Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
Crawford Stanley (Buzz) Holling
We dedicate this chapter to Crawford Stanley (Buzz) Holling, whose intense lifetime of sci-
entific inquiry has given us the fundamental bedrock of resilience theory, of multi-stable
ecological states, and of complex-adaptive social-ecological systems. In this acknowledge-
ment we recognize two sides of this most inspiring man. On the one hand there is Buzz
Holling - the scholar - who has received the Mercer and the Eminent Ecologist awards
from the Ecological Society of America, the Kenneth Boulding award from the Internation-
al Society of Ecological Economics, the Volvo Environmental Prize in 2008, honorary doc-
torates from the University of Guelph, University of British Colombia, and Simon Fraser
University, who served as director of the International Institute of Applied Systems Analys-
is, who pioneered development of adaptive management of ecological systems, is a Fellow
of the Royal Society of Canada and an Officer of the Order of Canada, and who invented
and founded the novel Resilience Alliance, the first truly independent internet organization
of science which now flourishes in many forms around the world; he is the acknowledged
Father of panarchy theory. On the other hand there is the Buzz Holling - the person - deeply
valued and cherished by his friends, and whose boundless ideas and passion for science and
the creative process serve as lasting inspiration for his colleagues. Born in the first third of
the 20th century, the life work of Buzz Holling gives us all a much needed roadmap for the
21st century, one of hope and optimism to meet whatever surprise and uncertainty it may
hold. In his own words, 'It is not a crisis, it is an opportunity!'
