Framing sustainability in a telecoupled world

Jianguo Liu; Vanessa Hull; Mateus Batistella; Ruth DeFries; Thomas Dietz; Feng Fu; Thomas W.  Hertel; R. Cesar  Izaurralde; Eric F. Lambin; Shuxin Li; Luiz A. Martinelli; William J. McConnell; Emilio F. Moran; Rosamond Naylor; Zhiyun  Ouyang; Karen R. Polenske; Anette Reenberg; Gilberto de Miranda Rocha; Cynthia S. Simmons; Peter H. Verburg; Peter M. Vitousek; Fusuo Zhang; Chunquan Zhu

doi:10.5751/ES-05873-180226

Framing sustainability in a telecoupled world

Jianguo Liu, Vanessa Hull, Mateus Batistella, Ruth DeFries, Thomas Dietz, Feng Fu, Thomas W. Hertel, R. Cesar Izaurralde, Eric F. Lambin, Shuxin Li, Luiz A. Martinelli, William J. McConnell, Emilio F. Moran, Rosamond Naylor, Zhiyun Ouyang, Karen R. Polenske, Anette Reenberg, Gilberto de Miranda Rocha, Cynthia S. Simmons, Peter H. VerburgPeter M. Vitousek, Fusuo Zhang, Chunquan Zhu

Geography

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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.

Original language	English
Article number	26
Journal	Ecology and Society
Volume	18
Issue number	2
Number of pages	19
ISSN	1708-3087
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-05873-180226
Publication status	Published - 2013

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Liu, J., Hull, V., Batistella, M., DeFries, R., Dietz, T., Fu, F., Hertel, T. W., Izaurralde, R. C., Lambin, E. F., Li, S., Martinelli, L. A., McConnell, W. J., Moran, E. F., Naylor, R., Ouyang, Z., Polenske, K. R., Reenberg, A., Rocha, G. D. M., Simmons, C. S., ... Zhu, C. (2013). Framing sustainability in a telecoupled world. Ecology and Society, 18(2), [26]. https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-05873-180226

Liu, J, Hull, V, Batistella, M, DeFries, R, Dietz, T, Fu, F, Hertel, TW, Izaurralde, RC, Lambin, EF, Li, S, Martinelli, LA, McConnell, WJ, Moran, EF, Naylor, R, Ouyang, Z, Polenske, KR, Reenberg, A, Rocha, GDM, Simmons, CS, Verburg, PH, Vitousek, PM, Zhang, F & Zhu, C 2013, 'Framing sustainability in a telecoupled world', Ecology and Society, vol. 18, no. 2, 26. https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-05873-180226

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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.",

author = "Jianguo Liu and Vanessa Hull and Mateus Batistella and Ruth DeFries and Thomas Dietz and Feng Fu and Hertel, {Thomas W.} and Izaurralde, {R. Cesar} and Lambin, {Eric F.} and Shuxin Li and Martinelli, {Luiz A.} and McConnell, {William J.} and Moran, {Emilio F.} and Rosamond Naylor and Zhiyun Ouyang and Polenske, {Karen R.} and Anette Reenberg and Rocha, {Gilberto de Miranda} and Simmons, {Cynthia S.} and Verburg, {Peter H.} and Vitousek, {Peter M.} and Fusuo Zhang and Chunquan Zhu",

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AU - Liu, Jianguo

AU - Hull, Vanessa

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AU - DeFries, Ruth

AU - Dietz, Thomas

AU - Fu, Feng

AU - Hertel, Thomas W.

AU - Izaurralde, R. Cesar

AU - Lambin, Eric F.

AU - Li, Shuxin

AU - Martinelli, Luiz A.

AU - McConnell, William J.

AU - Moran, Emilio F.

AU - Naylor, Rosamond

AU - Ouyang, Zhiyun

AU - Polenske, Karen R.

AU - Reenberg, Anette

AU - Rocha, Gilberto de Miranda

AU - Simmons, Cynthia S.

AU - Verburg, Peter H.

AU - Vitousek, Peter M.

AU - Zhang, Fusuo

AU - Zhu, Chunquan

PY - 2013

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N2 - 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.

AB - 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.

U2 - 10.5751/ES-05873-180226

DO - 10.5751/ES-05873-180226

M3 - Journal article

SN - 1708-3087

VL - 18

JO - Ecology and Society

JF - Ecology and Society

IS - 2

M1 - 26

ER -

Framing sustainability in a telecoupled world

Abstract

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