621170 Studies of Socio-Ecological Production Landscapes and Seascapes (SEPLS)

Lecturer: Dr. Maiko Nishi, Dr. Juan Pastor-Ivars

Course Description

Recent global assessments of life on Earth show pervasive human-driven decline in nature and identify biodiversity loss as one of the top five global risks to society. Understanding the dynamics in human-nature interactions across multiple levels and scales is crucial for designing and implementing the interventions for biodiversity conservation and sustainability. Socio-ecological production landscapes and seascapes (SEPLS) – defined as dynamic mosaics and land and sea uses where the harmonious human-nature interaction maintains both biodiversity and human wellbeing – manifest a sustainable model of management practices as dynamic mosaics of habitats and land and sea uses where harmonious human-nature interaction maintains both biodiversity and human well-being. This course aims to deepen the understanding of SEPLS and explore various approaches to the studies of SEPLS. It will introduce key concepts, theories, methodologies that are useful to understand and undertake research on SEPLS.

Course Objectives and Learning Goals

This course will provide students with knowledge concerning key features as well as challenges and opportunities in managing SEPLS and demonstrate various approaches to the studies of SEPLS. By the end of the semester, students will be able to:

• Be familiarized with key concepts, approaches and methods of research on SEPLS,

including landscape approaches, multiple values to nature, nexus approaches,

scenario development, multi-level governance analysis, and urban ecology;

• Understand sustainable management approaches to integrate multiple dimensions of

social-ecological systems generally and SEPLS in particular; and

• Conceptualize, design and critique empirical research on SEPLS.