108
A. Doernberg and T. Weith
it. The Stead model and its adaptation by Repp et al. 2012 are not well known in
the scientific community (examples include Eppler et al. 2015; Kasper and Giseke
2017).
6.3.2 Complex Models of Teleconnection and Telecoupling
Focusing on social-ecological and human-environmental systems, the framework
and concept of telecoupling offers a different perspective on urban-rural relations as
well as land use systems. Telecoupling is an umbrella concept that merges relevant
frameworks from land use science such as teleconnection and globalisation (Liu et al.
2019). “It enables researchers to explore interrelationships among various distant
interactions and feedbacks across multiple scales. It also captures the complexity of
increasingly prevalent distant environmental and socioeconomic interactions, as well
as their diverse drivers and effect” (Liu et al. 2019: 21). In a nutshell, the concept
means that human–environmental systems are increasingly interlinked and therefore
interact over large distances. Human-induced processes in one part of the world affect
another distant part. The feedback between social processes and land outcomes in
the interacting systems make the concept highly interesting for researchers in land
use science and beyond (Eakin et al. 2014; Friis et al. 2016).
The concept was first applied on thematic areas related to vulnerabilities in connection with environmental changes (Adger et al. 2009) and later in broader contexts
such as urban studies (Seto et al. 2012; Haase 2019). In the urban context, the conceptual frameworks of urban teleconnections and telecouplings (UT) were used to study
urban-rural relations (Seto et al. 2012; Friis et al. 2016). They represent the shift
from place-based to process-oriented conceptualisation along a continuum of land
systems (Seto et al. 2012).
These concepts address the observation that land use changes induced by urbanisation and the use of environmental, economic and cultural resources by the urban
population affect not only the cities and their surroundings, but also distant places
(e.g. rural areas in other regions of the world) and are interlinked (Seto et al. 2012;
Liu et al. 2019). These interrelations can be illustrated using the example of meatbased diets in European cities, which cause deforestation in the Amazonas region
(Haase 2019).
Two major strands of telecoupling concepts have co-evolved in recent years (Friis
et al. 2016): first, the original structured approach that was developed by Liu et al.
(2013, 2014) and has been represented by scholars such as Friis et al. 2016 and Garrett
and Rueda 2019; second, the heuristic and actor-oriented approach following Eakin
et al. (2014), which include social and functional distances in the concept alongside
geographical distance.
The idea of telecoupling is based on a set of human and natural systems as
the core of a telecoupled system (Liu et al. 2013; Friis et al. 2016). In the initial
concept by Liu et al. (2013), the systems address agents, causes and effects that
are interconnected. These causes and effects are inseparably interlinked with each
A. Doernberg and T. Weith
it. The Stead model and its adaptation by Repp et al. 2012 are not well known in
the scientific community (examples include Eppler et al. 2015; Kasper and Giseke
2017).
6.3.2 Complex Models of Teleconnection and Telecoupling
Focusing on social-ecological and human-environmental systems, the framework
and concept of telecoupling offers a different perspective on urban-rural relations as
well as land use systems. Telecoupling is an umbrella concept that merges relevant
frameworks from land use science such as teleconnection and globalisation (Liu et al.
2019). “It enables researchers to explore interrelationships among various distant
interactions and feedbacks across multiple scales. It also captures the complexity of
increasingly prevalent distant environmental and socioeconomic interactions, as well
as their diverse drivers and effect” (Liu et al. 2019: 21). In a nutshell, the concept
means that human–environmental systems are increasingly interlinked and therefore
interact over large distances. Human-induced processes in one part of the world affect
another distant part. The feedback between social processes and land outcomes in
the interacting systems make the concept highly interesting for researchers in land
use science and beyond (Eakin et al. 2014; Friis et al. 2016).
The concept was first applied on thematic areas related to vulnerabilities in connection with environmental changes (Adger et al. 2009) and later in broader contexts
such as urban studies (Seto et al. 2012; Haase 2019). In the urban context, the conceptual frameworks of urban teleconnections and telecouplings (UT) were used to study
urban-rural relations (Seto et al. 2012; Friis et al. 2016). They represent the shift
from place-based to process-oriented conceptualisation along a continuum of land
systems (Seto et al. 2012).
These concepts address the observation that land use changes induced by urbanisation and the use of environmental, economic and cultural resources by the urban
population affect not only the cities and their surroundings, but also distant places
(e.g. rural areas in other regions of the world) and are interlinked (Seto et al. 2012;
Liu et al. 2019). These interrelations can be illustrated using the example of meatbased diets in European cities, which cause deforestation in the Amazonas region
(Haase 2019).
Two major strands of telecoupling concepts have co-evolved in recent years (Friis
et al. 2016): first, the original structured approach that was developed by Liu et al.
(2013, 2014) and has been represented by scholars such as Friis et al. 2016 and Garrett
and Rueda 2019; second, the heuristic and actor-oriented approach following Eakin
et al. (2014), which include social and functional distances in the concept alongside
geographical distance.
The idea of telecoupling is based on a set of human and natural systems as
the core of a telecoupled system (Liu et al. 2013; Friis et al. 2016). In the initial
concept by Liu et al. (2013), the systems address agents, causes and effects that
are interconnected. These causes and effects are inseparably interlinked with each