Hawai‘i’s Mountain-to-Sea Ecosystems: Social–Ecological Microcosms for Sustainability Science and Practice

Abstract

There is an urgent need to develop the underlying theory and principles of ''sustainability science,'' based on an understanding of the fundamental interactions between nature and humans. This requires a new research and education paradigm that embraces biocomplexity, integrates the physical, biological, and social sciences, and uses a coupled, human-natural systems approach. An initiative aligned with this paradigm and approach, and centered on the Hawaiian Island's unique mountain-to-sea ecosystems, is developing at the University of Hawai'i. These ecosystems, extending from upland tropical forests to the fringing coral reefs, correspond to the roughly wedge-shaped catchments, traditionally called ahupua'a in the Hawaiian language. Despite the collapse of the ahupua'a system and, tragically, the Native Hawaiian population, its legacy of ecological and cultural stewardship remains. This legacy, and the potential of these ecosystems as microcosms for addressing the core questions of sustainability science, has provided the impetus for a growing number of projects employing a socialecological systems perspective. An overview of three projects that employ a ''learning community'' approach and cultural stewardship perspective inspired by the ahupua'a system is provided. These include the Ecosystems Thrust Area of Hawai'i EPSCoR, a U.S. National Science Foundation research infrastructure program, focused on ecosystem research and monitoring activities; a sustainability curriculum program, M alama I Ka 'Aina, of the College of Education; and a project that builds on programs of the Division of Ecology and Health and its affiliated AsiaPacific Center for Infectious Disease Ecology, linking ecosystem resilience and infectious diseases.

Jambak Jambu Kalko: Nature conservation management of the Serampas of Jambi, Sumatra

“…In the islands of Hawaii, local people recognize ahupua; a concept of traditional natural resource management which involves all elements of the islands landscape, ranging from the oceans, coasts, to mountain peaks. The natural resources are managed as an integrated entity, not just in ecological means but also in terms of social, culture, and spiritual values (Costa-Pierce 1987; Kaneshiro et al 2005).…”

Environmental Stewardship: A Conceptual Review and Analytical Framework

“…Stewardship actions can be targeted for individual species, multiple species, individual habitats, entire ecosystems, or even integrated human-environment systems at scales ranging from neighborhoods to landscapes. For example, these actions might include limiting the harvest of a single recreationally, commercially, and culturally important species (Groesbeck et al 2014), the establishment of no take terrestrial parks or marine protected areas to protect a species or habitat (Micheli et al 2012), the active restoration of degraded habitats through replanting stream buffers (Sheppard et al 2017), the practice of traditional comprehensive watershed management from mountaintops to the near-shore marine environment to protect ecosystems (Kaneshiro et al 2005), the creation and management of urban green spaces or community gardens (Krasny and Tidball 2012), or the strategic reduction of dependence on resource-based livelihoods to decrease harvests (McCay et al 2014). Stewardship can also take the form of passive management-leaving an area to regenerate-or simply choosing to not harvest from an area.…”

Sustainability within the Academic EcoHealth Literature: Existing Engagement and Future Prospects

“…As to the linkage between "sustain" and "transdisciplinary", only n = 7 articles mentioned the linkage more than once. Aside from the 2012 Charron article [34], the linkage appeared with sustainable livelihood [74], long term sustainable solutions [81], policies around sustainable futures in northern Australia [90], sustainability science [94,106], transdisciplinary education on sustainability for health [54] and sustainable dengue control [85].…”