Project Group E: Reflexion and Concepts, Project E10

Sustainability of (Post-)Nomadic Resource Utilization Under Global Change - Conceptual Understanding Through Ecological-Economic Modelling

Programme

The project deals with (post-)nomadic resource utilization and its sustainability under Global Change. Starting from case studies it aims to (1) derive basic principles of sustainable resource utilization and (2) characterise appropriate designs fro resource access regimes as well as (formal and informal) systems for risk management by means of ecological-economic modelling.

The project includes case studies in two countries: The High Atlas and the Eastern Moroccan Plateau in Morocco and the eastern part of the Tibetan Plateau in China. The research is carried out in close cooperation with Project A4.

Modelling is a suitable tool to analyse the dynamic behaviour of complex systems with respect to a specific question. This method is especially appropriate if hypotheses need to be tested or detailed knowledge is available, whose consequences on the overall system are difficult to assess because of possible feedback processes (in particular between ecological and socio-economic factors).

Development of a strategic board game on social-ecological nomadic systems


Within the context of the final exhibition in Hamburg, we developed a strategic board game. Therefore, we used insights from our model analysis on social-ecological nomadic systems. The challenge was to integrate multiple impact factors of nomadic range management in order to communicate research results on a transdisciplinary and understandable level. The board of the game consists of different pasture fields where fodder vegetation grows differently. The players try to manage and grow their herds of sheep by moving them to suitable pasture fields. Unforeseeable events, such as diseases or changing access regimes to pastures, may interfere with the player’s strategy.

The game may be seen as a transdisciplinary contribution for environmental education. Players can realize the relationship between unpredictable events and the impact on the livelihood of nomadic pastoralists. Furthermore, cooperation between players is advantageous and illustrates the meaning of social networks. Natural Resources are scarce and highly variable which often endangers pastoral livelihoods. But risk avers management and sustainable land use enables players to sustain their herd.

Publications

Prof. Dr. Karin Frank

Drees, R., Linstädter, A., Frank, K., Müller, B., (2012). Which household tolerates droughts? - Strategies to secure pastoral livelihoods. Proceedings of International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software (iEMSs), 8 pages.

Dressler, G., Müller, B., Frank, K. (2012). Mobility – a panacea for pastoralism? An ecological-economic modelling approach. Proceedings of International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software (iEMSs), 8 pages.

Müller, B., Quaas, M.F., Frank, K., Baumgärtner, S. (2011a). Pitfalls and Potential of Institutional Change: Rain-Index Insurance and the Sustainability of Rangeland Management. Ecological Economics (70), 2137-2144. (Link: doi:
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0921800911002436)

Schlüter, M., Müller, B., Frank, K., (2012a). MORE - Modeling for Resilience Thinking and Ecosystem Stewardship, Working paper, available online at http://ssrn.com/abstract=2037723.


Dr. Birgit Müller

Drees, R., Linstädter, A., Frank, K., Müller, B., (2012). Which household tolerates droughts? - Strategies to secure pastoral livelihoods. Proceedings of International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software (iEMSs), 8 pages.

Dressler, G., Müller, B., Frank, K. (2012). Mobility – a panacea for pastoralism? An ecological-economic modelling approach. Proceedings of International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software (iEMSs), 8 pages.

Groeneveld, J., Müller, B., Angermüller, F., Drees, R., Dressler, G., Klassert, C., Schlüter, M., Schulze, J., Weise, H., Schwarz, N. (2012). Good modelling practice: expanding the ODD model description protocol for socio-environmental agent based models. Proceedings of International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software (iEMSs), 5 pages.

Müller, B., Quaas, M.F., Frank, K., Baumgärtner, S. (2011a). Pitfalls and Potential of Institutional Change: Rain-Index Insurance and the Sustainability of Rangeland Management. Ecological Economics (70), 2137-2144. (Link: doi:
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0921800911002436)

Müller, B., Angermüller, F., Drees, R., Dressler, G., Groeneveld, J., Klassert, C., Schlüter, M., Schulze, J., Weise, H., Schwarz, N., (2012). Describing Human Decisions in Agent-Based Social-Ecological Models - ODD+D an Extension of the ODD Protocol, Working paper, available online at http://ssrn.com/abstract=2044736.

Schlüter, M., McAllister, R.R.J., Arlinghaus, R., Bunnefeld, N., Eisenach, K., Hölker, F., Milner-Gulland, E.J., Müller, B., Nicholson, E., Quaas, M., Stöven, M., 2012b. New horizons for managing the environment: A review of coupled social-ecological systems modeling. Natural Resource Modeling 25 (1), 219-272.

Schlüter, M., Müller, B., Frank, K., (2012a). MORE - Modeling for Resilience Thinking and Ecosystem Stewardship, Working paper, available online at http://ssrn.com/abstract=2037723.


Dipl. Inform. Dipl. Biol. Romina Drees

Drees, R., Linstädter, A., Frank, K., Müller, B., (2012). Which household tolerates droughts? - Strategies to secure pastoral livelihoods. Proceedings of International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software (iEMSs), 8 Seiten.

Groeneveld, J., Müller, B., Angermüller, F., Drees, R., Dressler, G., Klassert, C., Schlüter, M., Schulze, J., Weise, H., Schwarz, N. (2012). Good modelling practice: expanding the ODD model description protocol for socio-environmental agent based models. Proceedings of International Congress on Environmental Modelling and Software (iEMSs), 5 Seiten.

Müller, B., Angermüller, F., Drees, R., Dressler, G., Groeneveld, J., Klassert, C., Schlüter, M., Schulze, J., Weise, H., Schwarz, N., (2012). Describing Human Decisions in Agent-Based Social-Ecological Models - ODD+D an Extension of the ODD Protocol, Working paper, available online at http://ssrn.com/abstract=2044736.


Anja Linstädter

Ruppert, J., Holm, A., Miehe, S., Muldavin, E., Snyman, H., Wesche, K. & Linstädter, A. (in press 2012), ‘Meta-analysis of rain-use efficiency confirms indicative value for degradation and supports non-linear response along precipitation gradients in drylands’, J.Veg.Sci.
(Link: doi: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1654-1103.2012.01420.x/abstract )