Integration science: Linking social and ecological systems for sustainability

Traditional resource management policies and strategies are commonly based on reductionist approaches within the paradigm of a single discipline. These methods are generally ineffective in explaining social-ecological systems with its complex dynamics and interactions. As a consequence, researchers practicing such strategies tend to regard reality as independent of the human observer and assume that management strategies are independent of socio-cultural context. With sustainable development becoming a widely recognized management goal, there is an urgent need to advance understanding of transformational change in linked systems of humans and nature. This is what the emerging field of integration science is trying to achieve. Integration science is a metadiscipline concerning itself with processes, drivers, and controls that regulate change in coupled social-ecological systems.  Grounded on holistic-relational thinking and supported by complexity theory and stakeholder participation, integration science promotes dialectic decision making to reflect the different views and objectives of stakeholders, the presence of incomplete information, and, often, poor understanding of complex social-ecological dynamics.  This presentation discusses the theoretical and methodological foundation of integration science and introduces a case study to illustrate the application of integration science in a small watershed in south-central Texas.