up:: [[CKLA400 - Ecology and Sustainable Landscapes]] tags:: #source/course #on/design #on/landscape_design # CKLA400 M6 - Resilience and Sustainability 1 The module will explore the development of the *economic concept of sustainability* and its application to landscapes. The current week's focus is on resilience and brittleness, analyzing how the *structure, processes, and dynamics of landscape ecosystems* reflect these concepts. The course aims to understand how human behavior integrates with [[Ecological Resilience]] and further explores sustainability, including its historical development and key features. In the subsequent weeks, the course will examine how ecological resilience and sustainability can form a framework for establishing and managing landscapes to enhance their overall resilience and sustainability. #### Resilience *(See [[Ecological Resilience]])* 1. Resilience, initially defined by C. S. Holling, denotes an ecosystem's ability to withstand disturbance *without altering its self-organized processes and structures*. 2. The return time to a stable state following a perturbation is a measure of resilience. 3. *Resilience is broadly understood as an ecosystem's capacity to tolerate disturbance without transitioning into a qualitatively different state.* 4. Social systems exhibit resilience through human anticipation and planning, known as adaptive capacity. 5. [[Adaptive Capacity]] modifies ecological resilience and involves processes that stabilize the ecosystem. 6. Multiple stable states exist, and *resilience mediates transitions among these states*. 7. Keystone structuring processes, renewal sources, and *functional biodiversity* maintain ecological resilience. 8. Ecological resilience is supported by processes across scales, contributing to the system's ability to rebound after disturbance. 9. Maintaining renewal capacity in *dynamic environments acts as an ecological buffer*, protecting against system failure and allowing for learning and adaptation. #### Brittleness *(See [[Ecological Resilience#Brittleness|Ecosystem Brittleness]])* Brittleness in ecosystems refers to their *vulnerability to sudden and catastrophic destruction* by [[Disturbances (Ecology)]], leading to the *loss of adaptive capacity* and potential shifts to alternate stable states. This concept is the inverse of resilience. The brittleness of ecosystems can be observed in phenomena like the *self-propagation of gullies*, indicating a loss of adaptive capacity in the face of heavy surface runoff. Early successional seres, emerging from the soil seed bank, are particularly brittle and susceptible to sudden collapse if another disturbance occurs during development. *Forest fires in mid-seral communities can significantly impact adaptive capacity*, exemplifying high brittleness. Brittleness may develop gradually due to *persistent low-grade disturbances*, such as [[Over-Browsing]] by herbivores, insect or disease infestations, and changes in [[Precipitation]] patterns. The prolonged impact of these disturbances can gradually erode the adaptive capacity of the ecosystem, leading to a sudden shift to less resilient stable states. A highly brittle ecosystem, as seen in the loss of understory and ground-level plants, or the dominance of a single woody plant species, can be *easily disrupted by seemingly simple factors like an insect infestation*. **Key Points:** - Brittleness in ecosystems is the opposite of resilience, making them susceptible to sudden and catastrophic destruction. - Early successional seres are brittle, emerging from the soil seed bank, and prone to sudden collapse with additional disturbances. - Forest fires in mid-seral communities showcase high brittleness, impacting adaptive capacity. - Gradual development of brittleness can result from persistent low-grade disturbances like over-browsing, insect infestations, and precipitation changes. - Highly brittle ecosystems, with barren understory or dominance of a single woody plant species, are vulnerable to disruptions such as insect infestations. #### Resilience and Ecological Structure The [[Ecological Structure]] of landscape ecosystems encompasses *spatial, species, and population structures*, with complexity influenced by [[Insolation]] and [[Soil Moisture]]. Complexity enhances adaptive capacity and resilience by buffering ecosystem processes. Species structure, including richness and diversity, also contributes to adaptive capacity and resilience. Soil moisture, insolation patterns, and seed availability influence species abundance. [[Guilds]], groups of species exploiting environments similarly, enhance adaptive capacity. Population size, age structure, and genetic diversity within species are measures of adaptive capacity and resilience, with *optimal structures buffering against disease and environmental stress*. Brittle ecosystems, lacking spatial structure, species diversity, and optimal population structures, are vulnerable to disturbances and exhibit lower adaptive capacity. **Key Points:** 1. **Ecological Structure:** - Spatial, species, and population structures define landscape ecosystems. - Complexity in these structures, influenced by insolation and soil moisture, enhances resilience. 2. **Species Structure:** - Adaptive capacity and resilience are measured by species richness and diversity. - Abundance is constrained by soil moisture, insolation patterns, and seed availability. - Guilds, groups of species with similar environmental exploitation, enhance adaptive capacity. 3. **Population Structure:** - Adaptive capacity and resilience within species are influenced by population size, age structure, and genetic diversity. - Optimal structures buffer against disease and environmental stress. 4. **Brittle Ecosystems:** - Poorly developed spatial, species, and population structures characterize brittle ecosystems. - Vulnerable to unexpected disturbances, they stall in successional development, leading to lower adaptive capacity. - Common examples include areas related to extractive industries, abandoned industrial lands, and conventional residential landscapes. #### Resilience and Ecological Process [[Ecological Resilience|Ecosystem Resilience]] is demonstrated through the patterns of [[Ecosystem Processes]], particularly in the hydrological cycle within landscape ecosystems. The [[Hydrological Structure]] provides observable indicators of resilience, such as surface runoff volume, flood size and duration, and the aftermath effects like eroded soil and [[Sedimentation]]. Adaptive capacity is reflected in the flux of water through wetlands, with *resilient ecosystems maintaining stable water levels and regulating water flow to prevent erosion*. Nutrient cycling is another aspect of resilience, with *more resilient ecosystems retaining more nutrients*, especially in woody canopies. Biomass build-up per unit area serves as a useful measure of ecosystem resilience. Resilient ecosystems effectively minimize soil erosion by developing an *organic layer on the soil surface and slowing down water runoff* through structural components like branches and leaves. The development of complex spatial structures in ecosystems *reduces wind speed during storms*, facilitating precipitation capture and infiltration into the soil. *This interaction between the hydrological cycle, air flow, nutrient cycling, and gas exchange enhances ecosystem resilience.