Jordan Sky Oestreicher

Ecohealth and resilience thinking: a dialog from experiences in research and practice

Resilience thinking and ecosystems approaches to health (EAH), or ecohealth, share roots in complexity science, although they have distinct foundations in ecology and population health, respectively. The current articulations of these two approaches are strongly converging, but each approach has its strengths. Resilience thinking has developed theoretical models to the study of social– ecological systems, whereas ecohealth has a vast repertoire of experience in dealing with complex health issues. With the two fields dovetailing, there is ripe opportunity to create a dialog centered on concepts that are more thoroughly developed in one field, which can then serve to advance the other. In this article, we first present an overview of the ecohealth and resilience thinking frameworks before opening a dialog centered on seven themes that have strong potential for cross-pollination between the two approaches: scale interactions, regime shifts, adaptive environmental management, social learning, participation, social and gender equity, and knowledge to action. We conclude with some future research suggestions for those interested in theoretical and practical applications at the intersection of environment and health. In particular, closer collaboration between these two fields can lead to addressing blind spots in the ecosystem services framework, complementary social-network analysis, the application of resilience heuristics to the understanding of health, and the development of a normative dimension in resilience thinking.

Environmental and Anthropogenic Factors Influencing Mercury Dynamics During the Past Century in Floodplain Lakes of the Tapajós River, Brazilian Amazon

In the Tapajós River region of the Brazilian Amazon, mercury (Hg) is a prevalent contaminant in the aquatic ecosystem. Few studies have used comprehensive chronological analyses to examine the combined effects of environmental and anthropogenic factors on Hg accumulation in sediments. Total mercury (THg) content was measured in sediments from eight floodplain lakes and Pb210 isotope analysis was used to develop a timeline of THg accumulation. Secondary data representing environmental and anthropogenic factors were analyzed using geo-spatial analyses. These include land-cover change, hydrometeorological time-series data, lake morphology, and watershed biophysical characteristics. The results indicate that THg accumulation and sedimentation rates have increased significantly at the surface of most sediment cores, sometimes doubling since the 1970s. Human-driven land-cover changes in the watershed correspond closely to these shifts. Tropical deforestation enhances erosion, thereby mobilizing the heavy metal that naturally occurs in soils. Environmental factors also contribute to increased THg content in lacustrine sediments. Climate shifts since the 1980s are further compounding erosion and THg accumulation in surface sediments. Furthermore, variations in topography, soil types, and the level of hydrological connectivity between lakes and the river explain observed variations in THg fluxes and sedimentation. Although connectivity naturally varies among sampled lakes, deforestation of sensitive floodplain vegetation has changed lake–river hydrology in several sites. In conclusion, the results point to a combination of anthropogenic and environmental factors as determinants of increased THg accumulation in tropical floodplain sediments in the Tapajós region.

Spatial and temporal evolution of family-farming land use in the Tapajós region of the Brazilian Amazon

Pressures on the Brazilian Amazon forest have been accentuated by agricultural activities practiced by families encouraged to settle in this region in the 1970s by the colonization program of the government. The aims of this study were to analyze the temporal and spatial evolution of land cover and land use (LCLU) in the lower Tapajos region, in the state of Para. We contrast 11 watersheds that are generally representative of the colonization dynamics in the region. For this purpose, Landsat satellite images from three different years, 1986, 2001, and 2009, were analyzed with Geographic Information Systems. Individual images were subject to an unsupervised classification using the Maximum Likelihood Classification algorithm available on GRASS. The classes retained for the representation of LCLU in this study were: (1) slightly altered old-growth forest, (2) succession forest, (3) crop land and pasture, and (4) bare soil. The analysis and observation of general trends in eleven watersheds shows that LCLU is changing very rapidly. The average deforestation of old-growth forest in all the watersheds was estimated at more than 30% for the period of 1986 to 2009. The local-scale analysis of watersheds reveals the complexity of LCLU, notably in relation to large changes in the temporal and spatial evolution of watersheds. Proximity to the sprawling city of Itaituba is related to the highest rate of deforestation in two watersheds. The opening of roads such as the Transamazonian highway is associated to the second highest rate of deforestation in three watersheds.

Public health guide to field developments linking ecosystems, environments and health in the Anthropocene

The impacts of global environmental change have precipitated numerous approaches that connect the health of ecosystems, non-human organisms and humans. However, the proliferation of approaches can lead to confusion due to overlaps in terminology, ideas and foci. Recognising the need for clarity, this paper provides a guide to seven field developments in environmental public health research and practice: occupational and environmental health; political ecology of health; environmental justice; ecohealth; One Health; ecological public health; and planetary health. Field developments are defined in terms of their uniqueness from one another, are historically situated, and core texts or journals are highlighted. The paper ends by discussing some of the intersecting features across field developments, and considers opportunities created through such convergence. This field guide will be useful for those seeking to build a next generation of integrative research, policy, education and action that is equipped to respond to current health and sustainability challenges.

Where ecosystems, people and health meet: academic traditions and emerging fields for research and practice

Human-driven environmental change has brought attention to the importance of ecosystems in sustaining human health and well-being. There are various schools of thought and fields of inquiry and action that seek to understand health in relation to linked social and ecological phenomena. We describe 18 such fields and outline common elements and incongruities among them. They converge around the application of systems thinking and crossing disciplinary boundaries, while differences are found in methodologies, research foci and problem framing. Although fields encourage sustainable and equitable pathways for health promotion, depoliticized and ahistorical approaches continue to be standard practice. Future research calls for a deeper commitment to examining ourselves as political actors, making space for conversations around power dynamics, and (re)centering participants in research methodologies.Human-driven environmental change has brought attention to the importance of ecosystems in sustaining human health and well-being. There are various schools of thought and fields of inquiry and action that seek to understand health in relation to linked social and ecological phenomena. We