Historical framework to explain long-term coupled human and natural system feedbacks: application to a multiple-ownership forest landscape in the northern Great Lakes region, USA

International progress and evaluation on interactive coupling effects between urbanization and the eco-environment

“…From this perspective, although there are a lot of relevant contemporary theories, especially the theoretical contributions of ecologists and environmental scientists, including the ecological footprint, urban metabolism, energy value, ecological economic efficiency, planetary boundaries and society-ecology system theories, but there is still no agreement on the overall theoretical framework for research on coupled human and natural (urbanization and the eco-environment) systems, with scholars still in the stage of viewing things from the perspective of their own discipline (Stevenson, 2011;Leslie et al, 2015;Steen-Adams et al, 2015). As a result, there is a need for a simple and intuitive description of the problem that can also integrate existing theoretical developments and give a complete explanation in simple terms of diverse coupling theoretical systems.…”

Assessing temporal couplings in social–ecological island systems: historical deforestation and soil loss on Mauritius (Indian Ocean)

“…This relates to the fifth limitation: the support practice factor and cover management factor in the RUSLE are taken to be constant for a specific land-use type. As a result, differences between land owners (small vs. large growers) and related differences in sugar cane cultivation practices (e.g., manual vs. mechanized production) are not considered, whereas these may lead to differential landscape outcomes (Steen-Adams et al 2015). During the first centuries of settlement, all sugar cane fields were harvested and planted manually.…”

“…It is widely acknowledged that the current state of a SES is the outcome of patterns, processes, and decisions in the past (Foster et al 2003, Kirch 2007, Rounsevell et al 2012, Steen-Adams et al 2015. The cumulative and evolving impacts of historical interactions within a SES on present and future conditions are termed legacy effects (Liu et al 2007a), which suggests that the present-day soil is partly degraded as a result of deforestation and agricultural practices in the past.…”

“…The cumulative and evolving impacts of historical interactions within a SES on present and future conditions are termed legacy effects (Liu et al 2007a), which suggests that the present-day soil is partly degraded as a result of deforestation and agricultural practices in the past. However, the impact of soil degradation may remain unnoticed because of time lags between historical socialecological couplings and their current effects (Liu et al 2007b, Raudsepp-Hearne et al 2010, Steen-Adams et al 2015. These legacy effects and time lags are two important aspects for understanding temporal couplings in a SES (Liu et al 2007a, Steen-Adams et al 2015.…”

Historical perspective on the influence of wildfire policy, law, and informal institutions on management and forest resilience in a multiownership, frequent-fire, coupled human and natural system in Oregon, USA

“…2). Historical frameworks divide the continuum of management history into discrete, coherent periods through a technique known as periodization (e.g., Steen-Adams et al 2015). Such devices can help investigators systematically trace how phenomena such as current wildfire management institutions and behaviors have evolved over time.…”