Exploring social-ecological complexities of wetlands of international importance (Ramsar sites): the Carlos Anwandter Sanctuary (Valdivia, Chile) as a Case Study

Complexity is an accepted characteristic of social-ecological systems. However, its analysis has been mostly theoretical with few empirical studies. Complex systems share three features: radical openness (the system cannot be understood unless an extended, global, environment is considered), radical uncertainty (emergence and non-linearity make them impossible to be fully predictable) and contextuality (no unique way to know them). Social-ecological systems listed as important under international treaties, such as wetlands within the Ramsar Convention, share these features, which can be explored using case studies. In this article, we explore the complexities derived from the 2004 ecological change (i.e. the local collapse of an emblematic bird species) in the Carlos Anwandter Sanctuary, a Chilean coastal wetland, by means of two ten-year windows (scientific publications and Internet web pages). We based our analysis on the question: what is the state of knowledge, ten years after its ecological change? Results show many answers; science has several hypotheses with low testing possibilities. Still, civil society decided that only one (a forestry company guilty of producing the change) is valid. We discuss the role of international organizations when dealing with social-ecological conflicts and identify the conundrum that can develop in response to how these are handled.