Table 2. Links involved in social-ecological systems


LinkExamplesPotential Problems

(1) Between resource and resource usersAvailability of water at time of need/availability of fishToo much or too little water / too many uneconomic fish—too many valued fish
 
(2) Between users and public infrastructure providersVoting for providers
Contributing resources
Recommending policies
Monitoring performance of providers
Indeterminacy / lack of participation
Free riding
Rent seeking
Lack of information/free riding
 
(3) Between public infrastructure providers and public infrastructureBuilding initial structure
Regular maintenance

Monitoring and enforcing rules
Overcapitalization or undercapitalization
Shirking disrupting temporal and spatial patterns of resource use
Cost / corruption
 
(4) Between public infrastructure and resourceImpact of infrastructure on the resource levelIneffective
 
(5) Between public infrastructure and resource dynamicsImpact of infrastructure on the feedback structure of the resource–harvest dynamicsIneffective, unintended consequences
 
(6) Between resource users and public infrastructureCoproduction of infrastructure itself, maintenance of works, monitoring and sanctioningNo incentives / free riding
 
(7) External forces on resource and infrastructureSevere weather, earthquake, landslide, new roadsDestroys resource and infrastructure
 
(8) External forces on social actorsMajor changes in political system, migration, commodity prices, and regulationConflict, uncertainty, migration, greatly increased demand