A Portfolio Approach to Analyzing Complex Human-Environment Interactions: Institutions and Land Change

Young, Oran R.; Lambin, Éric F.; Alcock, Frank; Haberl, Helmut; Karlsson, Sylvia; McConnell, William J.; Myint, Tun; Pahl‐Wostl, Claudia; Polsky, Colin; Ramakrishnan, P. S.; Schroeder, Heike; Scouvart, Marie; Verburg, P.H.

doi:10.5751/es-01799-110231

Cited by 139 publications

(92 citation statements)

References 70 publications

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“…By taking a multiscale systems approach, it is possible to trace telecouplings. Studies on telecouplings can also benefit from a portfolio approach (Young et al 2006), which involves developing a multidisciplinary toolbox of theories and approaches, because no single method is able to accomplish everything (Verburg et al 2008). Furthermore, revolutionary communication technologies such as social networking tools could enable the establishment of "crowdsourcing" platforms (van der Velde et al 2012) and more participatory and transparent approaches to research and governance for positive socioeconomic and environmental outcomes.…”

Section: Species Dispersalmentioning

confidence: 99%

Framing Sustainability in a Telecoupled World

Liu¹,

Hull²,

Batistella³

et al. 2013

E&S

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753

585

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ABSTRACT. Interactions between distant places are increasingly widespread and influential, often leading to unexpected outcomes with profound implications for sustainability. Numerous sustainability studies have been conducted within a particular place with little attention to the impacts of distant interactions on sustainability in multiple places. Although distant forces have been studied, they are usually treated as exogenous variables and feedbacks have rarely been considered. To understand and integrate various distant interactions better, we propose an integrated framework based on telecoupling, an umbrella concept that refers to socioeconomic and environmental interactions over distances. The concept of telecoupling is a logical extension of research on coupled human and natural systems, in which interactions occur within particular geographic locations. The telecoupling framework contains five major interrelated components, i.e., coupled human and natural systems, flows, agents, causes, and effects. We illustrate the framework using two examples of distant interactions associated with trade of agricultural commodities and invasive species, highlight the implications of the framework, and discuss research needs and approaches to move research on telecouplings forward. The framework can help to analyze system components and their interrelationships, identify research gaps, detect hidden costs and untapped benefits, provide a useful means to incorporate feedbacks as well as trade-offs and synergies across multiple systems (sending, receiving, and spillover systems), and improve the understanding of distant interactions and the effectiveness of policies for socioeconomic and environmental sustainability from local to global levels.

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Section: Species Dispersalmentioning

confidence: 99%

Framing Sustainability in a Telecoupled World

Liu¹,

Hull²,

Batistella³

et al. 2013

E&S

Self Cite

753

585

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“…We tackle this challenge by applying a mixed-methods approach that provides a cultural, social and political perspective on how inhabitants/stakeholders of those case study landscapes perceive and remember the driving forces of landscape change. By combining quantitative information on land use/land cover derived from topographical maps or aerial photographs with qualitative information from oral history interviews, we stand in the research tradition of linking remote sensing information with social science approaches (Rindfuss and Stern 1998) in order to gain a comprehensive understanding of land change (Sooväli et al 2003;Rindfuss et al 2004;Young et al 2006;Yaeger and Steiger 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Processes and driving forces in changing cultural landscapes across Europe

et al. 2017

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Context Cultural landscapes evolve over time. However, the rate and direction of change might not be in line with societal needs and more information on the forces driving these changes are therefore needed. Objectives Filling the gap between single case studies and meta-analyses, we present a comparative study of landscape changes and their driving forces based in six regions across Europe conducted using a consistent method. Methods A LULC analysis based on historical and contemporary maps from the nineteenth and twentieth century was combined with oral history interviews to learn more about perceived landscape changes, and remembered driving forces. Land cover and landscape changes were analysed regarding change, conversions and processes. For all case study areas, narratives on mapped land cover change, perceived landscape changes and driving forces were compiled. Results Despite a very high diversity in extent, direction and rates of change, a few dominant processes and widespread factors driving the changes could be identified in the six case study areas, i.e. access and infrastructure, political shifts, labor market, 123Landscape Ecol (2017) 32:2097-2112 DOI 10.1007 technological innovations, and for the more recent period climate change. Conclusions Grasping peoples' perception supplements the analyses of mapped land use and land cover changes and allows to address perceived landscape changes. The list of driving forces determined to be most relevant shows clear limits in predictability: Whereas changes triggered by infrastructural developments might be comparatively easy to model, political developments cannot be foreseen but might, nevertheless, leave major marks in the landscape.

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“…We applied a "portfolio approach" (Young et al 2006) in a particular landscape-that of Gera on Lesvos island-with methods chosen to correspond to a set of research questions that addressed different aspects of human-environment interactions. The different research questions were all related to driving forces, actors, and changes in the particular landscape, but they also introduced multiple usages of the term "landscape".…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Our objective is to present different approaches to studying and understanding landscape change, following the "portfolio approach" of Young et al (2006); i.e., a pluralistic and inclusive approach to set questions, and choose methods and data. We sketch the way in which different methods are related to spatial scales, epistemological aims, and conceptual models.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

From concepts to practice: combining different approaches to understand drivers of landscape change

Kizos¹,

Verburg²,

Bürgi³

et al. 2018

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ABSTRACT. Landscape change and its drivers have been the focus of a growing body of literature in the past years. Our objective is to present different approaches to studying and understanding landscape change. We sketch the way in which different approaches and existing conceptual models are related to spatial scales and epistemological aims, and discuss complementarity and a range of applications with five specific research approaches from a Mediterranean landscape, including approaches at national and European levels. These include an analysis of historical landscape change, an investigation of decision-making processes, public awareness raising, evaluation of landscape services, and provision of policy support with data from published and unpublished material. The findings indicate that on the issue of complementarity, some models work better together with others. A major difference observed is the role that conceptual models and related approaches provide to the "voice" of stakeholders and actors of landscape change, sometimes contradicting, but often complementary. An important issue that comes up is a need for a plurality of research approaches and underlying conceptualizations of human-environment interactions, as the approaches represent different lenses for looking at the humanenvironmental system that are all abstractions from the full complexity of how decision-making on land use is conducted.

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A Portfolio Approach to Analyzing Complex Human-Environment Interactions: Institutions and Land Change

Cited by 139 publications

References 70 publications

Framing Sustainability in a Telecoupled World

Framing Sustainability in a Telecoupled World

Processes and driving forces in changing cultural landscapes across Europe

From concepts to practice: combining different approaches to understand drivers of landscape change

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