Deeper Engagement with Material and Non-Material Aspects of Water in Land System Science: An Introduction to the Special Issue

Water access and use impact land management decisions and livelihoods. Despite the integral role water plays in land systems, land system science (LSS) research often fails to explicitly incorporate water into analyses of socioecological systems (SES) resilience related to land. Nonetheless, water s...

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Main Authors: Jacqueline M. Vadjunec, Todd D. Fagin, Lanah M. Hinsdale, Georgina Belem Carrasco Galvan, Kristen A. Baum
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-12-01
Series:Land
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/12/2095
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author Jacqueline M. Vadjunec
Todd D. Fagin
Lanah M. Hinsdale
Georgina Belem Carrasco Galvan
Kristen A. Baum
author_facet Jacqueline M. Vadjunec
Todd D. Fagin
Lanah M. Hinsdale
Georgina Belem Carrasco Galvan
Kristen A. Baum
author_sort Jacqueline M. Vadjunec
collection DOAJ
description Water access and use impact land management decisions and livelihoods. Despite the integral role water plays in land systems, land system science (LSS) research often fails to explicitly incorporate water into analyses of socioecological systems (SES) resilience related to land. Nonetheless, water scarcity, especially in the face of climate change and resource degradation, is a pressing issue. Water availability is crucial to many ecosystem functions, from supporting biodiversity to mitigating extreme weather events such as flooding or drought. In this introduction to the “Water in Land System Science” Special Issue, we argue for deeper integration of land and water dynamics in LSS to increase SES resilience. First, we present an overview of the need for this integration, followed by a synopsis of the authored contributions in this Special Issue towards this goal. We then provide potential entry points researchers can use to foster this integration, exploring the following topics: water governance and hydrosocial territories, the cultural geographies of water, hydrophilia, water in agricultural transitions, remote sensing innovations, and participatory approaches to the study of the water component of land systems. We conclude that interactions between land, water, and people remain understudied, despite being more important than ever for ensuring future sustainability.
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spelling doaj-art-a18f4480add24925aaaf5fe7adc1d76b2024-12-27T14:35:07ZengMDPI AGLand2073-445X2024-12-011312209510.3390/land13122095Deeper Engagement with Material and Non-Material Aspects of Water in Land System Science: An Introduction to the Special IssueJacqueline M. Vadjunec0Todd D. Fagin1Lanah M. Hinsdale2Georgina Belem Carrasco Galvan3Kristen A. Baum4Department of Geography and Environmental Sustainability (DGES), University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019, USADepartment of Geography and Environmental Sustainability (DGES), University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019, USADepartment of Geography and Environmental Sustainability (DGES), University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019, USADepartment of Geography and Environmental Sustainability (DGES), University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019, USAKansas Biological Survey & Center for Ecological Research and Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66047, USAWater access and use impact land management decisions and livelihoods. Despite the integral role water plays in land systems, land system science (LSS) research often fails to explicitly incorporate water into analyses of socioecological systems (SES) resilience related to land. Nonetheless, water scarcity, especially in the face of climate change and resource degradation, is a pressing issue. Water availability is crucial to many ecosystem functions, from supporting biodiversity to mitigating extreme weather events such as flooding or drought. In this introduction to the “Water in Land System Science” Special Issue, we argue for deeper integration of land and water dynamics in LSS to increase SES resilience. First, we present an overview of the need for this integration, followed by a synopsis of the authored contributions in this Special Issue towards this goal. We then provide potential entry points researchers can use to foster this integration, exploring the following topics: water governance and hydrosocial territories, the cultural geographies of water, hydrophilia, water in agricultural transitions, remote sensing innovations, and participatory approaches to the study of the water component of land systems. We conclude that interactions between land, water, and people remain understudied, despite being more important than ever for ensuring future sustainability.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/12/2095waterland system sciencematerial and non-material naturesocio-ecological systemsresilience
spellingShingle Jacqueline M. Vadjunec
Todd D. Fagin
Lanah M. Hinsdale
Georgina Belem Carrasco Galvan
Kristen A. Baum
Deeper Engagement with Material and Non-Material Aspects of Water in Land System Science: An Introduction to the Special Issue
Land
water
land system science
material and non-material nature
socio-ecological systems
resilience
title Deeper Engagement with Material and Non-Material Aspects of Water in Land System Science: An Introduction to the Special Issue
title_full Deeper Engagement with Material and Non-Material Aspects of Water in Land System Science: An Introduction to the Special Issue
title_fullStr Deeper Engagement with Material and Non-Material Aspects of Water in Land System Science: An Introduction to the Special Issue
title_full_unstemmed Deeper Engagement with Material and Non-Material Aspects of Water in Land System Science: An Introduction to the Special Issue
title_short Deeper Engagement with Material and Non-Material Aspects of Water in Land System Science: An Introduction to the Special Issue
title_sort deeper engagement with material and non material aspects of water in land system science an introduction to the special issue
topic water
land system science
material and non-material nature
socio-ecological systems
resilience
url https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/12/2095
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