This course aims to introduce students to understanding socio-ecological systems (SES) and using SES frameworks to understand environmental and associated sustainability issues. Specific attention will be given to understanding how SES are structured, function and interact as an integrated whole and what happens when they don’t. The behavior of SES will be viewed through the lens of ecological principles and guidelines and the approaches of social institutions to translate them into resource management practice. With primary emphasis on renewable resources and biodiversity, the course will emphasize the importance of socio-ecological context and draw upon case studies. Students will also examine a SES in the Vienna area (fieldtrip) and explore the behavior of SES through the FishBanks simulation game
- Instructors: Brandon Anthony, Laszlo Pinter