When Good Fences Make Bad Neighbors: Overcoming Disciplinary Barriers to Improve Natural Resource Management

The traditional disciplines of natural resource management are rooted in university departments, each with their own traditions, theories, approaches, and professional journals. While individual fields have contributed a great deal to our body of knowledge, the time has come to tear down the walls among them. Here we examine some of the characteristics of successful interdisciplinary research highlighted by the professional legacy of our late colleague, Mark Plummer. Through this lens, we hope to provide practical guidance for researchers conducting meaningful research integrating social and natural sciences in support of natural resource management.