Scale sensitivity of drivers of environmental change across Europe |
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| Authors: | J Tzanopoulos R Mouttet A Letourneau IN Vogiatzakis SG Potts K Henle R Mathevet P Marty |
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| Institution: | 1. Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology, School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Marlow Building, Canterbury CT2 7NR, UK;2. UMR 5175 – CEFE, CNRS, 1919 route de Mende, 34293 Montpellier Cedex 5, France;3. School of Pure & Applied Sciences, Open University of Cyprus, PO Box 12794, 2252 Latsia, Nicosia, Cyprus;4. School of Agriculture, Policy and Development, Reading University, Reading RG6 6AR, UK;5. UFZ – Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Department of Conservation Biology, Permoserstr. 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany;6. UMR 6250, Littoral, Environnement et Sociétés – LIENSs, Université de La Rochelle – CNRS, La Rochelle, France;7. Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden |
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| Abstract: | The development of effective environmental management plans and policies requires a sound understanding of the driving forces involved in shaping and altering the structure and function of ecosystems. However, driving forces, especially anthropogenic ones, are defined and operate at multiple administrative levels, which do not always match ecological scales. This paper presents an innovative methodology of analysing drivers of change by developing a typology of scale sensitivity of drivers that classifies and describes the way they operate across multiple administrative levels. Scale sensitivity varies considerably among drivers, which can be classified into five broad categories depending on the response of ‘evenness’ and ‘intensity change’ when moving across administrative levels. Indirect drivers tend to show low scale sensitivity, whereas direct drivers show high scale sensitivity, as they operate in a non-linear way across the administrative scale. Thus policies addressing direct drivers of change, in particular, need to take scale into consideration during their formulation. Moreover, such policies must have a strong spatial focus, which can be achieved either by encouraging local–regional policy making or by introducing high flexibility in (inter)national policies to accommodate increased differentiation at lower administrative levels. High quality data is available for several drivers, however, the availability of consistent data at all levels for non-anthropogenic drivers is a major constraint to mapping and assessing their scale sensitivity. This lack of data may hinder effective policy making for environmental management, since it restricts the ability to fully account for scale sensitivity of natural drivers in policy design. |
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