TIEing it together

The RISCC Leadership team talks the walk on integrating invasive species research and practice with the introduction of the Translational Invasion Ecology framework.

Morelli, T.L., C.J. Brown-Lima, J.M. Allen, E.M. Beaury, E.J. Fusco, A. Barker-Plotkin, B.B. Laginhas, B. Quirion, B. Griffin, B. McLaughlin, L. Munro, N. Olmstead, J. Richburg, & B.A. Bradley. “Translational Invasion Ecology: Bridging research and practice to address one of the greatest threats to biodiversity,” Biological Invasions (2021)

Summary

Despite substantial investment in both invasive species research and management, the problem continues to grow. Moreover, a lack of communication and partnering between researchers and practitioners reduces the amount and efficacy of actionable science. Drawing on some of our past practice through RISCC, Morelli et al. describe the process of translational invasion ecology (TIE), a framework to increase collaboration among scientists, practitioners, and policy makers to reduce the negative impacts of invasive species. TIE is “an approach that embodies an intentional and inclusive process in which researchers, stakeholders, and decision makers collaborate to develop and implement ecological research via joint consideration of the ecological, sociological, economic, and/or political contexts in order to improve invasive species management.”

Take home points

  • As climate change and globalization exacerbate invasive species impacts, TIE provides a promising approach to generate actionable ecological research while improving outcomes of invasive species management and policy decisions.

  • TIE often requires some form of boundary spanning organization, or a group whose mission includes connecting and coordinating research and management.

  • TIE ideally results in improved outcomes as well as shared benefits between researchers and managers.

Management implications

  • Ideas to implement Translational Invasion Ecology (TIE) within your organization:

    • Establish boundary-spanning positions, work with existing boundary-spanning organizations, and/or incentivize time invested in boundary-spanning activities.

    • Connect to scientists at local/regional research institutions or universities, where students are often in need of research projects.

    • Share concrete examples of the TIE process to encourage more collaboration.

    • Measure and report outcomes, especially improved management outcomes.

Keywords

Management Efficacy; Northeast; Transitional ecology