Connecting ecological science, social theory, field research, and systems modeling.
What We Do
The IHED Lab brings together interdisciplinary approaches to investigate sustainability and resilience within socio-ecological systems.
Our work combines ecological science, social theory, field research, and systems modeling to better understand complex relationships between natural resources and people.
Through research and engagement, we aim to generate actionable knowledge that can support inclusive and community-based approaches to sustainability challenges.
Areas of Expertise
Our work spans ecological, social, spatial, and systems perspectives to investigate natural-resource and sustainability challenges.
01 · RESEARCH
Integrating ecological science and social theory to examine relationships between environmental systems, natural resources, and communities.
02 · SPATIAL ANALYSIS
Examining spatial patterns and environmental change across landscapes, watersheds, agricultural systems, and other socio-ecological contexts.
03 · FIELD RESEARCH
Using field research to investigate environmental conditions, natural-resource systems, landscapes, and relationships between people and their environments.
04 · SYSTEMS
Applying systems perspectives to understand interactions, feedbacks, and relationships within complex socio-ecological systems.
05 · NATURAL RESOURCES
Examining natural-resource governance, water resources, land systems, ecosystem services, and sustainable resource management.
06 · COMMUNITY
Supporting approaches that consider local knowledge, community conditions, environmental equity, and inclusive solutions to sustainability challenges.
Our Approach
Environmental challenges rarely fit within a single discipline. Understanding them requires approaches that connect ecological processes with social systems and human decisions.IHED Lab uses integrative approaches to examine these connections across local and global contexts.
Research Process
Our integrative research process brings together environmental observation, interdisciplinary analysis, and engagement with the systems and communities being studied.
01
Define sustainability and natural-resource challenges within their ecological and social context.
02
Combine field research, ecological inquiry, social perspectives, and spatial or systems approaches.
03
Connect environmental findings with human dimensions, institutions, resource systems, and community conditions.
04
Translate research into actionable knowledge that can support inclusive and sustainable solutions.
Research & Engagement
Research can examine complex sustainability challenges involving natural resources, ecological systems, communities, and resource-management decisions.
Integrative approaches can be used to investigate land-use change, landscape dynamics, watershed systems, and environmental outcomes.
Research can explore relationships between ecological functions, ecosystem services, natural resources, and human well-being.
Research can consider agricultural systems within broader ecological, social, and natural-resource contexts.
Watershed and water-resource questions can be approached through ecological, spatial, institutional, and human-dimensions perspectives.
Research can consider how environmental conditions and sustainability challenges affect marginalized and under-resourced communities.
Knowledge & Impact
The goal of the IHED Lab is not only to understand environmental systems, but to channel research toward sustainability and the communities that depend on natural resources.Our work emphasizes actionable knowledge and inclusive, community-based approaches to sustainability challenges across local and global contexts.
