Coupled human and natural systems: The evolution and applications of an integrated framework: This article belongs to Ambio's 50th Anniversary Collection. Theme: Anthropocene.

The paper also catalyzed the establishment of the "International Network of Research on Coupled Human and Natural Systems" (CHANS-Net) to promote and facilitate communications and collaborations between a diverse community of CHANS scholars. The CHANS paper was preceded by the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment[1] and crystallization of sustainability science and resilience concepts, for example, and the CHANS paper brought these ideas together and helped link these communities. CHANS-Net has also supported many young scholars (e.g., CHANS Fellows) from all over the globe to attend, present, network, collaborate, and learn from senior scholars at the various events. All three concepts are often used interchangeably, although formally the latter two are subsets of CHANS because CHANS includes not only social dimensions but also many other human dimensions (e.g., economic, cultural) that are not emphasized in the term of "social-ecological systems". [Extracted from the article]