SYDE 251Introduction to Socio-Ecological Systems

Everything that ensures the sustainability and quality of life on this planet is connected within integrated socio-ecological systems. If we only treat issues within these systems as isolated events, we contribute to widespread structural injustice in the world. The social component refers to all human activities - built environment, technology, politics, and culture. On the other hand, the ecological component refers to the biosphere. To understand how these systems function we must consider their interactions in spatial and temporal scales. The course introduces the foundation concepts in complex socio-ecological problems and employs systems thinking to explore human-environment interactions at various scales.