NOVA. The University of Newcastle's Digital Repository

Description	Size	Format
Abstract	565 KB	Adobe Acrobat PDF	View/Open
Chapters1-5	4 MB	Adobe Acrobat PDF	View/Open
Chapters6-8	3 MB	Adobe Acrobat PDF	View/Open

Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/31757

Title

Social and environmental change as determinants of ecosystem health: A case study of social ecological systems in the Paterson Valley NSW Australia

Author/Creator

Archer, Alan Cameron

Institution

University of Newcastle. Faculty of Science and Information Technology, School of Environmental and Life Sciences

Description

Research Doctorate - Doctor of Philosopy (PhD)

Description

An environmental history approach is used in this thesis as a foundation for the analysis of the social and environmental changes that have occurred from the ancient past to the present within the Paterson Valley in New South Wales, Australia. The study examines the biophysical basis of the valley’s ecological processes and then describes the influence of the activities of Aboriginal peoples and subsequent European colonisation on the landscape. The study makes use of the various methodologies within social and ecological systems to assist with the analysis. It demonstrates the value of concepts such as complex adaptive systems, the adaptive cycle, panarchy and ecosystem health as ways of conceptualising complex transdisciplinary issues to reach conclusions based on temporal and spatial evidence. The complex relationships that the Aboriginal peoples had with the environment are compared with the various and rapid phases of colonial influences and processes. The social dimension of the changes over time is examined particularly with respect to the Indigenous and European institutions and infrastructure that influence the landscape. A significant issue identified in the study was the changing influence of Western institutions on the ecosystem health of the Valley; from local to global. The implications of this on ecosystem health are discussed. The Valley’s landscapes are divided into alluvial and non-alluvial, with the latter receiving the most attention in the study primarily due to its more extant nature whereas the alluvial rainforest has been virtually eliminated through extensive land clearing. The analysis of the non-alluvial landscape shows how important the Indigenous land management practices were in the maintenance of a complex mosaic of vegetation types specifically influenced by fire. The impact of the removal of the Indigenous influences on the landscape and the imposition of European practices and processes have seen a major reduction in the Valley’s ecological complexity. The study identified processes and factors external to the Valley which are increasingly influencing it. Not all of these are detrimental but they result in the Valley’s ecosystem health being more dependent on global events and processes. The study demonstrates the value of the ecosystem health framework for conceptualising the Valley’s ecosystems and the adaptive cycle for analysing and understanding their changes over time. These approaches provide an opportunity to identify pathways for future management of the Valley’s resources.

Relation

University of Newcastle Research Higher Degree Thesis

Date

2007

Keyword(s)

social-ecological systems;  social ecological systems;  transdisciplinary;  environmental history;  Paterson Valley;  Hunter Valley;  ecosystem health;  adaptive cycle;  resilience

Resource Type

thesis

Rights

Copyright 2007 Alan Cameron Archer

Identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/31757

Language

eng

---

Full Text

 

Save/E-mail Citation

Citation Format

Plain Text Citation HTML Citation EndNote Format

E-mail Address

Subject

"Social and environmental change as determinants of ecosystem health: A case study of social ecological systems in the Paterson Valley NSW Australia"

 

OR