Complexity of Coupled Human and Natural Systems

Jianguo Liu; Thomas Dietz; Stephen R. Carpenter; Marina Alberti; Carl Folke; Emilio Moran; Alice N. Pell; Peter Deadman; Timothy Kratz; Jane Lubchenco; Elinor Ostrom; Zhiyun Ouyang; William Provencher; Charles L. Redman; Stephen H. Schneider; William W. Taylor

doi:10.1126/science.1144004

journal article Sep 14, 2007

Complexity of Coupled Human and Natural Systems

Jianguo Liu

Emilio Moran Alice N. Pell Peter Deadman Timothy Kratz Jane Lubchenco

Elinor Ostrom Zhiyun Ouyang William Provencher Charles L. Redman Stephen H. Schneider William W. Taylor

Science Vol. 317 No. 5844 pp. 1513-1516 · American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)

View at Publisher Save 10.1126/science.1144004

Abstract

Integrated studies of coupled human and natural systems reveal new and complex patterns and processes not evident when studied by social or natural scientists separately. Synthesis of six case studies from around the world shows that couplings between human and natural systems vary across space, time, and organizational units. They also exhibit nonlinear dynamics with thresholds, reciprocal feedback loops, time lags, resilience, heterogeneity, and surprises. Furthermore, past couplings have legacy effects on present conditions and future possibilities.

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We thank T. Baerwald for his support and inspiration for this paper. We also thank R. May and three anonymous reviewers for constructive comments and suggestions; E. Brondizio N. Reo and L. VanWey for their helpful input; and S. Li for her able editorial assistance. We acknowledge J. Marzluff for providing data for Fig. 3 as well as numerous collaborators and students for their contributions to data collection and analysis in the projects described here. Financial support was provided by NSF (Dynamics of Coupled Natural and Human Systems and North Temperate Lakes Long-Term Ecological Research site) NIH National Aeronautics and Space Administration National Natural Science Foundation of China Michigan State University (Michigan Agricultural Experimental Station Rachel Carson Chair in Sustainability University Distinguished Professorship and Environmental Research Initiative) Swedish Research Council for the Environment Agricultural Sciences and Spatial Planning and Swedish Foundation for Strategic Environmental Research.

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Details

Published: Sep 14, 2007
Vol/Issue: 317(5844)
Pages: 1513-1516

Authors

J

Jianguo Liu

Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.; Environmental Science and Policy Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.; Center for Limnology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA.; Department of Urban Design and Planning, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.; The Beijer International Institute of Ecological Economics, The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Post Office Box 50005, SE 104 05 Stockholm, Sweden.

T

Thomas Dietz

Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.; Environmental Science and Policy Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.; Center for Limnology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA.; Department of Urban Design and Planning, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.; The Beijer International Institute of Ecological Economics, The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Post Office Box 50005, SE 104 05 Stockholm, Sweden.

S

Stephen R. Carpenter

Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.; Environmental Science and Policy Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.; Center for Limnology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA.; Department of Urban Design and Planning, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.; The Beijer International Institute of Ecological Economics, The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Post Office Box 50005, SE 104 05 Stockholm, Sweden.

M

Marina Alberti

Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.; Environmental Science and Policy Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.; Center for Limnology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA.; Department of Urban Design and Planning, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.; The Beijer International Institute of Ecological Economics, The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Post Office Box 50005, SE 104 05 Stockholm, Sweden.

C

Carl Folke

Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.; Environmental Science and Policy Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.; Center for Limnology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA.; Department of Urban Design and Planning, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.; The Beijer International Institute of Ecological Economics, The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Post Office Box 50005, SE 104 05 Stockholm, Sweden.

E

Emilio Moran

Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.; Environmental Science and Policy Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.; Center for Limnology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA.; Department of Urban Design and Planning, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.; The Beijer International Institute of Ecological Economics, The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Post Office Box 50005, SE 104 05 Stockholm, Sweden.

A

Alice N. Pell

Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.; Environmental Science and Policy Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.; Center for Limnology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA.; Department of Urban Design and Planning, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.; The Beijer International Institute of Ecological Economics, The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Post Office Box 50005, SE 104 05 Stockholm, Sweden.

P

Peter Deadman

Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.; Environmental Science and Policy Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.; Center for Limnology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA.; Department of Urban Design and Planning, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.; The Beijer International Institute of Ecological Economics, The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Post Office Box 50005, SE 104 05 Stockholm, Sweden.

T

Timothy Kratz

Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.; Environmental Science and Policy Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.; Center for Limnology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA.; Department of Urban Design and Planning, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.; The Beijer International Institute of Ecological Economics, The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Post Office Box 50005, SE 104 05 Stockholm, Sweden.

J

Jane Lubchenco

Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.; Environmental Science and Policy Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.; Center for Limnology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA.; Department of Urban Design and Planning, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.; The Beijer International Institute of Ecological Economics, The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Post Office Box 50005, SE 104 05 Stockholm, Sweden.

E

Elinor Ostrom

Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.; Environmental Science and Policy Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.; Center for Limnology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA.; Department of Urban Design and Planning, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.; The Beijer International Institute of Ecological Economics, The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Post Office Box 50005, SE 104 05 Stockholm, Sweden.

Z

Zhiyun Ouyang

Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.; Environmental Science and Policy Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.; Center for Limnology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA.; Department of Urban Design and Planning, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.; The Beijer International Institute of Ecological Economics, The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Post Office Box 50005, SE 104 05 Stockholm, Sweden.

W

William Provencher

Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.; Environmental Science and Policy Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.; Center for Limnology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA.; Department of Urban Design and Planning, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.; The Beijer International Institute of Ecological Economics, The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Post Office Box 50005, SE 104 05 Stockholm, Sweden.

C

Charles L. Redman

Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.; Environmental Science and Policy Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.; Center for Limnology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA.; Department of Urban Design and Planning, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.; The Beijer International Institute of Ecological Economics, The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Post Office Box 50005, SE 104 05 Stockholm, Sweden.

S

Stephen H. Schneider

Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.; Environmental Science and Policy Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.; Center for Limnology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA.; Department of Urban Design and Planning, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.; The Beijer International Institute of Ecological Economics, The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Post Office Box 50005, SE 104 05 Stockholm, Sweden.

W

William W. Taylor

Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.; Environmental Science and Policy Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.; Center for Limnology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA.; Department of Urban Design and Planning, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.; The Beijer International Institute of Ecological Economics, The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Post Office Box 50005, SE 104 05 Stockholm, Sweden.

Cite This Article

Jianguo Liu, Thomas Dietz, Stephen R. Carpenter, et al. (2007). Complexity of Coupled Human and Natural Systems. Science, 317(5844), 1513-1516. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1144004

Complexity of Coupled Human and Natural Systems

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