Complexity of coupled human and natural systems

Because of the lack of collaboration between social and ecological scientists, the study of coupled human and nature systems has not been directly studied. This study examines cases on five continents: Africa, Asia, North America, South America and Europe. Each area differs in ecological, socioeconomic, political, demographic and cultural setting. Still, the five studies are similar in that they address complex interactions of human and nature systems, consider and measure both human and ecological components, are composed of interdisciplinary teams, use integrated tools to collect both ecological and human data, and are context specific and longitudinal over periods of time.