摘要：This paper contends that natural resource management (NRM) issues are, by their very nature, complex and thatboth scientists and managers in this broad field will benefit from a theoretical understanding of complex systems. It starts offby presenting the core features of a view of complexity that not only deals with the limits to our understanding, but also pointstoward a responsible and motivating position. Everything we do involves explicit or implicit modeling, and as we can neverhave comprehensive access to any complex system, we need to be aware both of what we leave out as we model and of theimplications of the choice of our modeling framework. One vantage point is never sufficient, as complexity necessarily impliesthat multiple (independent) conceptualizations are needed to engage the system adequately. We use two South African cases asexamples of complex systems—restricting the case narratives mainly to the biophysical domain associated with NRM issues—that make the point that even the behavior of the biophysical subsystems themselves are already complex. From the insightsinto complex systems discussed in the first part of the paper and the lessons emerging from the way these cases have been dealtwith in reality, we extract five interrelated generic principles for practicing science and management in complex NRMenvironments. These principles are then further elucidated using four further South African case studies—organized as twocontrasting pairs—and now focusing on the more difficult organizational and social side, comparing the human organizationalendeavors in managing such systems
关键词：complex systems; diversity; management; mental models; resilience; social complexity; social–ecological systems
