An Indicator Framework for Assessing Agroecosystem Resilience

By J. F. Cabell, M. Oelofse. 2012

484 citations recorded by the source corpus.

Taking departure in the theory of resilience in social-ecological systems, we present an analysis and discussion of how resilience theory can be applied to agroecosystems. Building on the premise that agroecosystems are too complex for resilience to be measured in any precise manner, we delineate behavior-based indicators of resilience within agroecosystems. Based on a review of relevant literature, we present and discuss an index of 13 such indicators, which, when identified in an agroecosystem, suggest that it is resilient and endowed with the capacity for adaptation and transformation. Absence of these indicators identifies points of intervention for managers and stakeholders to build resilience where there is vulnerability. The indicators encompass various phases in the adaptive cycle and seek to link core aspects of social-ecological systems. We stress the strong societal need for building resilience in agroecosystems and advocate for a broader way of evaluating resilience in agroecosystems.

Subfields: General Agricultural and Biological Sciences, Plant Science

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/fad048bda3a54ed0959f8012293eb55c92394a89

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In General Agricultural and Biological Sciences

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Citations in the corpus

Resilience and why it matters for farm management (2014, background): “…in grasslands in the Netherlands (van Appeldoorn et al., 2011); an indicator framework for assessing agroecosystem resilience using 13 indicators (Cabell and Oelofse, 2012); the extent to which livelihood strategies they exhibit nonlinearity, irreversibility and hysteresis (Tittonell, 2014); or…”
A social-ecological framework for analyzing and designing integrated crop–livestock systems from farm to territory levels (2016, background): “Accordingly, a TCLS can be conceptualized as a social-ecological system (Cabell and Oelofse, 2012) in which the social system influences how land is used and managed, as well as the nature of ES it delivers (Díaz et al., 2011; Schouten et al., 2012; Poccard-Chapuis et al., 2014).”
Climate-smart agriculture global research agenda: scientific basis for action (2014, background): “Resilience focuses on factors that enable functioning despite adverse conditions [21,22], provides a means of framing the dynamic relationships between humans and the environment (socioecological systems) and considers society’s capacity to manage change [23].”
Building livelihood resilience: what role does agroforestry play? (2019, background): “…with the sustainable livelihoods approach Measuring resilience is a difficult task, although several authors have put forward ideas about how to measure resilience (Cabell & Oelofse, 2012; Carpenter et al., 2001; Carpenter, Westley, & Turner, 2005; Leslie & McCabe, 2013; Walker & Salt, 2006).”
A framework to assess the resilience of farming systems (2019, methodology): “(2012), also used by the Stockholm Resilience Centre) and agricultural practices (Cabell and Oelofse, 2012).”
Measuring the dimensions of adaptive capacity: a psychometric approach (2015, methodology): “Indicators have been aggregated stepwise into indices (Schröter et al. 2005, Cabell and Oelofse 2012, Schneiderbauer et al. 2013) or sorted into dimensions (Yohe and Tol 2002, Schröter et al. 2005, Gupta et al. 2010).”
Interplay of trade and food system resilience: Gains on supply diversity over time at the cost of trade independency (2020, background): “Diverse production of foodstuff (in terms of nutritional components) (RP1a) is considered to positively affect stability and resilience in agricultural ecosystems (Cabell and Oelofse, 2012; Khoury et al., 2014) and this indicator is therefore assumed to contribute positively to resilience.”
Interactions Among Ecosystem Services Across Land Uses in a Floodplain (2014, background): “Consequences of these trade-offs need to be assessed across temporal and spatial scales by policy makers prior to management actions such that managers can make effective decisions (Rodríguez et al. 2005, 2006, Tallis and Polasky 2009, Cabell and Oelofse 2012).”
An indicator framework for assessing livelihood resilience in the context of social–ecological dynamics (2014, background): “Existing norms and rules can indicate self-organisation in a SES (Pretty and Smith, 2004; Brondizio et al., 2009; Cabell and Oelofse, 2012).”