Navigating local environment and scientific knowledge in dryland social-ecological systems through linking ecological policy-household interactions with land surface dynamics

As the Earth enters the Anthropocene, the system complexity and site-specificity of dryland social-ecological systems (SESs) presents new challenges for realizing the target of land degradation neutrality (LDN) in drylands. The valuable local environmental and scientific knowledge (LESK) of dryland SESs is crucial for adaptive governance but remains scarce. Here, we proposed an analytical framework to understand the LESK in relation to the mechanisms of ecological policy-household interactions and ecological performance of resource systems. According to this framework, we explored LESK by linking land surface dynamics and investigations of policy and households in a typical dryland region, Minqin. We reported that ecological policy contributed to significant socio-ecological benefits, including increased water resources, land desertification reduction, and natural vegetation restoration. However, there exist conflicting aspects, demonstrated by the encroachment of agricultural land, which increases the land degradation risk of oasis. These results implied that top-down ecological policy and bottom-up household responses caused both positive and negative LDN outcomes, which can be attributed to collective and conflicted actions between the self-interest orientation of multiple stakeholders. By investigating households, we found that education-induced economic need was one of the major drivers for the conflicted actions on the policy of agricultural land reduction. Therefore, we proposed a series of adaptive measurements to balance short-term economic concerns and long-term LDN. This study also highlighted that navigated LESK should be considered for future sustainable management and ecosystem modeling.

Automated summary

As the Earth enters the Anthropocene, the complexity and specificity of dryland social-ecological systems present new challenges for achieving land degradation neutrality (LDN) in drylands. Local environmental and scientific knowledge (LESK) of dryland SESs is crucial but scarce. This study proposes an analytical framework to understand LESK in relation to the interactions between ecological policy, households, and resource systems. Using Minqin as a case study, the authors find that ecological policy has contributed to socio-ecological benefits, such as increased water resources and restoration of natural vegetation, but conflicting aspects exist, such as the encroachment of agricultural land causing land degradation risk. The study suggests adaptive measures to balance short-term economic concerns and long-term LDN.