Embracing the wisdom in everyday practice can help ecologists produce usable knowledge.
Abstract
To do a good job of resolving some dilemmas, ecologists have to draw on a range of additional skills. These include building tangible experience of the situation they are working in - through active 'tinkering' with the landscape, improvisation and conversation with colleagues - to make educated practical judgments. Practicing ecologists are well aware of the importance of these skills, yet conventional views of science make explicit recognition of them irrelevant or embarrassing. However, they are essential, inescapable and immensely valuable aspects of producing usable scientific knowledge. In this paper, these ideas are developed by introducing a 'practice perspective' on adaptive management. A group of ecologists tasked with monitoring in an Australian national park were followed and described what they say and do. The study is important for ecologists because it highlights underappreciated competencies in producing usable knowledge, and provides ideas to improve science-policy relationships: close interaction, critical reflection and realistic expectations.