Citation
Connected Places and Social-Ecological Forces that Impact Small Island States and Their Sustainability: An Essay (2023).. Walsh, Stephen J. & Mena, Carlos F. (Eds.) (pp. 3-12). New York: Springer International Publishing.
Abstract
We are motivated by the general concern for the fragility and uniqueness of island ecosystems and the tensions between human-environment interactions, often mani fested through economic development, disturbance regimes, and challenges to resource conservation (Baldacchino 2018; Walsh and Mena 2016). Risks to islands, and particularly, Small Island States, are often associated with the intensity and type of environmental and socio-economic processes that impact local island conditions (Gardner and Grenier 2011). For instance, island ecosystems are influenced by the type of economic development associated with residential and touristic processes, such as, population migration, urbanization, deforestation, and agricultural extensi fication (Brewington 2013). Climate change and the related factors of sea-level rise and changes in the intensity and frequency of ENSO events are confounding pro cesses that further shape island ecosystems (Uyarra et al. 2005). Environmental change, including, coastal erosion, invasive species, and land use dynamics further mediate islands, thereby, necessitating the development of mitigating strategies. Such strategies often involve resource conservation and protected area designation to ensure the wise stewardship of marine and terrestrial sites, with the goal to minimize the social-ecological challenges to the sustainability of island ecosystems (Ernoul and Wardell-Johnson 2013; Ghosh et al. 2001; Walsh et al. 2018).
URL
https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-28089-4Reference Type
Book Section
Year Published
2023
Continent/Country
Galapagos
ORCiD
Walsh, S - 0000-0001-6274-9381
