Network theory and the environment: Understanding human connections to nature.

摘要

Sustainability of the human species and the natural systems on which we depend are increasingly at risk. New ways of living sustainably and understanding the human relationship to Nature are needed to assure a future, both for humanity and the living systems in which we exist. The science of complex networks (also known as the "science of networks" or "network science") is an emerging discipline of increasing importance to understanding interactions within both human and natural systems, but it has not yet been adequately used toward improving the understanding of sustainability and the human place in Nature. Because human-Nature interactions are complex, the study of complex networks may yield the most useful methods and ideas for improving the influence on, and understandings of these relationships. Through a qualitative metastudy of ninety interdisciplinary network studies, a series of key concepts relevant to understanding the intersection of natural and cultural systems is extracted and used to identify important areas of research. They include: (1) The relationship between wholeness and network hierarchy, in particular, how roles of smaller scale systems change when seen functioning within larger scale systems. (2) Network evolution, in particular how nodes with high degree distribution migrate from one part of the network to another through either reciprocity or high link cost over time. (3) Interaction amongst scales of trophic webs, in particular the relationship between local and regional trophic webs. (4) A systematization of network hierarchy and heterarchy, in particular, the interaction amongst individual, cultural, and natural systems (coadaptation).; These concepts comprise a series of tools, which will contribute to advancement of the study for the human interaction with Nature, resulting in improved understanding of the human relationship with Nature, and potentially more durable solutions to problems of sustainability and the human relationship to Nature.; Keywords. complex networks, environment, qualitative metastudy, science of networks, Nature, tektology.