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Firewood Collection in South Africa: Adaptive Behavior in Social-Ecological Models

Author

Listed:
  • Ulfia A. Lenfers

    (Department of Computer Science, Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, Berliner Tor 7, 20099 Hamburg, Germany)

  • Julius Weyl

    (Department of Computer Science, Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, Berliner Tor 7, 20099 Hamburg, Germany)

  • Thomas Clemen

    (Department of Computer Science, Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, Berliner Tor 7, 20099 Hamburg, Germany)

Abstract

Due to the fact that the South Africa’s savanna landscapes are under changing conditions, the previously sustainable firewood collection system in rural areas has become a social-ecological factor in questions about landscape management. While the resilience of savannas in national parks such as Kruger National Park (KNP) in South Africa has been widely acknowledged in ecosystem management, the resilience of woody vegetation outside protected areas has been underappreciated. Collecting wood is the dominant source of energy for rural households, and there is an urgent need for land management to find sustainable solutions for this complex social-ecological system. However, the firewood collection scenario is only one example, and stands for all “human-ecosystem service” interactions under the topic of over-utilization, e.g., fishery, grazing, harvesting. Agent-based modeling combined with goal-oriented action planning (GOAP) can provide fresh insights into the relationship between individual needs of humans and changes in land use. At the same time, this modeling approach includes adaptive behavior under changing conditions. A firewood collection scenario was selected for a proof-of-concept comprising households, collectors, ecosystem services and firewood sites. Our results have shown that, even when it is predictable what a single human agent will do, massive up-scaling is needed in order to understand the whole complexity of social-ecological systems. Under changing conditions, such as climate and an increasing population, fair distribution of natural goods become an important issue.

Suggested Citation

  • Ulfia A. Lenfers & Julius Weyl & Thomas Clemen, 2018. "Firewood Collection in South Africa: Adaptive Behavior in Social-Ecological Models," Land, MDPI, vol. 7(3), pages 1-17, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jlands:v:7:y:2018:i:3:p:97-:d:163948
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Ulfia A. Lenfers & Nima Ahmady-Moghaddam & Daniel Glake & Florian Ocker & Daniel Osterholz & Jonathan Ströbele & Thomas Clemen, 2021. "Improving Model Predictions—Integration of Real-Time Sensor Data into a Running Simulation of an Agent-Based Model," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(13), pages 1-14, June.
    2. Wieland, Ralf & Kuhls, Katrin & Lentz, Hartmut H.K. & Conraths, Franz & Kampen, Helge & Werner, Doreen, 2021. "Combined climate and regional mosquito habitat model based on machine learning," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 452(C).
    3. Gerrit Günther & Thomas Clemen & Rainer Duttmann & Brigitta Schütt & Daniel Knitter, 2021. "Of Animal Husbandry and Food Production—A First Step towards a Modular Agent-Based Modelling Platform for Socio-Ecological Dynamics," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(12), pages 1-25, December.
    4. Ulfia A. Lenfers & Nima Ahmady-Moghaddam & Daniel Glake & Florian Ocker & Julius Weyl & Thomas Clemen, 2022. "Modeling the Future Tree Distribution in a South African Savanna Ecosystem: An Agent-Based Model Approach," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(5), pages 1-24, April.
    5. Christian Berger & Mari Bieri & Karen Bradshaw & Christian Brümmer & Thomas Clemen & Thomas Hickler & Werner Leo Kutsch & Ulfia A. Lenfers & Carola Martens & Guy F. Midgley & Kanisios Mukwashi & Victo, 2019. "Linking scales and disciplines: an interdisciplinary cross-scale approach to supporting climate-relevant ecosystem management," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 156(1), pages 139-150, September.
    6. Tshidzumba, Ratsodo Phillip & Chirwa, Paxie Wanangwa, 2022. "Forest-based land reform partnerships in rural development and the sustenance of timber markets. Learning from two South African cases," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 140(C).

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