Means of living within the earth's ecological limits

Why are we crossing ecological limits that affect Earth's basic capacity to support life? Is it because we don't have enough information about how ecosystems respond to change? Or are we unable, even unwilling, to make better use of that information?

We still have much to learn, but as we show in our research, using current ecological knowledge more effectively can bring significant environmental benefits.

Our work focuses on improving the links between research and ecosystem management to identify key trigger points for action in a framework that brings together terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems.

Specifically, we investigate solutions to environmental and societal problems that arise from disparities between scientific research, policy, and management responses to environmental issues.

We need managers and policy makers to consider ecological tipping points and how they can move through ecosystems from land to rivers and lakes and, ultimately, to the ocean.

Our work is at the center of global research aimed at halting ecosystem collapse recognized as one of 23 national champions in this year's Frontiers Planet Prize.

This issue came into focus when New Zealand created research collaborations known as national science challenges a decade ago to solve wicked social and ecological problems.

Challenges focused on environmental issues were deliberately designed to focus on specific ecosystem and management areas (marine, freshwater and land). But all included research groups that addressed ecological issues.

That was our inspiring spark. Our research highlights the consequences of managing land, freshwater and marine ecosystems in socially constructed bubbles. We focus on solutions where social and ecological connections are at the forefront of environmental management practices and decisions.

One example is the movement of pollutants such as microplastics from land to sea. Most microplastics found along shorelines and in harbors are blown up or washed ashore. While this pollution is well recognized as an environmental threat to the marine environment, we have not yet focused on strategies to reduce the load.

Our work points to the overlooked but critical issue that human impacts on land accumulate at sea, but land management and subsequent actions are not informed by these distant field effects.

This leads to delays in decision-making which create unintended environmental outcomes that are difficult to reverse. But if we act on these connections, the environmental benefits can be significant.

As a result of massive soil erosion on the east coast of the North Island during Cyclone Bola in 1988, the steep hills were withdrawn from grazing and converted to pine plantations to help stabilize the soil.

Fast forward three decades and much of the forest reached harvest at the same time. The exposed soil associated with the clear cut was left wrapped with wood waste to protect it from the rain.

However, Cyclone Gabrielle hit in February last year, with extreme rainfall that washed soil and woody debris into streams.

This destroyed habitats, transported large amounts of silt and destroyed rangeland farms, orchards and critical infrastructure. Debris also blocked harbors and coastal beaches, drowned seabed habitats, destroyed fisheries, and affected cultural and recreational values.

This real-world example shows the severe consequences of delays in information flow and management responses. If land-use management decisions had taken into account the effects on other connected ecosystems and the potential for climate change to intensify these connections, the results might have been different.

We could have implemented more diverse land use strategies and emphasized restoring native forests and coastal wetlands.

Our vision is one where social and ecological connections across all areas of the ecosystem are at the forefront of moving towards a more sustainable future.

Living within planetary boundaries requires a paradigm shift in behavior, including how we relate science and management to action on the ground. Crucially, we need to increase the speed at which new research is carried out and rapidly translate this into action that improves environmental outcomes at the local scale.

This behavioral change supports the path to a more integrated, large-scale ability to operate and stay within planetary boundaries.

Our research shows that we can, with faith and an open mind, transcend disciplinary silos to support new forms of research organization. The challenge now is to extend holistic approaches to new practices.

This means identifying opportunities where connected research can change behavior across society, from individuals to finance and global governance. Central to this transition is the recognition that we are part of complex social and ecological systems and our actions have indirect effects and long-term consequences.

We need new research to provide this evidence. It will inevitably lead to new questions about the Earth's fundamental ecological and integrated processes.

We believe that these holistic approaches will allow science to be more easily incorporated into decision-making and ensure that environmental perspectives are captured. This will lead to relevant, locally appropriate, integrated and robust environmental management actions.