A metacoupling lens on the co-production of nature’s contributions to people: Insights for sustainability

• Published in: Advances in ecological research Vol. 72; pp. 91 - 115
• Main Authors: Mayer, Anna, Martín-López, Berta, Locatelli, Bruno, Rabeschini, Gabriela, Liu, Jianguo, Loos, Jacqueline, Felipe-Lucia, María R., Riechers, Maraja, Isaac, Roman
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 2025
• Subjects: Ailuropoda melanoleuca; Anthropogenic assets; China; Co-production; ecosystem services; Germany; Human-derived capitals; Human-nature interactions; humans; Metacoupling; migratory behavior; Nature’s contributions to people (NCP); people; pest control; Social-ecological interactions; Telecoupling; tourism; wood; China; Germany; Nature’s contributions to people (NCP); Human-derived capitals; Metacoupling; Social-ecological interactions; Telecoupling; Co-production; Anthropogenic assets; Human-nature interactions
• ISSN: 0065-2504
• DOI: 10.1016/bs.aecr.2025.02.001

Nature’s contributions to people (NCP) broaden up the ecosystem service concept and support human life in multiple ways. These contributions are partially derived from nature together with inputs from humans, a process known as co-production of NCP. The sustainability of NCP co-production not only depends on the use of anthropogenic capitals but also on where they are produced, how they are mobilized, or the access to these capitals. In fact, NCP co-production can occur at different places and across spatial scales: it may be affected by factors not only within a system but in other systems near and far. To this end, the metacoupling framework advances the telecoupling framework and offers a lens to analyze human-nature interactions within and between systems across spatial scales. Here, we illustrate the application of the metacoupling framework on NCP co-production by using the examples of wood production in temperate forests in Germany, natural pest control in German meadows provided by migratory birds, and non-material NCP from giant panda tourism in China. We reflect on the challenges of adopting a metacoupling lens when analyzing NCP co-production, such as working with different disciplines and engaging with diverse knowledge systems, defining social-ecological system perimeter, or collecting metacoupled data across scales based on mixed-method approaches. While considering the relevance of metacoupling of NCP co-production for sustainability, we highlight the opportunities of adopting this lens, such as visualizing hidden and overlooked sustainability issues or making global sustainability a relevant aspect of local decisions.