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Social-ecological niche construction for sustainability: understanding destructive processes and exploring
Christian Dorninger1,2, Lumila Paula Menéndez3,4, Guido Caniglia1
1Konrad Lorenz Institute for Evolution and Cognition Research, Martinstraße 12, Klosterneuburg 3400, Austria.
Summary
Humanity
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary biology
- Environmental science
- Sustainability science
Background:
- Human activities drive global environmental change, leading to a sustainability crisis.
- Human adaptability and niche construction are key factors in this crisis.
- Disconnection from environmental feedbacks allows unchecked expansion but poses long-term risks.
Purpose of the Study:
- Introduce and apply the concept of social-ecological niche construction.
- Analyze destructive human-nature interactions and explore regenerative alternatives.
- Address the long-term consequences of suppressed environmental feedbacks.
Main Methods:
- Conceptual framework development: social-ecological niche construction.
- Analysis of biophysical interactions and outcomes in human-nature coevolution.
- Examination of feedback loops and their impact on sustainability.
Main Results:
- Increasing disconnection from environmental feedbacks is a temporary success, not a solution.
- Suppressed feedbacks create lock-ins and self-destructive dynamics.
- Escaping natural selection requires escalating energy input and defers material limitations.
Conclusions:
- Tackling the sustainability crisis requires managing socio-metabolic growth, not just controlling nature.
- Regenerative niche construction is essential for long-term human and ecological well-being.
- Understanding evolutionary processes is crucial for an Anthropocene synthesis.
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