Mapping social-ecological vulnerability to inform local decision making.

Area of Science:

• Environmental science
• Conservation biology
• Social-ecological systems analysis

Background:

• Integrating human-nature relationships into decision-making tools for natural resource management and biodiversity conservation is challenging.
• Social-ecological vulnerability frameworks help understand human-nature linkages but lack operational tools for local-scale spatial representation.
• Existing approaches often focus on single vulnerability components, potentially overlooking critical social-ecological interactions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and apply a method for mapping social-ecological vulnerability at local scales.
• To identify social-ecological vulnerability hotspots in a small-scale fishery.
• To provide a spatially explicit tool to inform conservation and management decisions.

Main Methods:

• Developed a mapping method for social-ecological vulnerability using human-nature dependencies and ecosystem services data.
• Applied the method to the Moorea, French Polynesia small-scale fishery.
• Combined spatially explicit indicators of exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity for both reef fish assemblages and fishing households.

Main Results:

• Social and ecological vulnerabilities varied significantly across the study area.
• Identified social-ecological vulnerability hotspots where both social and ecological subsystems exhibited high vulnerability.
• Demonstrated spatial heterogeneity in vulnerability sources, highlighting areas needing targeted management interventions.

Conclusions:

• Operationalizing social-ecological vulnerability mapping provides valuable insights for local-scale sustainability management.
• The approach highlights the importance of considering both social and ecological dimensions of vulnerability for effective conservation planning.
• The developed method can inform biodiversity conservation strategies and minimize negative social impacts of management decisions.