Balancing the tradeoffs between ecological and economic risks for the Great Barrier Reef: a pragmatic conceptual framework

Thomas, C.R., Gordon, I.J., Wooldridge, S., and Marshall, P. (2012) Balancing the tradeoffs between ecological and economic risks for the Great Barrier Reef: a pragmatic conceptual framework. Human and Ecological Risk Assessment, 18 (1). pp. 69-91.

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Abstract

Coral reefs are threatened globally by the climatic consequences of rising atmospheric CO₂ levels; in many regions they are also threatened locally, for example, by reductions in the water quality of runoff from adjacent catchments. Interaction between global and local pressures makes it possible to use local actions to mitigate the impacts of climate change. To this end, managers and policy-makers are seeking to implement agricultural land management regimes that improve runoff water quality and thereby reduce risks to the Great Barrier Reef. Although components of the Great Barrier Reef Region have been researched for some time, a systemic approach capable of representing the Region's key functional relationships as a social-ecological system is lacking. Here we provide a conceptual framework of the Great Barrier Reef social-ecological system that identifies a range of complex socioeconomic tradeoffs that may be required to maintain resilient reefs under climate change. The conceptual framework is the first step toward development of a functional analytical tool that is capable of helping policy-makers choose between alternative management actions.

Item ID: 42432
Item Type: Article (Research - C1)
ISSN: 1549-7860
Keywords: decision support, water quality, ecosystem services, contested landscapes
Funders: Marine and Tropical Science Research Facility (MTSRF), CSIRO Water for a Healthy Country National Research Flagship
Date Deposited: 03 Feb 2016 15:12
FoR Codes: 05 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES > 0501 Ecological Applications > 050101 Ecological Impacts of Climate Change @ 70%
07 AGRICULTURAL AND VETERINARY SCIENCES > 0701 Agriculture, Land and Farm Management > 070101 Agricultural Land Management @ 30%
SEO Codes: 96 ENVIRONMENT > 9603 Climate and Climate Change > 960303 Climate Change Models @ 50%
96 ENVIRONMENT > 9603 Climate and Climate Change > 960311 Social Impacts of Climate Change and Variability @ 50%
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