Socio-Ecological Systems in Small Island Contexts: A Systematic Review of Advances Reconciling Human Activities with Biodiversity Conservation

Abstract

Socio-ecological systems (SES) provide an integrative framework for analyzing interactions between human activities and biodiversity conservation in island environments, where ecological fragility and governance challenges are particularly pronounced. However, despite the growing body of island SES research, no comprehensive synthesis has systematically examined the methodological approaches, analytical frameworks, governance dimensions, and thematic advances reported across island contexts. Therefore, this systematic review aimed to map and synthesize the scientific advances in island SES research published between 2015 and 2025. Following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, the systematic literature review examines methodological approaches, analytical frameworks, socio-ecological interaction domains, governance arrangements, and reported research gaps across 105 peer-reviewed studies. The results reveal a predominance of mixed-methods research and management-oriented SES approaches, with a primary analytical focus on tourism, fisheries, and biodiversity conservation. Integrative frameworks, participatory governance, and knowledge co-production are frequently reported and consistently identified as promising directions, whereas governance, land–sea interactions, and climate-related dimensions are comparatively underrepresented. Given that the evidence base is primarily descriptive rather than comparative, this review does not establish causal effectiveness or identify universally superior approaches. Instead, it offers a structured overview of the current state of knowledge, highlights recurring methodological and thematic patterns, and identifies priority areas for further empirical research to inform evidence-based strategies for island socio-ecological systems.