The importance of socio-ecological system dynamics in understanding adaptation to global change in the forestry sector

This research paper uses the CRAFTY-Sweden agent-based model to analyze adaptation in the Swedish forestry sector from 2010 to 2100. It finds that multi-objective management and a mix of management strategies best meet ecosystem service demands, and that a combination of planned and autonomous adaptation is most effective. The authors argue that process-based models are better suited for studying evolving adaptive capacity than indicator-based models.

• Simulations of the Swedish forestry sector indicate that while multi-objective management generally offers the best basis for adaptation, a combination of different management strategies is more effective at meeting ecosystem service demands across large regions. There were significant differences in how land owners' coping ability and competitiveness varied based on their management strategies over time.
• The study suggests that process-based models are superior to models based on indicators, exogenous proxies, or discrete time snapshots for studying future coping capacities and autonomous adaptation, as adaptive capacity evolves over time due to interactions between actors and external global drivers.
• The research concludes that a combination of autonomous adaptation by forest owners and planned adaptation by institutions is likely to be more successful than either approach functioning independently.

APA

Stockholm Environment Institute (2017). The importance of socio-ecological system dynamics in understanding adaptation to global change in the forestry sector. https://www.sei.org/publications/the-importance-of-socio-ecological-system-dynamics-in-understanding-adaptation-to-global-change-in-the-forestry-sector/

Chicago

Stockholm Environment Institute. The importance of socio-ecological system dynamics in understanding adaptation to global change in the forestry sector. 2017. https://www.sei.org/publications/the-importance-of-socio-ecological-system-dynamics-in-understanding-adaptation-to-global-change-in-the-forestry-sector/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Stockholm Environment Institute |title=The importance of socio-ecological system dynamics in understanding adaptation to global change in the forestry sector |date=1 May 2017 |url=https://www.sei.org/publications/the-importance-of-socio-ecological-system-dynamics-in-understanding-adaptation-to-global-change-in-the-forestry-sector/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stockholmenvironmentinstitute2017importance, author = {{Stockholm Environment Institute}}, title = {{The importance of socio-ecological system dynamics in understanding adaptation to global change in the forestry sector}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2017}, month = may, url = {https://www.sei.org/publications/the-importance-of-socio-ecological-system-dynamics-in-understanding-adaptation-to-global-change-in-the-forestry-sector/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }