An adaptive social-ecological system management matrix for guiding ecosystem service improvements

Social-ecological system (SES) management requires targets to move in a desirable direction. However, setting targets at the outset of a management program is challenging. People representing the demand side are not always aware of the benefits of nature that are desirable. Simultaneously, managers–who represent the supply side–have limited scientific information. Therefore, we propose an adaptive SES management matrix (ASESMM) using soft targets that are temporary and hypothetical because such targets cannot be fixed at the outset. By compiling both demand- and supply-side perspectives, the ASESMM helps managers choose feasible and desirable management practices. Ecosystem services’ (ESs) classifications were adopted to capture the benefits and used as soft targets that can change over time. This ASESMM was developed by applying it to a Japanese coastal zone in consultation with the relevant stakeholders to maintain its practical value. A narrative analysis substantiated the lack of peoples’ recognition of nature’s benefits and the influence of ES information on that recognition. It also substantiated the comprehensiveness of the ESs’ classifications. Moreover, the application revealed its usefulness for realizing satoumi, a Japanese concept of social-ecological production seascapes, as it might help managers enhance synergies as well as minimize the trade-offs associated with prioritized ESs. Although it was applied to a seascape in this study, the ASESMM can be applied to any SES management site in general, including landscapes.