The use and relevance of computational models for socio-ecological modeling have grown over the past few decades, sanctified by the Nobel Prize of Elinor Ostrom. The conception and creation of complex conceptual and then computerized models supports the understanding of the complexity of real-life systems. Analyzing such complex socio-ecosystems may imply formalizing approaches and articulating large amounts of variants while exploring in a non-deterministic way their manifold and intricate interactions.
The development of such models relies upon the selection of relevant qualitative and quantitative variables to list, evaluate, monitor, and combine in order to extract meaningful tendencies, dynamics, and ruptures. Indeed, biophysical dynamics are easier to apprehend and errors’ magnitudes are manageable. Therefore, socio-ecological models tend to give priority to environmental factors. However, one may miss here the emergent dynamics coming from the most versatile component of socio-ecological systems - humans -which explains why many prospective attempts fail to predict future trajectories. Yet, numerous studies indicate that anthropological factors (e.g. family organizations, inheritance rules, distribution of power amongst lineages or families) can drastically affect the environment, sometimes in a counter-intuitive way.
Mediterranean shores are considered to be among the most affected by future global and local changes: alongside global warming that will affect rainfall and subsequent water availability, demographic transitions, overall expanses of urban, everyday ways of life, incomes, industrialization, and urbanizations will knock our present socio-ecosystems. Such socio-ecosystems are historically structured on binary and radial city-hinterland schemes. These complex, rapidly evolving, often misunderstood and oversimplified socio-ecosystems are unique for testing interdisciplinary approaches at their limits, where over and under-estimations may have huge policy and social impacts.
As a result, this Research Topic acknowledges the importance of socio-anthropological factors particularly in environmental issues where humanity is always and altogether the main driver, troublemaker, and (sometimes) healer in order to encourage the submission of contributions that address socio-ecosystem issues around Mediterranean shores, in particular, but not solely limited to, the southern coast.
The scope of this Research Topic is to explore and present existing approaches combining socio-economic elements, even qualitative ones, and agro-biophysical formalizations, dedicated to the evaluation of the various and fast-growing socio-environmental constraints on Mediterranean shores where urban and rural areas are environmentally intricate and stressed. We expect articles describing case studies with innovative and quali-quantitative methodologies built for specific and local situations along the Mediterranean shores.
The use and relevance of computational models for socio-ecological modeling have grown over the past few decades, sanctified by the Nobel Prize of Elinor Ostrom. The conception and creation of complex conceptual and then computerized models supports the understanding of the complexity of real-life systems. Analyzing such complex socio-ecosystems may imply formalizing approaches and articulating large amounts of variants while exploring in a non-deterministic way their manifold and intricate interactions.
The development of such models relies upon the selection of relevant qualitative and quantitative variables to list, evaluate, monitor, and combine in order to extract meaningful tendencies, dynamics, and ruptures. Indeed, biophysical dynamics are easier to apprehend and errors’ magnitudes are manageable. Therefore, socio-ecological models tend to give priority to environmental factors. However, one may miss here the emergent dynamics coming from the most versatile component of socio-ecological systems - humans -which explains why many prospective attempts fail to predict future trajectories. Yet, numerous studies indicate that anthropological factors (e.g. family organizations, inheritance rules, distribution of power amongst lineages or families) can drastically affect the environment, sometimes in a counter-intuitive way.
Mediterranean shores are considered to be among the most affected by future global and local changes: alongside global warming that will affect rainfall and subsequent water availability, demographic transitions, overall expanses of urban, everyday ways of life, incomes, industrialization, and urbanizations will knock our present socio-ecosystems. Such socio-ecosystems are historically structured on binary and radial city-hinterland schemes. These complex, rapidly evolving, often misunderstood and oversimplified socio-ecosystems are unique for testing interdisciplinary approaches at their limits, where over and under-estimations may have huge policy and social impacts.
As a result, this Research Topic acknowledges the importance of socio-anthropological factors particularly in environmental issues where humanity is always and altogether the main driver, troublemaker, and (sometimes) healer in order to encourage the submission of contributions that address socio-ecosystem issues around Mediterranean shores, in particular, but not solely limited to, the southern coast.
The scope of this Research Topic is to explore and present existing approaches combining socio-economic elements, even qualitative ones, and agro-biophysical formalizations, dedicated to the evaluation of the various and fast-growing socio-environmental constraints on Mediterranean shores where urban and rural areas are environmentally intricate and stressed. We expect articles describing case studies with innovative and quali-quantitative methodologies built for specific and local situations along the Mediterranean shores.
