Synthesis of human-nature feedbacks

Hull, Vanessa; Tuanmu, Mao‐Ning; Liu, Jianguo

doi:10.5751/es-07404-200317

Cited by 47 publications

(32 citation statements)

References 34 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…SES have several competing feedback loops operating simultaneously, including both balancing and reinforcing feedback. Reinforcing feedback loops are amplifying, self-multiplying processes that can be positive or negative and hence cause growth or runaway collapse over time [21,22]. Balancing feedback loops decrease or reverse change in a system, and can be sources of stability as well as resistance to change.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Woody Encroachment as a Social-Ecological Regime Shift

et al. 2018

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

African savannas are increasingly affected by woody encroachment, an increase in the density of woody plants. Woody encroachment often occurs unexpectedly, is difficult to reverse, and has significant economic, cultural and ecological implications. The process of woody encroachment represents a so-called regime shift that results from feedback loops that link vegetation and variables such as fire, grazing and water availability. Much of the work on woody encroachment has focused on the direct drivers of the process, such as the role of fire or grazing in inhibiting or promoting encroachment. However, little work has been done on how ecological changes may provide feedback to affect some of the underlying social processes driving woody encroachment. In this paper, we build on the ecological literature on encroachment to present a qualitative systems analysis of woody encroachment as a social-ecological regime shift. Our analysis highlights the underlying indirect role of human population growth, and we distinguish the key social-ecological processes underlying woody encroachment in arid versus mesic African savannas. The analysis we present helps synthesize the impacts of encroachment, the drivers and feedbacks that play a key role and identify potential social and ecological leverage points to prevent or reverse the woody encroachment process.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Woody Encroachment as a Social-Ecological Regime Shift

et al. 2018

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Because previous research on human–nature feedbacks focused primarily on individual coupled systems instead of across multiple coupled systems, an improved understanding of cross‐system feedbacks represents an important conceptual advance (Hull et al . ). Filling knowledge gaps will better inform decision making.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Framing ecosystem services in the telecoupled Anthropocene

Liu

Yang²,

2016

Frontiers in Ecol & Environ

Self Cite

134

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Around the globe, previously isolated localities are rapidly forming connections over increasing spatial extents, through the flow of ecosystem services (ES). With the intensification of human demands, systematic research on ES over distances is urgently needed. We apply a new integrated framework of telecoupling (ie socioeconomic and environmental interactions between different places) to analyze the causes, effects, agents, and dynamics of ES flows. We focus on the world's largest water‐transfer project – China's South–North Water Transfer Project – as a basis for discussion about the broad utility of the telecoupling framework and important implications for effective governance of ES across telecoupled human and natural systems. Integration through the use of the telecoupling framework holds promise for creating sustainable solutions and avoiding unintended negative effects across multiple systems in an interconnected world. This paper is the first in an occasional series: Ecosystem Services in China.

show abstract

“…Understanding the objectives and connected decisions behind varying management practices is an essential part of placing this research within a CHANS framework [28,29]. Petrakis et al (2015) initially presented this research in thesis form [25].…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Sitting at a transition zone between the terrestrial uplands and aquatic ecosystems, riparian areas are highly productive and provide habitat for a disproportionately large range of plant and animal species in relation to their spatial coverage [2][3][4]. Many species are dependent on southwestern riparian habitats for survival and shelter [5], including endangered and threatened species like the Rio Grande Land 2017, 6, 29 3 of 23 the objectives and connected decisions behind varying management practices is an essential part of placing this research within a CHANS framework [28,29]. Petrakis et al (2015) initially presented this research in thesis form [25].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Historical Analysis of Riparian Vegetation Change in Response to Shifting Management Objectives on the Middle Rio Grande

Petrakis

Leeuwen

Villarreal

et al. 2017

Land

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Riparian ecosystems are valuable to the ecological and human communities that depend on them. Over the past century, they have been subject to shifting management practices to maximize human use and ecosystem services, creating a complex relationship between water policy, management, and the natural ecosystem. This has necessitated research on the spatial and temporal dynamics of riparian vegetation change. The San Acacia Reach of the Middle Rio Grande has experienced multiple management and river flow fluctuations, resulting in threats to its riparian and aquatic ecosystems. This research uses remote sensing data, GIS, a review of management decisions, and an assessment of climate to both quantify how riparian vegetation has been altered over time and provide interpretations of the relationships between riparian change and shifting climate and management objectives. This research focused on four management phases from 1935 to 2014, each highlighting different management practices and climate-driven river patterns, providing unique opportunities to observe a direct relationship between river management, climate, and riparian response. Overall, we believe that management practices coupled with reduced surface river-flows with limited overbank flooding influenced the compositional and spatial patterns of vegetation, including possibly increasing non-native vegetation coverage. However, recent restoration efforts have begun to reduce non-native vegetation coverage.

show abstract

Synthesis of human-nature feedbacks

Cited by 47 publications

References 34 publications

Woody Encroachment as a Social-Ecological Regime Shift

Woody Encroachment as a Social-Ecological Regime Shift

Framing ecosystem services in the telecoupled Anthropocene

Historical Analysis of Riparian Vegetation Change in Response to Shifting Management Objectives on the Middle Rio Grande

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About