Suchergebnisse

A group of four NESP Northern Australia Environmental Resources Hub projects operating in the Fitzroy River catchment (Western Australia) used a transdisciplinary (participatory, interdisciplinary and outcomes-focused) approach by having water resource management as a common theme. The projects partly integrated their research processes and outputs and developed strong links with research users. The transdisciplinary project team included researchers from four projects, who integrated their research processes and outputs in pairs: 1.3.3 (Environmental water requirements) and 1.5 (Indigenous water requirements); 1.6 (Multi-objective planning) and 5.4 (Showing and sharing knowledge). Project 6.2 (this research) aimed to support the development of a transdisciplinary research (TDR) approach in the Fitzroy catchment and contribute to the emerging body of knowledge on transdisciplinarity more broadly. We achieved that aim by conducting a formative evaluation (i.e. during project implementation) of the collaboration between the four projects above. This involved: (1) the development of the Theory of Change of this collaboration, (2) a literature review, (3) interviews of research users, and (4) researchers' reflection on the previous steps. The team identified different research impacts occurring because of people's participation in, or access to the outputs of research. Research impacts, on both researchers and research users, included: • learning and increased understanding of scientific information • development of new skills or social learning (i.e. learning from working together with other stakeholders) • empowerment (e.g. meeting and deliberating with peers regarding collective action because of the projects) • enhancing communication with other groups and a better understanding of their perspectives • creating new contacts (e.g. meeting new people) and strengthening existing relationships. Two projects (Environmental water requirements and Indigenous water requirements) have directly contributed to the Fitzroy catchment water allocation plan and to stakeholders' submissions on the draft water plan consultation (i.e. Western Australian Department of Water and Environmental Regulation [DWER] Discussion Paper). The Multi-objective planning and Showing and sharing knowledge projects contributed with less tangible outcomes such as enhancing communication, and strengthening relationships and Indigenous institutions. Researchers identified processes or outputs that contributed positively to knowledge uptake by research users, for example, the use of videos and interactive maps, which can help users such as Traditional Owners to assimilate and use project information. They also identified things that hindered the use of project outcomes, such as confusion between the roles of research and government planning, and the limited capacity of some organisations to use research outputs.

Species distribution models (SDMs) are increasingly proposed to support conservation decision making. However, evidence of SDMs supporting solutions for on‐ground conservation problems is still scarce in the scientific literature. Here, we show that successful examples exist but are still largely hidden in the grey literature, and thus less accessible for analysis and learning. Furthermore, the decision framework within which SDMs are used is rarely made explicit. Using case studies from biological invasions, identification of critical habitats, reserve selection and translocation of endangered species, we propose that SDMs may be tailored to suit a range of decision‐making contexts when used within a structured and transparent decision‐making process. To construct appropriate SDMs to more effectively guide conservation actions, modellers need to better understand the decision process, and decision makers need to provide feedback to modellers regarding the actual use of SDMs to support conservation decisions. This could be facilitated by individuals or institutions playing the role of 'translators' between modellers and decision makers. We encourage species distribution modellers to get involved in real decision‐making processes that will benefit from their technical input; this strategy has the potential to better bridge theory and practice, and contribute to improve both scientific knowledge and conservation outcomes. ; AG's stay in Brisbane, Australia, was supported by the CSIRO McMaster Foundation. The three workshops (held on December 2011, April and May 2012) that led to this publication were organised with financial support and within the framework of the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions (CEED; http://www.ceed.edu.au) led by HPP. AG benefitted from insights from a project on applying SDMs to invasive management in Switzerland granted by the Swiss Federal Office of the Environment (FOEN) and the National Centre for Competence in Research (NCCR) 'Plant Survival' in Neuchâtel. LB benefitted from support from the Catalan Government (CARTOBIO and 2010‐BE‐272 projects) and the EU‐FP7 SCALES (#226852) to attend the workshops.