Simulating social-ecological systems: the Island Digital Ecosystem Avatars (IDEA) consortium

Area of Science:

• Systems ecology
• Social-ecological systems research
• Sustainability science

Background:

• Human wellbeing is intrinsically tied to societal and environmental health, necessitating a holistic approach.
• Systems biology offers potential for medical advances, but its principles extend to understanding complex social-ecological systems.
• Islands provide scientifically manageable environments for studying these intricate interactions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish the IDEA Consortium, an open science initiative focused on systems ecology.
• To develop use-oriented simulations (avatars) of entire social-ecological systems.
• To initiate research on Moorea, French Polynesia, as a model system for sustainability simulation.

Main Methods:

• Implementing a systems ecology approach to study social-ecological dynamics.
• Developing integrated simulations of climate, environment, biodiversity, and human activities.
• Focusing on a coupled marine-terrestrial landscape in Moorea.

Main Results:

• The Moorea IDEA project will create a sustainability simulator.
• The simulator will model complex feedbacks between natural and human systems.
• This research will yield transferable knowledge and tools for prediction.

Conclusions:

• The Moorea IDEA initiative will enhance the ability to predict human and environmental changes.
• Findings will support management and conservation actions at relevant scales.
• This work advances the application of systems science to sustainability challenges.