Coupled Human and Natural Systems (CHANS) Integrated systems in which humans and natural components interact. Liu et al. 2007 Sciecne Diagram modified from http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2007/nsf07598/nsf07598.htm

Examples of CHANS Social-Ecological Systems Human-Environmental Systems Society-Nature Systems Population-Environment Systems Ecological-Economic Systems Social-Economic-Natural Complex Systems

Complexity of Coupled Human and Natural Systems Jianguo Liu, Thomas Dietz, Stephen Carpenter, Marina Alberti, Carl Folke, Emilio Moran, Alice Pell, Peter Deadman, Timothy Kratz, Jane Lubchenco, Elinor Ostrom, Zhiyun Ouyang, William Provencher, Charles Redman, Stephen Schneider, William Taylor Reciprocal Effects Feedback Loops Nonlinearity Thresholds Surprises Legacy Effects Time Lags Resilience Heterogeneity Liu et al 2007 Science

Example Questions to Address How do different aspects of complexity vary and interact across space, over time, and at different organizational levels? How do human decisions affect CHANS complexity? How does CHANS complexity affect human decisions?

Status of CHANS Research Interest in CHANS research is growing rapidly around the world. Need more solid and comprehensive theoretical foundations Go beyond traditional disciplinary theories Need more powerful research tools Agent-based models

Need and Opportunities for CHANS Research Better understanding of global challenges More informative for management, conservation, policy, and other arenas. Funding agencies The U.S. National Science Foundation (Dynamics of Coupled Natural and Human Systems Program)

International Network of Research on Coupled Human and Natural Systems (CHANS-Net.org) Sponsored by The National Science Foundation Coordinators Jianguo (Jack) Liu and Bill McConnell

Objectives of CHANS-Net Promote communication and collaboration across the CHANS community. Generate and disseminate comparative and synthesis scholarship on CHANS. Expand and diversify the CHANS community.

CHANS Events at 2011 AAAS Friday, February 18 8:30 - 11:30 am Convention Center, 140B Mapping and Disentangling Human Decisions in Complex Human-Nature Systems 1:30 - 4:30 pm Convention Center, 140B Telecoupling of Human and Natural Systems Saturday, February 19 10:00 - 11:30 am Convention Center, 146B Resource use and Ecological Resilience in a Tropical Socio-Ecological system 1:00 - 5:00 pm Convention Center, Exhibit Hall D Student Poster Competition Sunday, February 20 The Challenge of Measuring Sustainability General Poster Competition 1:30 - 4:30 pm Convention Center, 146B Modeling Across Millennia: Interdisciplinary Paths to Ancient Socionatural Systems Monday, February 21 9:45 - 11:15 am Convention Center, 156 Social Networks and Sustainability