Ecology and Society - Vol. 12, No. 1 (2007)

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How to Set Up a Research Framework to Analyze Social–Ecological Interactive Processes in a Rural Landscape

Marc Deconchat, UMR1201 Dynamiques Forestières dans l'Espace Rural, INRA, INPT-ENSAT
Annick Gibon, UMR1201 Dynamiques Forestières dans l'Espace Rural, INRA, INPT-ENSAT
Alain Cabanettes, UMR1201 Dynamiques Forestières dans l'Espace Rural, INRA, INPT-ENSAT
Gaétan du Bus de Warnaffe, UMR1201 Dynamiques Forestières dans l'Espace Rural, INRA, INPT-ENSAT
Mark Hewison, UR35 Centre d’Ecologie de la Faune Sauvage, INRA
Eric Garine, UMR7535 Laboratoire d’Ethnologie et de Sociologie Comparative, CNRS
André Gavaland, UMR1201 Dynamiques Forestières dans l'Espace Rural, INRA, INPT-ENSAT
Jean-Paul Lacombe, UMR1201 Dynamiques Forestières dans l'Espace Rural, INRA, INPT-ENSAT
Sylvie Ladet, UMR1201 Dynamiques Forestières dans l'Espace Rural, INRA, INPT-ENSAT
Claude Monteil, UMR1201 Dynamiques Forestières dans l'Espace Rural, INRA, INPT-ENSAT
Annie Ouin, UMR1201 Dynamiques Forestières dans l'Espace Rural, INRA, INPT-ENSAT
Jean-Pierre Sarthou, UMR1201 Dynamiques Forestières dans l'Espace Rural, INRA, INPT-ENSAT
Anne Sourdril, UMR1201 Dynamiques Forestières dans l'Espace Rural, INRA, INPT-ENSAT
Gérard Balent, UMR1201 Dynamiques Forestières dans l'Espace Rural, INRA, INPT-ENSAT

Abstract
Interdisciplinary research frameworks can be useful in providing answers to the environmental challenges facing rural environments, but concrete implementation of them remains empirical and requires better control. We present our practical experience of an interdisciplinary research project dealing with non-industrial private forestry in rural landscapes. The theoretical background, management, and methodological aspects, as well as results of the project, are presented in order to identify practical key factors that may influence its outcomes. Landscape ecology plays a central role in organizing the project. The efforts allocated for communication between scientists from different disciplines must be clearly stated in order to earn reciprocal trust. Sharing the same nested sampling areas, common approaches, and analytical tools (GIS) is important, but has to be balanced by autonomy for actual implementation of field work and data analysis in a modular and evolving framework. Data sets are at the heart of the collaboration and GIS is necessary to ensure their long-term management and sharing. The experience acquired from practical development of such projects should be shared more often in networks of teams to compare their behavior and identify common rules of functioning.

Key words
fragmented forest; interdisciplinary research; landscape ecology

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