Unequal access to resources undermines global sustainability.
Kirsten Henderson1, Michel Loreau1
1CNRS - Station d'Ecologie Théorique et Expérimentale, 2 route du CNRS, 09200 Moulis, France.
The Science of the Total Environment
|November 7, 2020
Summary
This study models global socio-ecological systems, finding that spatial divisions and resource inequality accelerate technological growth but degrade land and reduce long-term human well-being. Sustainable management requires considering diverse regional development.
Area of Science:
- Socio-ecological systems modeling
- Global environmental sustainability
- Human-environment interactions
Background:
- Global society faces challenges from land use patterns, inequality, and human/goods movement.
- Current societal practices raise concerns about the long-term sustainability of human populations and natural environments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore connections between human well-being and land resources using a simplified global socio-ecological model.
- To analyze the impact of resource accessibility, conservation, and human migration between economically diverse regions.
Main Methods:
- Development of a simplified model of the global socio-ecological system.
- Simulation of interactions between human well-being, land resources, technology, and migration across two distinct economic regions.
Main Results:
- A spatial system with two distinct regions facilitates faster technological development and higher population peaks.
- This spatial division leads to greater natural land degradation and lower long-term population well-being.
- Unequal resource access and technological progress significantly influence land management (conservation) and social behaviors (migration).
Conclusions:
- Socio-ecological management must account for diversity in land access, population size, well-being, and development.
- Ignoring these diverse factors in global society can lead to significant unintended consequences.
Related Concept Videos
01:43Sustainable Development
14.4K
As the human population continues to grow and use resources, we must be mindful of our planet’s natural limits. Sustainable development provides a pathway to maintain and improve human life now while also ensuring that future generations will have the resources that they need. The long-term success of sustainability efforts rests on understanding the interplay between human actions and ecological systems.
14.4K
01:50Threats to Biodiversity
26.0K
There have been five major extinction events throughout geological history, resulting in the elimination of biodiversity, followed by a rebound of species that adapted to the new conditions. In the current geological epoch, the Holocene, there is a sixth extinction event in progress. This mass extinction has been attributed to human activities and is thus provisionally called the Anthropocene. In 2019 the human population reached 7.7 billion people and is projected to comprise 10 billion by...
26.0K
01:41Social Traps
25.8K
Social traps are negative situations where people get caught in a direction or relationship that later proves to be unpleasant, with no easy way to back out of or avoid. The concept was orignally introduced by John Platt who applied psychology to Garrett Hardin's "Tragedy of the Commons", where in New England herd owners could let their cattle graze in the common ground. This situation seems like a good idea, but an individual could have an advantage. If they owned...
25.8K
01:21Dimensions of Health and Illness
9.4K
The factors influencing the health-illness continuum can be internal or external and may or may not be under conscious control. They are related to the following eight human dimensions, and each dimension is interrelated to one other.
9.4K
02:31Habitat Fragmentation
20.6K
Habitat fragmentation describes the division of a more extensive, continuous habitat into smaller, discontinuous areas. Human activities such as land conversion, as well as slower geological processes leading to changes in the physical environment, are the two leading causes of habitat fragmentation. The fragmentation process typically follows the same steps: perforation, dissection, fragmentation, shrinkage, and attrition.
20.6K
01:26Equity Theory
137
Equity theory explains how our sense of fairness influences the dynamics of close relationships. Rooted in social psychology, the theory posits that individuals evaluate fairness by comparing the ratio of their contributions to the rewards they receive. Relationship satisfaction is highest when these ratios are perceived as balanced between partners, promoting mutual reciprocity and a sense of justice.Equity vs. Equality in RelationshipsEquity is distinct from equality. Fairness does not...
137