The Human-Environment System: A Conceptual Framework [C3] SUSTAINABILITY SCIENCE NCEAS Distributed Graduate Seminar Moderator: E. King; Presenter: B. Turner; Discussants: Harvard

Coupled System Core Multiple labels: CHES, CHANS, SES, others [HES] Meaning –The processes and consequences of the two subsystems are so tightly and dynamically intertwined that each affects the structure and operation of the other with constantly adjusting outcomes for either subsystem.

Environmental Subsystem Human Subsystem Other coupled systems Environmental processes and flows in which a system is nested Human processes and flows in which a system is nested Fig. 3.1: The coupled human-environment system overview interactions

Coupled System Core Multiple labels: CHES, CHANS, SES, others Meaning –The processes and consequences of the two subsystems are so tightly and dynamically intertwined that each affects the structure and operation of the other with constantly adjusting outcomes for either subsystem. Inter- vs inner-acting system [ontology or method]

Environmental Subsystem Human Use Subsystem Population Technology Governance Economy Earth System: Climate & Atmosphere; Biogeochemical Cycles Environmental Services: Provisioning, cultural Environmental Services: Regulating, supporting Ecosystems: Land & Oceans Proximate Interactions Human Subsystem Environmental Subsystem Fig. 3.2 Inner-workings of Coupled Human-Environment Systems A A D C C B E E B D

Days Years Centuries 10k yrs Weeks Months Days Years Centuries 10k yrs Weeks Months Environmental Subsystem Human Subsystem Fig. 3.3: Process and flows across scales of systems Local Ecosystem Small watershed Region Landscape Large watershed World Earth system A B C D Days Years Centuries 10k yrs Weeks Months

Dimensions Bounding the CHES No firm rules to date Depends on the problem (event) CHES as heuristic Environmental subsystem Accepted standards of components and linkages crossing the research communities Human subsystem Perhaps more consensus (of categories of components) among the science-based communities than given credit Different explanatory perspectives may inform the science based focus

Challenges for CHES Simplification-generalizations tend to be level of general systems—perhaps too aggregate or abstract in kind (to explore) For social sciences, theory of the mid-range (for specific phenomena & processes) has served well; CHES has none (?) yet For practice, complexity, nonlinearities & so on = highly differentiated outcomes by case, system, place