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The Social-Ecological Keystone Concept: A Quantifiable Metaphor for Understanding the Structure, Function, and Resilience of a Biocultural System

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  • Kawika B. Winter

    (Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Kāne‘ohe, HI 96744, USA
    Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA
    National Tropical Botanical Garden, Kalāheo, HI 96741, USA)

  • Noa Kekuewa Lincoln

    (Department of Tropical Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA)

  • Fikret Berkes

    (Natural Resources Institute, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada)

Abstract

Social-ecological system theory draws upon concepts established within the discipline of ecology, and applies them to a more holistic view of a human-in-nature system. We incorporated the keystone concept into social-ecological system theory, and used the quantum co-evolution unit (QCU) to quantify biocultural elements as either keystone components or redundant components of social-ecological systems. This is done by identifying specific elements of biocultural diversity, and then determining dominance within biocultural functional groups. The “Hawaiian social-ecological system” was selected as the model of study to test this concept because it has been recognized as a model of human biocomplexity and social-ecological systems. Based on both quantified and qualified assessments, the conclusions of this research support the notion that taro cultivation is a keystone component of the Hawaiian social-ecological system. It further indicates that sweet potato cultivation was a successional social-ecological keystone in regions too arid to sustain large-scale taro cultivation, and thus facilitated the existence of an “alternative regime state” in the same social-ecological system. Such conclusions suggest that these biocultural practices should be a focal point of biocultural restoration efforts in the 21st century, many of which aim to restore cultural landscapes.

Suggested Citation

  • Kawika B. Winter & Noa Kekuewa Lincoln & Fikret Berkes, 2018. "The Social-Ecological Keystone Concept: A Quantifiable Metaphor for Understanding the Structure, Function, and Resilience of a Biocultural System," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(9), pages 1-19, September.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:10:y:2018:i:9:p:3294-:d:169959
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    1. Marten Scheffer & Steve Carpenter & Jonathan A. Foley & Carl Folke & Brian Walker, 2001. "Catastrophic shifts in ecosystems," Nature, Nature, vol. 413(6856), pages 591-596, October.
    2. Kawika B. Winter & Kamanamaikalani Beamer & Mehana Blaich Vaughan & Alan M. Friedlander & Mike H. Kido & A. Nāmaka Whitehead & Malia K.H. Akutagawa & Natalie Kurashima & Matthew Paul Lucas & Ben Nyber, 2018. "The Moku System: Managing Biocultural Resources for Abundance within Social-Ecological Regions in Hawaiʻi," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(10), pages 1-19, October.
    3. Norgaard, Richard B., 1981. "Sociosystem and ecosystem coevolution in the amazon," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 8(3), pages 238-254, September.
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    Cited by:

    1. Ana Nikezić, 2022. "Enhancing Biocultural Diversity of Wild Urban Woodland through Research-Based Architectural Design: Case Study—War Island in Belgrade, Serbia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-23, September.
    2. Angelica Melone & Leah L. Bremer & Susan E. Crow & Zoe Hastings & Kawika B. Winter & Tamara Ticktin & Yoshimi M. Rii & Maile Wong & Kānekoa Kukea-Shultz & Sheree J. Watson & Clay Trauernicht, 2021. "Assessing Baseline Carbon Stocks for Forest Transitions: A Case Study of Agroforestry Restoration from Hawaiʻi," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-17, February.
    3. Noa Kekuewa Lincoln & Jack Rossen & Peter Vitousek & Jesse Kahoonei & Dana Shapiro & Keone Kalawe & Māhealani Pai & Kehaulani Marshall & Kamuela Meheula, 2018. "Restoration of ‘Āina Malo‘o on Hawai‘i Island: Expanding Biocultural Relationships," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-22, October.
    4. Lars Bomhauer-Beins & Corinna de Guttry & Beate M. W. Ratter, 2019. "When Culture Materializes: Societal Dynamics in Resilience of Social-Ecological Systems in the Case of Conch Management on Abaco, The Bahamas," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(4), pages 1-17, February.
    5. Leah L. Bremer & Kim Falinski & Casey Ching & Christopher A. Wada & Kimberly M. Burnett & Kanekoa Kukea-Shultz & Nicholas Reppun & Gregory Chun & Kirsten L.L. Oleson & Tamara Ticktin, 2018. "Biocultural Restoration of Traditional Agriculture: Cultural, Environmental, and Economic Outcomes of Lo‘i Kalo Restoration in He‘eia, O‘ahu," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(12), pages 1-21, November.
    6. Kevin Chang & Kawika B. Winter & Noa Kekuewa Lincoln, 2019. "Hawai‘i in Focus: Navigating Pathways in Global Biocultural Leadership," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(1), pages 1-9, January.
    7. Blaire J. Langston & Noa Kekuewa Lincoln, 2018. "The Role of Breadfruit in Biocultural Restoration and Sustainability in Hawai‘i," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-17, October.
    8. Lincoln, Noa Kekuewa, 2020. "Agroforestry form and ecological adaptation in ancient Hawai'i: Extent of the pākukui swidden system of Hāmākua, Hawai'i Island," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 181(C).
    9. Odirilwe Selomane & Belinda Reyers & Reinette Biggs & Maike Hamann, 2019. "Harnessing Insights from Social-Ecological Systems Research for Monitoring Sustainable Development," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(4), pages 1-36, February.
    10. Therezah Achieng & Kristine Maciejewski & Michelle Dyer & Reinette Biggs, 2020. "Using a Social-ecological Regime Shift Approach to Understand the Transition from Livestock to Game Farming in the Eastern Cape, South Africa," Land, MDPI, vol. 9(4), pages 1-13, March.
    11. Sujith S. Ratnayake & Lalit Kumar & Punchi B. Dharmasena & Harsha K. Kadupitiya & Champika S. Kariyawasam & Danny Hunter, 2021. "Sustainability of Village Tank Cascade Systems of Sri Lanka: Exploring Cascade Anatomy and Socio-Ecological Nexus for Ecological Restoration Planning," Challenges, MDPI, vol. 12(2), pages 1-23, September.
    12. Carter A. Hunt & Melanie E. Jones & Ernesto Bustamante & Carla Zambrano & Carolina Carrión-Klier & Heinke Jäger, 2023. "Setting Up Roots: Opportunities for Biocultural Restoration in Recently Inhabited Settings," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-18, February.
    13. Raul P. Lejano, 2019. "Relationality and Social–Ecological Systems: Going Beyond or Behind Sustainability and Resilience," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(10), pages 1-9, May.
    14. Kawika B. Winter & Kamanamaikalani Beamer & Mehana Blaich Vaughan & Alan M. Friedlander & Mike H. Kido & A. Nāmaka Whitehead & Malia K.H. Akutagawa & Natalie Kurashima & Matthew Paul Lucas & Ben Nyber, 2018. "The Moku System: Managing Biocultural Resources for Abundance within Social-Ecological Regions in Hawaiʻi," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(10), pages 1-19, October.

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