* **Key Points:** 1. Ecosystem resilience is evident in the hydrological cycle processes within landscape ecosystems. 2. Observable indicators of resilience include surface runoff volume, flood size and duration, and post-flood effects like eroded soil and sedimentation. 3. Wetlands in resilient ecosystems maintain stable water levels and regulate water flow to prevent erosion. 4. Nutrient cycling reflects ecosystem resilience, with more resilient ecosystems retaining more nutrients, especially in woody canopies. 5. Biomass build-up per unit area is a useful measure of ecosystem resilience. 6. Resilient ecosystems minimize soil erosion through the development of an organic layer on the soil surface. 7. Complex spatial structures in ecosystems reduce wind speed during storms, facilitating precipitation capture and infiltration. #### Resilience and Ecological Dynamics (Succession) [[Ecological Successions]] are integral to building adaptive capacity. Resilient ecosystems, closer to *climax stability, demonstrate increased adaptive capacity*. Disturbances beyond expected levels can lead to a loss of adaptive capacity, resulting in an alternative stable state with lower resilience. This has implications for [[Sustainable Landscape Management]] in both large extra-urban ecosystems and urban landscapes. Resilience is observed in successional dynamics, such as *changing species composition, spatial structure, and processes* over time. Resilient successional dynamics increase adaptive capacity, while declines or static levels indicate a collapse of successional dynamics and a brittle ecosystem. **Key Points:** 1. Ecosystem resilience relies on adaptive capacity for recovery after disturbance. 2. Adaptive capacity is built through ecological succession toward climax stability. 3. Resilient ecosystems, closer to climax, have higher adaptive capacity. 4. Novel, frequent, or intense disturbances can reduce adaptive capacity. 5. Sustainable landscape management implications extend to urban landscapes. 6. Resilience is evident in changing species composition, spatial structure, and processes. 7. Declines or static levels in species diversity, spatial structure, or population age indicate a collapse in successional dynamics. 8. Ecotones, controlled burns, and hydrological processes are highlighted as indicators of adaptive resilience. #### Sustainability *(See [[Sustainability]])* The concept of sustainability originated from the 1987 Brundtland report, emphasizing *development meeting present needs without compromising future generations*. Initially economic, sustainability's incorporation into human actions regarding the environment has been contentious. The early model assumed equal overlap among economic, environmental, and societal spheres, but *realizations revealed unequal contributions*. Businesses often adopt sustainability without fully understanding it, leading to *ironic reinvention*. Ecologists corrected the three-sphere model, asserting Earth as the limiting system, with the human economy being a subset of human social systems and both embedded in the global ecosystem. This perspective, known as [[Socio-Ecological Systems]], emphasizes engaging with the global ecosystem for sustainable development. ![[Pasted image 20240227175514.png]] **Key Points:** - Sustainability concept from 1987 Brundtland report: development meeting present needs without compromising future generations. - Initially an economic concept, contentious in its application to the environment. - Three spheres (economy, environment, society) in early models assumed equal contributions to sustainability. - Businesses often adopt sustainability without a clear grasp, unintentionally reinventing themselves. - Ecologists corrected the model, placing Earth as the limiting system, human economy as a subset of social systems embedded in the global ecosystem. - Socio-ecological systems emphasize active human engagement for sustainability, supporting the economy through ecological resilience. #### Sustainability and Resilience The text discusses the interconnection of [[Ecological Resilience]] and [[Sustainability]] within [[Socio-Ecological Systems]]. It emphasizes society's role in enhancing the *adaptive capacity of both social and ecological components*, forming an integrated system. Sustainable economic activity is intricately linked to the *socio-ecological resilience*, and balance is crucial against the adaptive capacity of the connected social and ecological systems. **Key Points:** - Ecological resilience and sustainability intersect in socio-ecological systems. - Society plays a crucial role in enhancing adaptive capacity in both social and ecological components. - Sustainable economic activity is embedded within socio-ecological resilience. - Balance is necessary between economic activity and the adaptive capacity of linked social and ecological systems. ##### Twelve Principles of the Ecosystem Approach to Landscape Management | | | | ---- | ---- | | P1 | The objective of management of land, water and living resources are a matter of societal choice. | | P2 | Management should be decentralized to the lowest appropriate level. | | P3 | Ecosystem managers should consider the effects (actual and potential) of their activities on adjacent and other ecosystems. | | P4 | Recognizing potential gains from management, there is usually a need to understand and manage the ecosystem in an economic context. | | P5 | Conservation of ecosystem structure and functioning, in order to maintain ecosystem services, should eb a priority target of the ecosystem approach | | P6 | Ecosystems must be managed within the limits of their functioning | | P7 | The ecosystem approach should be undertaken at the appropriate spatial and temporal scale | | P8 | Recognizing the varying temporal scales and lag-effects that characterize ecosystems processes, objectives for ecosystem management should be set for the long term | | P9 | Management should recognize that change is inevitable | | P10 | The ecosystem approach should seek the appropriate balance between, and integration of, conservation and use of biological diversity | | P11 | The ecosystem approach should consider all forms of information, including scientific, indigenous and local knowledge, innovations and practices | | P12 | The ecosystem approach should involve all relevant sectors of society and scientific disciplines |