Toward Rigorous Telecoupling Causal Attribution: A Systematic Review and Typology

Author(s)

Carlson, Andrew K. ^[1] ; Zaehringer, Julie G. ^[2] ; Garrett, Rachael D. ^{[3, 4]} ; Bicudo Silva, Ramon Felipe ^[5] ; Furumo, Paul R. ^[6] ; Raya Rey, Andrea N. ^{[7, 8]} ; Torres, Aurora ^{[9, 10]} ; Chung, Min Gon ^[1] ; Li, Yingjie ^[1] ; Liu, Jianguo ^[1]

Affiliation

^[1] Michigan State Univ, Dept Fisheries & Wildlife, Ctr Syst Integrat & Sustainabil, 115 Manly Miles Bldg, 1405 S Harrison Rd, E Lansing, MI 48824 - USA

^[2] Univ Bern, Ctr Dev & Environm, Mittelstr 43, CH-3012 Bern - Switzerland

^[3] Boston Univ, Dept Earth & Environm, 685 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215 - USA

^[4] Boston Univ, Global Dev Policy Ctr, 685 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215 - USA

^[5] Univ Estadual Campinas, Ctr Environm Res & Studies, BR-13083867 Campinas, SP - Brazil

^[6] Univ Puerto Rico Rio Piedras, Dept Environm Sci, San Juan, PR 00931 - USA

^[7] Consejo Nacl Invest Cient & Tecn CONICET, Ctr Austral Invest Cient CADIC, B Houssay 200, V9410BFD, Ushuaia, Tierra Del Fueg - Argentina

^[8] Univ Nacl Tierra Fuego, Inst Ciencias Polares Ambiente & Recursos Nat, Hipolito Yrigoyen 879, RA-9410 Ushuaia, Tierra Del Fueg - Argentina

^[9] German Ctr Integrat Biodivers Res iDiv, Deutsch Pl 5e, D-04103 Leipzig - Germany

^[10] Martin Luther Univ Halle Wittenberg, Inst Biol, D-06108 Halle, Saale - Germany

• Document type: Review article
• Source: SUSTAINABILITY; v. 10, n. 12 DEC 2018.
• Web of Science Citations: 4

Abstract

Telecoupled flows of people, organisms, goods, information, and energy are expanding across the globe. Causes are integral components of the telecoupling framework, yet the rigor with which they have been identified and evaluated to date is unknown. We address this knowledge gap by systematically reviewing causal attribution in the telecoupling literature (n = 89 studies) and developing a standardized causal terminology and typology for consistent use in telecoupling research. Causes are defined based on six criteria: sector (e.g., environmental, economic), system of origin (i.e., sending, receiving, spillover), agent, distance, response time (i.e., time lapse between cause and effect), and direction (i.e., producing positive or negative effects). Using case studies from the telecoupling literature, we demonstrate the need to enhance the rigor of telecoupling causal attribution by combining qualitative and quantitative methods via process-tracing, counterfactual analysis, and related approaches. Rigorous qualitative-quantitative causal attribution is critical for accurately assessing the social-ecological causes and consequences of telecouplings and thereby identifying leverage points for informed management and governance of telecoupled systems. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 14/50628-9 - Food security and land use: the Telecoupling challenge - ABC Telecoupling
• Grantee: Mateus Batistella
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants
• FAPESP's process: 15/25892-7 - Food security and land use: the Telecoupling challenge
• Grantee: Ramon Felipe Bicudo da Silva
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral