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Humans have continuously interacted with natural systems, resulting in the formation and development of coupled human and natural systems (CHANS). Recent studies reveal the complexity of organizational, spatial, and temporal couplings of CHANS. These couplings have evolved from direct to more indirect interactions, from adjacent to more distant linkages, from local to global scales, and from simple to complex patterns and processes. Untangling complexities, such as reciprocal effects and emergent properties, can lead to novel scientific discoveries and is essential to developing effective policies for ecological and socioeconomic sustainability. Opportunities for truly integrating various disciplines are emerging to address fundamental questions about CHANS and meet society's unprecedented challenges.

Metadata only record 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.