Authors such as Wackernagel, Rees, Pimentel, Bartlett, Ehrlich, Catton and many others
have written about the magnitude that human populations have overshot the carrying capacity
of the ecosystems upon which they depend for their sustinence. The estimates of human numbers
that can be sustained, long-term, without further damaging the productive capacity of the lands
from which we glean our food, range from a few million to about half of the present global
population.
In the light of the overwhelming evidence that humans have unsustainably mined 'one time available'
geological energy stores and arable soil resources to allow the growth that has brought us to the
present population/environment imbalance -- it is interesting that agencies like the
U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) are funding projects such as the "International Network of
Research on Coupled Human and Natural Systems (CHANS-Net) so that academic scholars can persist
in employing a "systems approach [to] better understand complex population-environment interactions
across spatial, temporal, and organizational scales......[in order to] produce more useful information
to help achieve environmental and socioeconomic sustainability."
With respect, I think the human condition demands that we shift our limited research resources away
from the study of the fine structure of the dilemma we have inadvertently created for our species by
centuries of irresponsible exponential expansion -- and that we should now turn our research attention
toward the study of possible mechanisms/programs designed to lower our numbers to levels that can
be supported sustainably by the Earth's natural resources in as painless a manner as possible.
Peter Salonius
===================================================================================================================
-----Original Message-----
From: Population-Environment Research Network (PERN) cyberseminars on behalf of Susana Beatriz Adamo
Sent: Sun 2/8/2009 11:02 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [PERNSEMINARS] Contribution by Jianguo Liu: A Systems Approach to Population-Environment Studies
*A Systems Approach to Population-Environment Studies*
* *Panel Contribution to the Population-Environment
Research Network's Cyberseminar on
Theoretical and Methodological Issues in the Analysis of
Population Dynamics and the Environment, February 2009
http://www.populationenvironmentresearch.org/seminars.jsp
by Jianguo (Jack) Liu,
Rachel Carson Chair in Sustainability & University Distinguished Professor
Director, Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability, Department
of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University,
http://www.csis.msu.edu/ Email: jliu @ panda.msu.edu
Population-environment interactions are complex. Examples of complex
characteristics include nonlinear relationships, feedbacks, time lags,
legacy effects, thresholds, heterogeneity, and surprises. Achieving a
better understanding and prediction of these and other complex
characteristics requires a systems approach with a comprehensive
framework that encompasses multiple dimensions across multiple scales.
The conceptual framework needs to be more comprehensive and broader than
one considering population and environment only. The concept, coupled
human and natural systems (CHANS), which are integrated systems where
human and natural components interact, provides one such framework.
Humans have multiple dimensions, including social, economic, policy, and
political, besides population. Population-environment systems,
social-ecological systems, and economic-ecological systems are examples
of CHANS, with a special focus on population, social, and economic
dimensions, respectively. Although some previous studies on
population-environment systems have considered other dimensions, such as
socioeconomic factors in addition to population, the CHANS framework
helps to consider those other dimensions more systematically and
explicitly.
The systems approach emphasizes organizational, spatial, and temporal
couplings between human and natural systems. It would be ideal to
conduct studies at multiple organizational, spatial, and temporal scales
because there are not only differences among different scales, but also
different interactions among scales. On one hand, many properties at the
large scales emerge from interactions at the local scales. On the other
hand, local interactions are often shaped by regional and global contexts.
While population-environment studies over a short period of time are
more feasible and more affordable, it is necessary to conduct more
long-term studies. Even though long-term studies are more costly, they
can discover many patterns and processes that short-term studies cannot.
As illustrated in our 14-year CHANS study in Wolong Nature Reserve for
giant pandas in China, CHANS change over time, there are legacy effects
(prior interactions affect current and future conditions), and time lags
prevent many patterns and processes from being observed during a short
period of time.
There is a great need for more comparative studies. Although research
projects on population-environment interactions have spread across the
globe, this type of research has mainly been conducted separately and
independently, each usually focused on one site, one spatial scale, and
short term. While individual projects have generated important insights,
it is essential to capture the wide variations and produce more general
principles. In response to this need, the U.S. National Science
Foundation (NSF) has recently funded a project "International Network of
Research on Coupled Human and Natural Systems" (CHANS-Net). The goal of
CHANS-Net is to foster more comparative studies and promote more
communication and collaboration among members of the CHANS community.
This goal will be pursued through a series of activities, such as
establishing a Virtual Resource Center, organizing symposia and
workshops, publishing comparative and synthesis results, and creating a
CHANS Fellows program to help students and junior researchers
participate in CHANS-Net activities.
The CHANS-Net's first symposium, "Complexity of Human-Nature
Interactions across Landscapes," and a companion workshop, "Challenges
and Opportunities in Research on Coupled Human and Natural Systems,"
will be held at the annual meeting of US-IALE (U.S. Regional Association
of the International Association for Landscape Ecology). The meeting
will be held in Snowbird, Utah, USA, April 12--16, 2009, with the theme
"Coupling Humans and Complex Ecological Landscapes." The director of
NSF's program "Dynamics of Coupled Natural and Human Systems,"
approximately 20 leaders of projects funded by the program, and the
first cohort of 14 CHANS Fellows will give presentations and participate
in discussions at the meeting. Interested individuals are welcome and
encouraged to attend this meeting and participate in the discussions
(http://www.usiale.org/snowbird2009/). For those who would like to
submit abstracts and give presentations at the meeting, please contact
[log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]>.
In summary, the systems approach outlined above can help better
understand complex population-environment interactions across spatial,
temporal, and organizational scales. It will also, in turn, produce more
useful information to help achieve environmental and socioeconomic
sustainability.
*Main References*
- International Network of Research on Coupled Human and Natural
Systems (www.chans-net.org <http://www.chans-net.org/>).
- Liu, Jianguo, 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. 2007
Complexity of coupled human and natural systems. /Science/ 317:*
*1513--1516 (http://www.csis.msu.edu/Publications/CHANS_Science.pdf).
- Liu, Jianguo, Thomas Dietz, Stephen R. Carpenter, Carl Folke, Marina
Alberti, Charles L. Redman, Stephen H. Schneider, Elinor Ostrom, Alice
N. Pell, Jane Lubchenco,^ William W. Taylor, Zhiyun Ouyang, Peter
Deadman, Timothy Kratz, William Provencher. 2007. Coupled human and
natural systems. /Ambio/ 36(8):639--649
(http://www.csis.msu.edu/Publications/CHANS_Ambio.pdf).
*****************************************************************************
The Population-Environment Research Network (PERN) Cyberseminar Discussion List. For postings and replies send messages to [log in to unmask] Questions? Email [log in to unmask] The opinions expressed on this list are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of PERN, CIESIN, IUSSP, IHDP, their staff or sponsors.
*****************************************************************************
The Population-Environment Research Network (PERN) Cyberseminar Discussion List. For postings and replies send messages to [log in to unmask] Questions? Email [log in to unmask] The opinions expressed on this list are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of PERN, CIESIN, IUSSP, IHDP, their staff or sponsors.
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