Systems Antje Danielson TELI G 2015

 Systems theory – interdisciplinary study of systems; principles that apply to all systems;  Systems thinking - way of thinking, holistic, tackling problems;  Systems analysis – complexity, human element;  Systems mapping - boundaries, framework, interactions, influence, positive and negative feedback;  Environment – not part of the system but provides the background Concepts

 Systems have organized interacting components, if one leaves the system’s behavior changes  Systems can have nested sub-systems  Systems have to be defined  Systems have boundaries  Positive and negative feedback  A system  represents the way you see things,  is an intellectual construct,  the creation of an observer,  depends on the question asked What is a System?

 Systems maps show the structure of a system at a point of time  Systems have sub-systems and components  Systems maps are useful tools for early analysis and can serve as basis for other visualization tools (like influence maps and sign graphs  Systems maps can be used to explore and show boundaries  Components might depend on the perspective or research question Systems Map

Components: Soil Trees Vegetable plot Weeds Lawn Flowers Berry bushes Play structure Shed Fence Cats Squirrels Birds Dog Butterflies Bees Worms Flowers Garden furniture Cloth drying pole Tree house Compost bins Bikes Gates Puddles Hose Trash cans Water butt Toys Mosquitoes Bats System – Antje’s Garden

Top down – Antje’s garden Insert scan

Climate Change and Economics Rich countries Poor countries Rich people in rich countries Poor people in rich countries Rich people in poor countries (Germany in India) Poor people in poor countries CO 2 emissions Money Carbon dioxide reducing technology/methods Carbon dioxide reducing policies

 Used for understanding and better decision making  Can identify weaknesses and vulnerabilities  Great for understanding human environmental systems / social ecological systems (SES) / coupled human-natural systems  Systems maps can be used to explore and show boundaries  Components might depend on the perspective or research question Systems Analysis

Multiple Cause – Antje’s Garden

Influence Map – Antje’s Garden

Backward Design 1 Think about the big goals first: what is the purpose of your work/class/talk/lecture? (inform? motivate? enlighten? advocate? share?) For example ?general topic to talk/work on – idea or problem ?effect of your work or presentation - why ?what you want to achieve – who - how “TIE supports graduate students and faculty in transformative interdisciplinary environmental research to solve wicked problems”

Take 10 minutes and some sticky notes and think about: What kind of research are you doing and why? What project/class do you want to do and why? Who is your target audience? Big Rocks

Backward Design 2 Objectives state what you (or a student in your class) will do in a MEASURABLE, OBSERVABLE way “TIE gives out $30,000 in graduate fellowships every year” “TIE provides desks to the interdisciplinary student body” “TIE affiliate will increase the number of faculty peer reviewed journals articles from Tufts by 10%” “TIE will add 1 new environmental course every year over the next five years”

Objectives are NOT what someone will understand, appreciate, value, or trust! BECAUSE YOU CAN NOT MEASURE THOSE

Write your objective in the following format: WHEN – by the end of the week ….. WHO – the participants will have…… WHAT – come to an agreement…. HOW – by going through a simulation Objectives

Take 15 minutes and some sticky notes and think about: What are the objectives of my project? Objectives

Ecosystem services are the benefits people obtain from ecosystems. These include  provisioning services such as food and water;  regulating services such as regulation of floods, droughts, land degradation, and disease;  supporting services such as soil formation and nutrient cycling; and  cultural services such as recreational, spiritual, religious and other nonmaterial benefits. Ecosystem Services