DOI
10.1016/j.ecocom.2018.07.007

Summary
Socio-Ecological Systems (SESs) are the systems in which our everyday lives are embedded, so understanding them is important. The complex properties of such systems make modelling an indispensable tool for their description and analysis. Human actors play a pivotal role in SESs, but their interactions with each other and their environment are often underrepresented in SES modelling. We argue that more attention should be given to social aspects in models of SESs, but this entails additional kinds of complexity. Modelling choices need to be as transparent as possible, and to be based on analysis of the purposes and limitations of modelling. We recommend thinking in terms of modelling projects rather than single models. Such a project may involve multiple models adopting different modelling methods. We argue that agent-based models (ABMs) are an essential tool in an SES modelling project, but their expressivity, which is their major advantage, also produces problems with model transparency and validation. We propose the use of formal ontologies to make the structure and meaning of models as explicit as possible, facilitating model design, implementation, assessment, comparison and extension.

Relevance for Complex Systems Knowledge
This article is a very thorough methodological piece on agent based modelling in Social-ecological systems, SES. It repeats general considerations from system theory in the specific context of analysing SES. It goes through the various complexities of the social and human inclusion in SES and suggests detailed ways of managing the analytical difficulties resulting from the complexity. It brings up various approaches, and explain the main considerations when designing models:
• What is the purpose of the model?
• What type of data is needed for the development of the model?
• How much data is available for the model?
• What theories are available for use in constructing or constraining the model?
• Who are the model users? Researchers, policy makers, or stakeholders?

The article also brings up the opportunities and difficulties in engaging stakeholders in the design of the model.

Point of Strength
This is an article that is very well fit a an introduction to modelling, especifically Agent based model in courses related to Socio-ecological systems. The article is a rather detailed and heavy read, very information rich and need to be discussed thoroughly in design seminars,