Publications

Li, C.Z., Crépin, A.S. and Folke, C. 2018. The Economics of Resilience. International Review of Environmental and Resource Economics, 11(4), pp.309-353.

This paper provides an interpretive overview on the economics of resilience with special reference to social–ecological systems. We address the basic sciences of regime shifts and resilience in different settings linked to empirical cases and review the economic models related to these aspects. In particular we discuss models to assess market outcomes when thresholds exist and are known and particular characteristics of such s...

Reyers, B., Folke, C., Moore, M-L., R. Biggs, Galaz. V. 2018. Social-Ecological Systems Insights for Navigating the Dynamics of the Anthropocene. Annu. Rev. Environ. Resour. 2018. 43:267–89. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-environ-110615-085349

Social-ecological systems (SES) research offers new theory and evidence to transform sustainable development to better contend with the challenges of the Anthropocene. Four insights from contemporary SES literature on (a) intertwined SES, (b) cross-scale dynamics, (c) systemic tipping points, and (d) transformational change are explored. Based on these insights, shifts in sustainable development practice are suggested to recog...

Folke, C. 2017. The Biosphere Foundation and Sustainability: A Reflection. In: Kessler, E. and A. Karlqvist. (eds.). Environmental Reality: Rethinking the Options. The 12th Royal Colloquium, Rosersberg’s Palace, Sweden, May 23-25, 2016.

Gordon, L., Bignet, V., Crona, B. et.al. 2017. Rewiring food systems to enhance human health and biosphere stewardship. Environ. Res. Lett. 12 100201

Food lies at the heart of both health and sustainability challenges. We use a social-ecological framework to illustrate how major changes to the volume, nutrition and safety of food systems between 1961 and today impact health and sustainability. These changes have almost halved undernutrition while doubling the proportion who are overweight. They have also resulted in reduced resilience of the biosphere, pushing four out of s...

Österblom, H., Jouffray, J.-B., Folke, C., Rockström, J. 2017. Emergence of a global science-business initiative for ocean stewardship. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, USA.

The ocean is under considerable pressure originating from diverse human activities on land and in the water. While substantial literature has focused on how science interacts with policy, relatively little is known about interactions between science and business. Here, we describe: ( i ) the process of identifying “keystone actors” in marine ecosystems, namely globally operating corporations engaged in fisheries and aquacultu...

Österblom, H., B.I. Crona, C. Folke, M. Nyström, M. Troell. 2017. Marine ecosystem science on an intertwined planet. Ecosystems doi:10.1007/s10021-016-9998-6.

Marine ecosystem science has developed since the 1940s, when humans obtained the ability to spend substantial time underneath the surface of the ocean. Since then, and drawing on several decades of scientific advances, a number of exciting research frontiers have emerged. We find: Understanding interacting drivers of change, Identifying thresholds in ecosystems, and Investigating social-ecological dynamics to represent particu...

Tengö, M., R. Hill, P. Malmer, C. M. Raymond, M. Spierenburg, F. Danielsen, T. Elmqvist, C. Folke. 2017. Weaving knowledge systems in IPBES, CBD and beyond—lessons learned for sustainability. Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability. 26–27:17–25

Indigenous peoples and local communities live in, manage and own vast areas often rich in biodiversity and critical for ecosystem services. Bridging indigenous and local knowledge systems with scientific knowledge systems is vital to enhance knowledge, practice, and ethics to move towards sustainability at multiple scales. We focus on international science-policy processes and present a framework for evidence-based guidance on...

Bousquet, F., A. Botta, L. Alinovi, O. Barreteau, D. Bossio, K. Brown, P. Caron, P. Cury, M. D'Errico, F. DeClerck, H. Dessard, E. Enfors Kautsky, C. Fabricius, C. Folke, L. Fortmann, B. Hubert, D. Magda, R. Mathevet, R. B. Norgaard, A. Quinlan, and C. Staver. 2016. Resilience and development: mobilizing for transformation. Ecology and Society 21(3):40. DOI: 10.5751/ES-08754-210340

 In 2014, the Third International Conference on the resilience of social-ecological systems chose the theme “resilience and development: mobilizing for transformation.” The conference aimed specifically at fostering an encounter between the experiences and thinking focused on the issue of resilience through a social and ecological system perspective, and the experiences focused on the issue of resilience through a development ...

Mathevet, R., J.D. Thompson, C. Folke, F.S. Chapin III. 2016. Protected areas and their surrounding territory: Socioecological systems in the context of ecological solidarity. Ecological Applications 26: 5 – 16.

The concept of ecological solidarity (ES) is a major feature of the 2006 law reforming national park policy in France. In the context of biodiversity conservation, the objectives of this study are to outline the historical development of ES, provide a working definition, and present a method for its implementation that combines environmental pragmatism and adaptive management. First, we highlight how ES provides a focus on the...

Norström, A. V., Nyström, M., Jouffray, J-B., Folke, C., Graham, NAJ., Moberg, F., Olsson, P., Williams, G.J. 2016. Guiding coral reef futures in the Anthropocene. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment

Anthropogenic changes to the Earth now rival those caused by the forces of nature and have shepherded us into a new planetary epoch – the Anthropocene. Such changes include profound and often unexpected alterations to coral reef ecosystems and the services they provide to human societies. Ensuring that reefs and their services endure during the Anthropocene will require that key drivers of coral reef change – fishing, water qu...