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The Knowledge Network: Identifying Actors and Structural Dimensions of Knowledge Transfer

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Closing the Knowledge-Implementation Gap in Conservation Science

Part of the book series: Wildlife Research Monographs ((WIREMO,volume 4))

Abstract

Networks have a key role to play in bridging the knowledge-implementation gap in conservation science. Although scholars have contributed to the theoretical and conceptual framings of the links between knowledge and governance strategies, our empirical understanding remains limited, and little is known on the attributes that lead to effective knowledge transfer across spatiotemporal scales and/or different stakeholders. This chapter advances the conversation on knowledge networks in conservation science by examining the role of scale and highlighting the role of bridging organizations in navigating scale, knowledge, and network boundaries. These themes are explored through three empirical case studies—invasive species management, grizzly bear conservation, and climate adaptation—conducted in the Crown of the Continent region in North America. The case studies provide some insight into the barriers, opportunities, and strategies for transferring conservation knowledge across spatiotemporal scales and stakeholders. The challenges and opportunities highlighted in this chapter—knowledge, scale, knowledge networks, and bridging organizations—are not unique to this particular region and the conclusion connects these issues to case studies from other parts of the world.

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Acknowledgement

This research was supported by a grant from USDA Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station and the Center for Collaborative Conservation at Colorado State University.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The LBJ School of Public Affairs, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA

    R. Patrick Bixler

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  1. R. Patrick Bixler
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Correspondence to R. Patrick Bixler .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Conservation Biology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Leipzig, Germany

    Catarina C. Ferreira

  2. Division of Environment and Natural Resources, Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research (NIBIO), Svanvik, Norway

    Cornelya F. C. Klütsch

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Bixler, R.P. (2021). The Knowledge Network: Identifying Actors and Structural Dimensions of Knowledge Transfer. In: Ferreira, C.C., Klütsch, C.F.C. (eds) Closing the Knowledge-Implementation Gap in Conservation Science. Wildlife Research Monographs, vol 4. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-81085-6_6

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