Recent work in complex systems theory are providing a growing understanding of the processes by which ecological systems are renewed both by regular patterns of disturbance and occasional dramatic change; and of the ways in which human societies, institutions and organizations also proceed through dynamic processes.
Complexity theory views human-natural systems as self-organizing systems whose dynamics are largely a function of positive and negative feedback loops. This reality ensures that linear, causal, mechanical explanations of their dynamics are not sufficient. Multiple stable states (attractors) and unforeseen sudden changes (surprise) due to threshold dynamics are normal phenomena, as are inherent uncertainty and limited predictability due to nonlinear feedback mechanisms.
When a change will occur, and what state the system will change to, are often unpredictable. Even when the environmental situation changes the system's feedback loops tend to maintain its current state. However, when they do occur, ecosystem changes can be very rapid and even catastrophic. Furthermore, the hierarchical nature of complex systems requires that these systems be studied from different perspectives. There is no one correct perspective; a diversity of perspectives is required for understanding.
These insights suggest that the study of human-natural systems requires a different epistemological basis than that used in traditional science. This realization provides the basis for the multi-perspective, participatory, multi-scale approach proposed by the Gaian Institute to inform resource managers and decision makers about ecological options, tradeoffs, uncertainties and strategies for managing social-ecological landscapes.
Recommended reading:
Kauffman, S. (1995). At Home in the Universe: The Search for the Laws of Self-Organization and Complexity. Oxford University Press
Bak, P. (1999). How Nature Works: The Science of Self-Organized Critically. Springer
Merry, U. (1995). Coping with Uncertainty: Insights from the New Sciences of Chaos, Self-Organization, and Complexity. Praeger Publishers
Janssen, M. A. ed. (2002). Complexity and Ecosystem Management: The Theory and Practice of Multi-Agent Systems. Edward Elgar Publishing