A Politico-Ecological Approach of Transitional Spaces in Social Ecological Systems
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A Politico-Ecological Approach of Transitional Spaces in Social Ecological Systems Alfredo Lascoutx Ruiz Thesis submitted to the University of Ottawa in partial Fulfillment of the requirements for the PhD degree in Philosophy School of Political Studies Faculty of Social Sciences University of Ottawa © Alfredo Lascoutx Ruiz, Ottawa, Canada, 2021 AUTHOR’S DECLARATION FOR ELECTRONIC SUBMISSION OF A THESIS I hereby declare that I am the sole author of this thesis. This is a true copy of the thesis, including any required final revisions, as accepted by my examiners. I understand that my thesis may be made electronically available to the public. ii Dedication I dedicate this work to Roman, Bram, Aura Karina, Claudia, Manuel, Carlos Juan, Andres Miguel, Camilo, Naomi and Lenny To my family and friends, who have supported me emotionally and financially during the difficult years. My sons, Carlos Juan and Andres Miguel, always giving me motivation and practical assistance. This thesis would not have been possible without your love, support and constant patience. To my ancestors Rodriguez, who struggled along with me every night to obtain this doctorate. To the memory of my father Carlos Lascoutx, my mother Clara Ruiz, my aunt Maria Rios, and my uncle Miguel Ruiz, who always encouraged me to carry on with my studies. To my friends, Daniela Bettiol, Armando Aranguren, Manelly Vera, Gabriel Pilonieta, Luis Vizcaya, Ismael Santos, Lastenia Narvaez, Cesar Diaz, Isaac Nahon, Johan Hamels, Luis Barnola, Ginette Sharp, who have shown their love, friendship and solidarity in many different ways. I really thank you all. Y siempre a Dios y la Virgen que nunca me abandonan. iii Acknowledgements I would like to express my gratitude to a number of people and institutions for their support, encouragement, and assistance during all the years of this long doctorate process. It would not have been possible to persist in writing this doctoral thesis without the backup of very special people around me, to whom I express my gratitude here. First and foremost, I want to express my deep gratitude to my supervisor, Dr. Matthew Paterson, who has supported me from the very first moment I step on Canadian ground. Professor Paterson understood my aims to advance socioecological and political research and supported my proposal to investigate on ecological space. Thanks to his active support in times of need, to his extensive knowledge and precise advice on the subject, and his confidence in my willingness to carry out this research, has motivated me to overcome many obstacles and find the energy to continue. I am deeply grateful for the support given to me by the successive directors of the School of Political Studies of the University of Ottawa. They have shown their commitment during the most difficult times and have always encouraged me to finish my doctorate. My appreciation with the school will not fade away. I want to maKe a special recognition to all professors with whom I had the fortune and honor to be their student. From them I have learned about tolerance to diversity and respect to difference. I would like to acKnowledge the financial support of the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, as well as the teaching and research positions that were kindly offered by the school of Political Studies at the University of Ottawa. I want to thanK to all members of the School Administrative Secretariat, especially AnicK Mineault, Diane Deziel, Gail Petrin et Sylvie Lachapelle, who have supported me during the years of my PhD program. I want to thank my peer mates for the friendship and advices exchanged during these years. Among them my special gratitude to Djamel Chikh and Chris Leite. iv Abstract As spatial properties that systems theoretically have, Socio-Ecological Systems are characterized by dynamism and mobility, therefore, are subject to changes in the space they occupy in the biosphere. In land ecosystems, these changes are understood as processes of evolution over time, or the result of extreme natural events, or transformation of the natural space induced by human activities. These spatial changes produce effects on the land surface and groundwater of ecosystems colonized or penetrated by elements, individuals or populations belonging to other ecosystems. These are the so-called Transitional Spaces between ecosystems. Throughout the continuous geographical space, these spatial transitions affect human and not human ecosystems in different ways. Given their ambiguous characteristics and their indefinite temporal location between urban, rural or natural spaces, transition spaces deserve to be investigated in order to know their properties and functions within the cartography that represents complex socio-ecological systems. The research is conducted from a particular perspective of Political Ecology. For this I proceed to develop an epistemological exercise on the political ecology syntagma in order to approach its concept and object of study as a hybrid discipline between social sciences and natural sciences. Interdisciplinarity as a practice, a dialectic vision regarding anthropocentrism, environmental perception as a method for an ontology of human ecology, The ecosystem as a unit of spatial analysis. These would be some of the characteristics of my ecological-political perspective. But what does transitional space mean for political ecology and what does it add to its theory? The question led me to seek the integral concept of ecosystem and to support myself in the General Systems Theory to analyze the notions of boundary and external environment as part of the classic concept of system. At that point, the notion of transitional spaces emerges implicit when recognizing the dynamic spatiality of other existing systems. v Since the research is not linear but interdisciplinary and convergent, a brief anthology of geographic and socio-spatial political thought is presented in order to connect the issue of transitional spaces with the point of view of the social sciences. Various socio-geographical, deterministic, anthropocentric, Darwinian, Marxist, modernist theories give an overview of the issues related to space and nature. With the emergence of the spatial turn, new concerns for political sociology, geography and environmental sciences are explained by the phenomenon of urban growth at the global level. In the same way, I introduce the topic of ecological spaces, specifically the concept of Ecotone, the space of transition between diverse natural ecosystems. The use of the notion of ecotone is based precisely on the perspective of the concept of political ecology developed previously. This, in turn, will allow me to introduce the FLACAM methodology into the research, which among its components has the virtue of identifying and analyzing the spatial phenomenon of physical and social Interfaces, that is, spaces of transition within human ecosystems. Several graphics and charts show the potential properties and functions of different kind of existing interfaces and ecotones. My proposal converges in using these concepts as planning tools for transitional spaces identified as Rurban Regions and metropolitan areas. A final reflection on the need for spatial research on global urban expansion and the theoretical and pragmatic advantages of the concept of intermediate cities closes the main body of the investigation. Keywords: political ecology, transitional space, social ecological systems, system theory, boundary, ecosystem, human ecology, anthropocentrism, space, social space, interface, ecotone, socioecological space, intermediate cities vi List of Figures and Tables Fig. 1. A Convergent Research System: A Theoretical Framework of the Thesis. Pag. 83 Fig. 2. Theoretical Framework for Political Ecology Space. Pag. 165 Fig. 3. Systems Interpenetration by Double Boundary and the Emergence of Interfaces. Pag. 227 Fig. 4. Theoretical Framework for Political Urban Ecology. Pag. 267 Table 1. Types of Interfaces According FLACAM Model. Pag. 274 Table 2. Tentative Analytical Approach for a Typology of Transitional Space. Pag. 282 Fig. 5. Mutation of a Spatial Continuum. Eight (8) movements. Pag. 293 -303 Fig. 6. Three Movements of Urban Expansion. Pag. 327 vii Table of Contents Dedication ...................................................................................................................................... iii Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................................ iv Abstract ........................................................................................................................................... v List of Figures and Tables ............................................................................................................... vii CHAPTER I ............................................................................................................................... 1 I. Introduction .................................................................................................................................. 1 I.1. A Short Story of the Research ........................................................................................................................ 5 I.2. Background – Problématique ................................................................................................... 13 I.2.1. One and Many Spaces: spatial theories in the social sciences .................................................................