Resources and Society

Although this book is about a specific area of the world (i.e., Gotland, Sweden), the interdisciplinary nature of the study, with regard to resources, environment, and society, makes it of interest to a number of fields. We have tried to make this book readable for a wide variety of interested parties including systems ecologists, environmental scientists, resource economists, geographers, regional planners, and regional scientists, as well as those interested in Nordic conditions. Since this project was part of UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere (MAB) pro­ gram, this book should be of general interest to the international community. This book is certainly not a textbook, but we see it as being useful for courses in regional analysis with plenty of examples for illustrating analysis and models related to energy, environment, and economics, or to the general field of systems ecology. An instructor could, of course, supplement the material on systems and models with other sources. We hope this small book will serve as a helpful example of the analysis of the complex interdisciplinary problems associated with resources and society. In Chapter 1, we present a brief introduction to the Gotland study as well as to some of the concepts and theories that have guided our investigations.

Contenu

1. Introduction, Theory, and Perspectives.- Models and Systems.- Resource, Energy, and Environmental Analysis.- Ecologic Perspectives.- Economic Considerations.- 2. Overview and Empiric Results for Gotland.- Background and History.- General Description of the Existing System.- Macroregional Analysis.- Energy/Economic Analysis of Subsectors in the Region.- The Study Site of Lummelunda.- 3. Modeling Approaches and Results.- Model 1: An Input-Output Model for Calculating Resource Use and Pollutant Generation.- Model 2: Regional Optimization Model Scenario Including the Effect of Energy Plantations.- Model 3: A Regional Optimization for 1975 with Emphasis on Water Constraints and Energy Prices.- Model 4: Energy Diversity and Stability of the Economic System.- Model 5: Optimization Model for Gotland's Energy Supply System.- Model 6: Simulation Model for Assessing Water Quantity and Quality Impacts.- Model 7: Modeling the Coastal Ecosystem and Associated Human Impact.- 4. Summary and Discussion of Results for Gotland.- Energy and Development.- Trends in Energy Efficiency.- Energy-Economic Relationships.- Economic Stability and Dependence on External Sources of Energy.- Hydrologic Considerations.- Economic Development and Resource Considerations.- Model Results and Resource Management.- Investment Ratio and Regional Carrying Capacity.- Future Design for Gotland: What Does History Tell Us?.- Recommendations to the Planning Authorities.- 5. General Considerations for Regional Studies.- Comparison to Other Studies.- Project Organization.- Problems of Data Collection.- The Efficacy of the Systems Ecology Approach.- Institutional Interfaces.- Interdisciplinary Work.- Prescription for Regional Analysis.- The Issue of Carrying Capacity.- Appendix I. Notes to Selected Figures.- Appendix II. Notes to Selected Tables.- References.