Extending the Vision: Highlighting the Human Dimensions of the Ecological Society of America

The reach of humans into natural ecosystems extends beyond what we might have imagined possible a century ago. Consequently, ecological science is virtually impossible to conduct in isolation, as humans are a large part of the ecosystems we study. Human dimensions scholars are working to continue expanding ecology to include these perspectives. Furthermore, scientific inquiry, and ecology in particular, needs the diverse perspectives of all people to seek solutions to the grand challenges we now face. And yet, for generations, ecology has lacked such diversity. Here, we introduce a new series to highlight two veins of effort within the Ecological Society of America (ESA): (1) research focused at the nexus of human and natural systems (e.g., human dimensions), and (2) work done to raise awareness of and seek solutions to issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion within ecology and across the ESA. We view these topics as distinct, yet connected, and some individual ESA members and groups within ESA focus on both. Through this series, we will hear from individual ESA sections and chapters to learn about their histories, accomplishments, current initiatives, goals, and vision as they pertain to one or both of these topics. Current ecological conditions are linked to human social systems: socioeconomic, geopolitical, cultural, and identity issues that influence how people interact with ecosystems. Our understanding of patterns in natural systems, and our ability to make predictions, is intrinsically linked to current and past human knowledge, behavior, and processes (e.g., Polfus et al. 2016). Human dimensions have been defined and studied in a variety of ways within ESA over the last century, and natural and social scientists across ESA are actively expanding the field of ecology to center the human components of the systems we study (Dyball 2017). The study of human dimensions includes the application of theories and practices from diverse fields such as economics, psychology, sociology, policy, geography, environmental science, and the humanities (Spalding et al. 2017). Such research is generally focused on the reciprocal interactions between humans and their environments, and it is informed by the perspective that humans are integral to and inseparable from the biophysical world. The richness of the interdisciplinary collaborations born from this work helps us better understand the complex web of human processes as they relate to natural resources. Such work strengthens the science of ecology and deepens impact of our discoveries (e.g., Schwarz et al.