Published In
BioScience
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
3-2018
Subjects
Ecosystem services -- Assessment, Ecosystem services -- Valuation, Environmental auditing, Environmental sciences -- Social aspects
Abstract
Sustainability challenges for nature and people are complex and interconnected, such that effective solutions require approaches and a common theory of change that bridge disparate disciplines and sectors. Causal chains offer promising approaches to achieving an integrated understanding of how actions affect ecosystems, the goods and services they provide, and ultimately, human well-being. Although causal chains and their variants are common tools across disciplines, their use remains highly inconsistent, limiting their ability to support and create a shared evidence base for joint actions. In this article, we present the foundational concepts and guidance of causal chains linking disciplines and sectors that do not often intersect to elucidate the effects of actions on ecosystems and society. We further discuss considerations for establishing and implementing causal chains, including nonlinearity, trade-offs and synergies, heterogeneity, scale, and confounding factors. Finally, we highlight the science, practice, and policy implications of causal chains to address real-world linked human–nature challenges.
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DOI
10.1093/biosci/bix167
Persistent Identifier
https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/26288
Citation Details
Qiu, J., Game, E. T., Tallis, H., Olander, L. P., Glew, L., Kagan, J. S., ... & Reed, J. (2018). Evidence-based causal chains for linking health, development, and conservation actions. BioScience, 68(3), 182-193.
Description
© The Author(s) 2018. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Institute of Biological Sciences. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
* James S. Kagan is affiliated with the Institute for Natural Resources at Oregon State University, in Corvallis and also with Portland State University, in Portland, Oregon.