Social-ecological connectivity to understand ecosystem service provision across networks in urban landscapes

Monika Egerer*, Elsa Anderson

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

13 Scopus citations

Abstract

Landscape connectivity is a critical component of dynamic processes that link the structure and function of networks at the landscape scale. In the Anthropocene, connectivity across a landscape-scale network is influenced not only by biophysical land use features, but also by characteristics and patterns of the social landscape. This is particularly apparent in urban landscapes, which are highly dynamic in land use and often in social composition. Thus, landscape connectivity, especially in cities, must be thought of in a social-ecological framework. This is relevant when considering ecosystem services—the benefits that people derive from ecological processes and properties. As relevant actors move through a connected landscape-scale network, particular services may “flow” better across space and time. For this special issue on dynamic landscape connectivity, we discuss the concept of social-ecological networks using urban landscapes as a focal system to highlight the importance of social-ecological connectivity to understand dynamic urban landscapes, particularly in regards to the provision of urban ecosystem services.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article number530
Pages (from-to)1-14
Number of pages14
JournalLand
Volume9
Issue number12
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 2020

Funding

Acknowledgments: The authors wish to thank Nakisha Fouch, Mysha Clarke, and Melissa Davidson for ideas that contributed to the paper. We acknowledge support by the German Research Foundation and the Open Access Publication Fund of TU Berlin.

Keywords

  • Coupled human-natural systems
  • Landscape connectivity
  • Social-ecological networks
  • Social-ecological systems
  • Urban

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Global and Planetary Change
  • Ecology
  • Nature and Landscape Conservation

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