Early Warning Signals of Social Transformation: A Case Study from the US Southwest.

ABSTRACT: Recent research in ecology suggests that generic indicators, referred to as early warning signals (EWS), may occur before significant transformations, both critical and non-critical, in complex systems. Up to this point, research on EWS has largely focused on simple models and controlled experiments in ecology and climate science. When humans are considered in these arenas they are invariably seen as external sources of disturbance or management. In this article we explore ways to include societal components of socio-ecological systems directly in EWS analysis. Given the growing archaeological literature on 'collapses,' or transformations, in social systems, we investigate whether any early warning signals are apparent in the archaeological records of the build-up to two contemporaneous ca

SUBMITTER: Spielmann KA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5051805 | biostudies-literature | 2016

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature