metachans/metacoupling-science-course

Seminar Course at MSU -- Metacoupling Science: Interdisciplinary Frontiers and Global Applications

Metacoupling Science: Interdisciplinary Frontiers and Global Applications

Seminar Course (Spring 2021)
🎓 FW 893, Section 731 (1 credit)
🕙 Days and times: Thursdays: 9:00-9:50 am EST
🏢 Office hour: Thursdays: 10:00-11:00 am EST (Zoom) sign-up-form
💻 Format: Online via Zoom
🔴 Have questions? Leave a message here or email the instructor.
💘 To enroll: https://schedule.msu.edu/default.aspx

Instructor

Professor Jianguo (Jack) Liu; [email protected]

A human-environment scientist and sustainability scholar, Jianguo "Jack" Liu holds the Rachel Carson Chair in Sustainability, is University Distinguished Professor of fisheries and wildlife at Michigan State University and serves as director of the Center for Systems Integration and Sustainability. Liu takes a holistic approach to addressing complex human-environmental challenges through systems integration, which means he integrates multiple disciplines such as ecology and social sciences. He is particularly keen to connect seemingly unconnected issues, for example divorce and environmental sustainability. His work has been published in journals such as Nature and Science and has been widely covered by the international news media. Find more about Dr. Liu.

Teaching Assistant

Yingjie Li (he/him/his); [email protected]

Yingjie is a dual major (Fisheries and Wildlife, Environmental Science and Policy) Ph.D. Candidate in the CSIS at MSU. He works with Dr. Jianguo 'Jack' Liu pursuing his research interest in Ecosystem Service Flows and Sustainability in Metacoupled Human and Natural Systems.

About the Course

This course will examine key issues and exciting frontiers in the new science of metacoupling (human-nature interactions within as well as between adjacent and distant coupled human and natural systems, e.g., social-ecological systems, human-environment systems). Metacoupling science has emerged as a hot topic as it helps guide innovative scientific discoveries and create integrated solutions to global challenges in sustainability, conservation, management, policy, and governance. Besides discussing important metacoupling concepts and methods as well as applications to a variety of important scientific and societal issues (e.g., biodiversity, climate change, ecosystem services, energy, environment, fisheries, food, forest, species invasion, land, migration, trade, water, and wildlife), students will have opportunities to learn how to write high-impact papers. This seminar course will consist of lectures, guest lectures and students-led discussion sessions. Some background information is available here.

Research topics

Metacoupling and SDGs

Xu, Z., Li, Y., Chau, S. N., Dietz, T., Li, C., Wan, L., ... & Liu, J. (2020). Impacts of international trade on global sustainable development. Nature Sustainability, 3(11), 964-971.

Telecoupling Toolbox

Tonini, F., & Liu, J. (2017). Telecoupling toolbox: spatially explicit tools for studying telecoupled human and natural systems. Ecology and Society, 22(4).

Pandemic

Lee, E. C., Wada, N. I., Grabowski, M. K., Gurley, E. S., & Lessler, J. (2020). The engines of SARS-CoV-2 spread. Science, 370(6515), 406-407.

Key Readings

• Liu, J. (2017). Integration across a metacoupled world. Ecology and Society, 22(4).
• Liu, J., Mooney, H., Hull, V., Davis, S. J., Gaskell, J., Hertel, T., ... & Li, S. (2015). Systems integration for global sustainability. Science, 347(6225).
• Liu, J., Dietz, T., Carpenter, S. R., Alberti, M., Folke, C., Moran, E., ... & Ostrom, E. (2007). Complexity of coupled human and natural systems. Science, 317(5844), 1513-1516.
• Xu, Z., Li, Y., Chau, S. N., Dietz, T., Li, C., Wan, L., ... & Liu, J. (2020). Impacts of international trade on global sustainable development. Nature Sustainability, 1-8.
  • Blog post https://sustainabilitycommunity.springernature.com/posts/trade-and-sdgs
• Xu, Z., Chen, X., Liu, J. et al. (2020) Impacts of irrigated agriculture on food–energy–water–CO2 nexus across metacoupled systems. Nature Communications 11, 5837.