Coupled Human and Natural Systems(CHANS)

Integrated systems in which humans and natural components interact.

Diagram modified from http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2007/nsf07598/nsf07598.htmLiu et al. 2007 Sciecne

Examples of CHANS

• Social-Ecological Systems• Human-Environmental Systems• Society-Nature Systems• Population-Environment Systems• Ecological-Economic Systems• Social-Economic-Natural Complex

Systems

Complexity of Coupled Human and Natural SystemsJianguo Liu, Thomas Dietz, Stephen Carpenter, Marina Alberti, Carl Folke, Emilio Moran, Alice Pell,

Peter Deadman, Timothy Kratz, Jane Lubchenco, Elinor Ostrom, Zhiyun Ouyang, William Provencher, Charles Redman, Stephen Schneider, William Taylor

• Reciprocal Effects • Feedback Loops• Nonlinearity • Thresholds• Surprises• Legacy Effects • Time Lags• Resilience• Heterogeneity

Liu et al 2007 Science

Example Questions to Address

• How do different aspects of complexity vary and interact across space, over time, and at different organizational levels?

• How do human decisions affect CHANS complexity?

• How does CHANS complexity affect human decisions?

Status of CHANS Research

• Interest in CHANS research is growing rapidly around the world.

• Need more solid and comprehensive theoretical foundations– Go beyond traditional disciplinary theories

• Need more powerful research tools– Agent-based models

Need and Opportunities for CHANS Research

• Better understanding of global challenges

• More informative for management, conservation, policy, and other arenas.

• Funding agencies The U.S. National Science Foundation (Dynamics of

Coupled Natural and Human Systems Program)

International Network of Research on Coupled Human and Natural Systems (CHANS-Net.org)

Sponsored by The National Science Foundation

CoordinatorsJianguo (Jack) Liu and Bill McConnell

Objectives of CHANS-Net

• Promote communication and collaboration across the CHANS community.

• Generate and disseminate comparative and synthesis scholarship on CHANS.

• Expand and diversify the CHANS community.

CHANS Events at 2011 AAAS• Friday, February 18

8:30 - 11:30 am Convention Center, 140B – Mapping and Disentangling Human Decisions in Complex Human-Nature Systems1:30 - 4:30 pm Convention Center, 140B– Telecoupling of Human and Natural Systems

• Saturday, February 1910:00 - 11:30 am Convention Center, 146B – Resource use and Ecological Resilience in a Tropical Socio-Ecological system 1:00 - 5:00 pm Convention Center, Exhibit Hall D – Student Poster Competition

• Sunday, February 208:30 - 11:30 am Convention Center, 140B – The Challenge of Measuring Sustainability1:00 - 5:00 pm Convention Center, Exhibit Hall D– General Poster Competition1:30 - 4:30 pm Convention Center, 146B– Modeling Across Millennia: Interdisciplinary Paths to Ancient Socionatural Systems

• Monday, February 219:45 - 11:15 am Convention Center, 156– Social Networks and Sustainability