerability to tipping points: A review of empirical approaches and their use for marine management

Sci Total Environ. 2020 Feb 25:705:135838. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.135838. Epub 2019 Dec 4.

Authors

R A M Lauerburg¹, R Diekmann², B Blanz³, K Gee⁴, H Held³, A Kannen⁴, C Möllmann⁵, W N Probst⁶, H Rambo⁶, R Cormier⁴, V Stelzenmüller⁶

Affiliations

¹ Thünen-Institute of Sea Fisheries, Herwigstraße 31, 27572 Bremerhaven, Germany; University of Hamburg, Institute for Marine Ecosystem and Fisheries Science, Olbersweg 24, 22767 Hamburg, Germany. Electronic address: Rebecca.lauerburg@uni-hamburg.de.
² Thünen-Institute of Fisheries Ecology, Herwigstraße 31, 27572 Bremerhaven, Germany.
³ University of Hamburg, Research Unit Sustainability and Global Change, Grindelberg 5, 20144 Hamburg, Germany.
⁴ Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht, Centre for Materials and Coastal Research, Max-Planck-Straße 1, 21502 Geesthacht, Germany.
⁵ University of Hamburg, Institute for Marine Ecosystem and Fisheries Science, Olbersweg 24, 22767 Hamburg, Germany.
⁶ Thünen-Institute of Sea Fisheries, Herwigstraße 31, 27572 Bremerhaven, Germany.

PMID: 31855803
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.135838

Abstract

Sustainability in the provision of ecosystem services requires understanding of the vulnerability of social-ecological systems (SES) to tipping points (TPs). Assessing SES vulnerability to abrupt ecosystem state changes remains challenging, however, because frameworks do not operationally link ecological, socio-economic and cultural elements of the SES. We conducted a targeted literature review on empirical assessments of SES and TPs in the marine realm and their use in ecosystem-based management. Our results revealed a plurality of terminologies, definitions and concepts that hampers practical operationalisation of these concepts. Furthermore, we found a striking lack of socio-cultural aspects in SES vulnerability assessments, possibly because of a lack of involvement of stakeholders and interest groups. We propose guiding principles for assessing vulnerability to TPs that build on participative approaches and prioritise the connectivity between SES components by accounting for component linkages, cascading effects and feedback processes.

Keywords: Ecosystem-based management; Socio-ecological systems; Stakeholders; Tipping points; Transdisciplinary research; Vulnerability assessments.

Publication types

Review