title: Transdisciplinary synthesis for ecosystem science, policy and management: The Australian experience.
abstract: Mitigating the environmental effects of global population growth, climatic change and increasing socio-ecological complexity is a daunting challenge. To tackle this requires synthesis: the integration of disparate information to generate novel insights from heterogeneous, complex situations where there are diverse perspectives. Since 1995, a structured approach to inter-, multi- and trans-disciplinary(1) collaboration around big science questions has been supported through synthesis centres around the world. These centres are finding an expanding role due to ever-accumulating data and the need for more and better opportunities to develop transdisciplinary and holistic approaches to solve real-world problems. The Australian Centre for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (ACEAS <http://www.aceas.org.au>) has been the pioneering ecosystem science synthesis centre in the Southern Hemisphere. Such centres provide analysis and synthesis opportunities for time-pressed scientists, policy-makers and managers. They provide the scientific and organisational environs for virtual and face-to-face engagement, impetus for integration, data and methodological support, and innovative ways to deliver synthesis products. We detail the contribution, role and value of synthesis using ACEAS to exemplify the capacity for synthesis centres to facilitate trans-organisational, transdisciplinary synthesis. We compare ACEAS to other international synthesis centres, and describe how it facilitated project teams and its objective of linking natural resource science to policy to management. Scientists and managers were brought together to actively collaborate in multi-institutional, cross-sectoral and transdisciplinary research on contemporary ecological problems. The teams analysed, integrated and synthesised existing data to co-develop solution-oriented publications and management recommendations that might otherwise not have been produced. We identify key outcomes of some ACEAS working groups which used synthesis to tackle important ecosystem challenges. We also examine the barriers and enablers to synthesis, so that risks can be minimised and successful outcomes maximised. We argue that synthesis centres have a crucial role in developing, communicating and using synthetic transdisciplinary research.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia. Electronic address: jasmyn.lynch@canberra.edu.au.
authors.forename: A J J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Lynch
authors.affiliation: School of Geography, Planning and Environmental Management, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Qld 4072, Australia.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Thackway
authors.affiliation: School of Geography, Planning and Environmental Management, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Qld 4072, Australia; Australian Centre for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network, Australia.
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authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Specht
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Macquarie University, NSW 2109, Australia.
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Beggs
authors.affiliation: Australian Centre for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network, Australia.
authors.forename: S
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authors.lastname: Brisbane
authors.affiliation: Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia; Long Term Ecological Research Network, Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network, Australia.
authors.forename: E L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Burns
authors.affiliation: Science and Conservation Division, Department of Parks and Wildlife, Locked Bag 104, Bentley Delivery Centre, WA 6983, Australia.
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authors.lastname: Byrne
authors.affiliation: Australian Rivers Institute, Griffith University, Nathan, Qld 4111, Australia.
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authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Capon
authors.affiliation: Centre for Environmental Management, Federation University, Mount Helen, Vic 3350, Australia.
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authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Casanova
authors.affiliation: School of Environment, Griffith University, Nathan, Qld 4111, Australia.
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authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Translational Research Institute, Brisbane, Qld 4102, Australia.
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authors.lastname: Davies
authors.affiliation: Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia.
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authors.lastname: Dovers
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Qld 4072, Australia.
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authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Dwyer
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Macquarie University, NSW 2109, Australia.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ens
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Qld 4072, Australia.
authors.forename: D O
authors.initials: DO
authors.lastname: Fisher
authors.affiliation: Formerly of Department of Environment, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Flanigan
authors.affiliation: CEntre for the Synthesis and Analysis of Biodiversity (CESAB-FRB), 13100 Aix-en-Provence, France; Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive (UMR 5175), CNRS - Université de Montpellier - Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier - EPHE, 34293 Montpellier Cedex 5, France.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Garnier
authors.affiliation: Australian Centre for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network, Australia; Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Qld 4072, Australia.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Guru
authors.affiliation: Department of Water, Perth, WA 6842, Australia.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kilminster
authors.affiliation: Biocultural Consulting Pty Ltd, Brisbane, Qld 4000, Australia.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Locke
authors.affiliation: Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mac Nally
authors.affiliation: School of Natural Sciences, Centre for Marine Ecosystems Research, Edith Cowan University, WA 6027, Australia.
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: McMahon
authors.affiliation: CSIRO Land and Water Flagship, College Rd, Hobart, Tas 7005, Australia.
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Mitchell
authors.affiliation: Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia.
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Pierson
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Qld 4072, Australia.
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Rodgers
authors.affiliation: Darwin Centre for Bushfire Research, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT 0909, Australia.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Russell-Smith
authors.affiliation: Healthy Waterways, PO Box 13086, Brisbane, Qld 4001, Australia.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Udy
authors.affiliation: School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia; State Herbarium of South Australia, Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia.
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authors.lastname: Waycott
mesh_terms: D001315:Australia; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources / Q000379:methods*; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D004463:Ecology; D017753:Ecosystem; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D058735:Environmental Policy; D033183:Interdisciplinary Communication
keywords: Cross-disciplinary; Environmental management; Interdisciplinary; Multidisciplinary; Synthesis centre