Socioecosystems

Written for the Anthropocene, this book introduces socioecosystems as a way to understand how adaptive processes act on one another and drive the joint evolution of living things. Because these systems operate across many temporal and physical scales, the author argues that ecological, social and economic pressures must be examined together. Their combined influence shapes the complex dynamics that decide whether the Earth remains habitable.

Drawing on concrete examples from regional socioecosystems on several continents, the book shows how research carried out through direct action has helped resolve problems in farming, public health and the protection of biodiversity. Its central claim is that such efforts depend on the cooperation of three groups: the living beings and material objects involved, the community of researchers and their knowledge, and the people who act on the ground.

The case studies are followed by a reflection on the conditions needed to see this kind of research through to completion.