PrintLiu, J., Dietz, T., Carpenter, S.R., Alberti, M., Folke, C., Moran, E., Pell, A.N., Deadman, P., Kratz, T., Lubchenco, J. and Ostrom, E., (2007). Complexity of coupled human and natural systems. Science 317 (5844): 1513-1516.
Liu and collaborators discuss the different aspects that define coupled human and natural systems (CHANS) and exemplifies these aspects through six case studies. These case studies help relate how the parts of these systems can be applied to our world around us. CHANS are a relatively new way of studying the connection between humans and the environment because there is rarely crossover between social sciences and ecology. This expanse into interdisciplinary research between the two fields has provided us an understanding of how our actions as humans can have impacts on ecological systems at all scales. Feedback loops and reciprocal effects go hand in hand to describe the effect of humans on environment and the resulting responses of humans to those environmental changes. Spatial and temporal thresholds mark substantial changes as humans exploit the resources of ecological systems, disrupting, and therefore shifting, the natural states of these systems. Unlike when we talked about planetary boundaries last week, CHANS does not necessarily mean there will be detrimental effects to an ecosystem. The resilience capability of an ecological system can help retain their structure and function after experiencing some type of disturbance, however human impact can impede resilience. While reading this paper, reflect on the questions posed in the overview to help guide your critical thinking.
Note: A link to the reading is located in the Lesson 3 module in Canvas.