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migration among certain groups if resources are no longer available. For example,
migration among residents of rural Mexico to the USA has been shown to be affected
by the incidence of significant drought events. These drought events do not have the
same effect on the more affluent urban Mexican population (Hunter et al. 2013).
4.3 Towards More Realistic Models of Human Behavior
in the Study of FEW Systems
Decision science and its related disciplines have grown substantially since the early
1990s. This growing body of work has generated a better understanding of the
impacts of environmental changes on human behavior and adaptations and vice
versa. While many of these insights are generic across many different types of systems, some are particularly germane to human adaptations within FEW systems.
Here we highlight and discuss some of the key insights.
4.3.1 FEW System Dynamics
Studying human behavior and adaptation in FEW systems requires understanding
the changes in these systems to which people react. The nature of these changes,
including the time horizon over which these changes occur, will impact how people
respond. Changes in FEW systems can occur gradually, resulting in so-called
“press” events, which alter the system incrementally, or as sudden shocks or
“pulse” events. Gradual rising temperatures and sea levels, or gradual population
decline, are examples of press events. Pulse events, such as sudden weather events
like hurricanes or floods, or economic shocks like a sudden increase in food prices,
are likely to affect people and communities over a short period of time and are more
difficult to predict.
The ways in which people respond to gradual or sudden changes in their social
and natural environments are likely to differ. Press events are more gradual and
long-term in nature and are therefore likely to require adaptation strategies that are
incremental. Farmers may respond to gradually increasing temperatures by adjusting their crop mix on a year-by-year basis, or altering when they plant and harvest
crops. Families may move inland in response to increased frequency and severity of
coastal flooding. In contrast, pulse events require people to respond more quickly,
such as evacuating an area due to an imminent hurricane threat.
Studying responses to press events may be challenging because of the gradual
nature of the changes. Pulse events provide their own challenges, as these events are
less frequent and may not provide researchers with enough data to draw conclusions
about how people adapt to rapid changes in their environments. It is vital to understand how these changes will differentially impact affected populations, and how
people and communities are likely to adapt to their changing environment.
4 Human Behavior and Adaptation
migration among certain groups if resources are no longer available. For example,
migration among residents of rural Mexico to the USA has been shown to be affected
by the incidence of significant drought events. These drought events do not have the
same effect on the more affluent urban Mexican population (Hunter et al. 2013).
4.3 Towards More Realistic Models of Human Behavior
in the Study of FEW Systems
Decision science and its related disciplines have grown substantially since the early
1990s. This growing body of work has generated a better understanding of the
impacts of environmental changes on human behavior and adaptations and vice
versa. While many of these insights are generic across many different types of systems, some are particularly germane to human adaptations within FEW systems.
Here we highlight and discuss some of the key insights.
4.3.1 FEW System Dynamics
Studying human behavior and adaptation in FEW systems requires understanding
the changes in these systems to which people react. The nature of these changes,
including the time horizon over which these changes occur, will impact how people
respond. Changes in FEW systems can occur gradually, resulting in so-called
“press” events, which alter the system incrementally, or as sudden shocks or
“pulse” events. Gradual rising temperatures and sea levels, or gradual population
decline, are examples of press events. Pulse events, such as sudden weather events
like hurricanes or floods, or economic shocks like a sudden increase in food prices,
are likely to affect people and communities over a short period of time and are more
difficult to predict.
The ways in which people respond to gradual or sudden changes in their social
and natural environments are likely to differ. Press events are more gradual and
long-term in nature and are therefore likely to require adaptation strategies that are
incremental. Farmers may respond to gradually increasing temperatures by adjusting their crop mix on a year-by-year basis, or altering when they plant and harvest
crops. Families may move inland in response to increased frequency and severity of
coastal flooding. In contrast, pulse events require people to respond more quickly,
such as evacuating an area due to an imminent hurricane threat.
Studying responses to press events may be challenging because of the gradual
nature of the changes. Pulse events provide their own challenges, as these events are
less frequent and may not provide researchers with enough data to draw conclusions
about how people adapt to rapid changes in their environments. It is vital to understand how these changes will differentially impact affected populations, and how
people and communities are likely to adapt to their changing environment.
4 Human Behavior and Adaptation