Resilient Socio-Ecological Systems

Globally, most species and their natural habitats are declining and under mounting pressure. The rate of loss is not slowing, generating a biodiversity crisis. This widespread loss of biodiversity threatens economies and societies, but most crucially the ecological system that supports all life on land and below water. Discovering ways to increase the resilience of socio-ecological systems is of key importance for the future of people and the planet.

Several Sustainable Development Goals are predicated on resilient socio-ecological systems and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework calls for reducing biodiversity loss this decade. YESI is bringing together researchers from a wide range of disciplines to support developing and designing new policies and interventions for reversing nature loss and biodiversity decline and reducing related impacts on communities that rely on nature for their livelihoods.

Researchers at York study the drivers of biodiversity declines including climate change, degradation of natural habitats and agricultural intensification, and their underlying socio-economic drivers such as consumption-intensive lifestyles and lacks of alternatives. They also study possible solutions, from releasing green finance for biodiversity conservation to nature based solutions and practical management options in the field.

Research theme aims

Understanding the interactions and feedbacks among species and humans, including socio-ecological system functions and services and disservices.
Investigating feedbacks between human behaviour and ecological dynamics, and what this means for the resilience, sustainability and equitability of coupled ecological-economic-social systems.
Identifying and evaluating practical, effective, and equitable solutions to deliver resilient socio-ecological systems for the future.

Key focus areas

Biodiversity conservation – analysing the factors affecting species responses to habitat change, the ecological, social, political and economic impacts of biodiversity loss, and using this knowledge to develop conservation interventions that reorientate activities that are harmful to nature and biodiversity towards those which promote biodiversity and ecosystem resilience.
Ecosystem services – assessing human impacts on essential ecosystem services and informing decision-making about the risks and opportunities that emerge from our dependence on nature.
Climate change – understanding the impacts of climate change on socio-ecological systems to enhance our predictions of future changes and to support the development of achievable mitigation and adaptation strategies at a range of temporal and spatial scales.