Interdisciplinarity and the effectiveness of international collaborations in ecology: From the GBA to IPBES

Background/Question/Methods:  The paper reviews the role of interdisciplinarity both in international biodiversity science programs, and in international assessments of biodiversity change over the last twenty-five years. Programs considered include DIVERSITAS, the Global Biodiversity Assessment, the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, and the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) established in 2012 to assess the state of biodiversity and the ecosystem services it provides to society. It identifies the advantages and disadvantages involved in taking an interdisciplinary approach to science, assessment, and policy. In particular, it considers the value of interdisciplinarity in generating policy-relevant science at different spatial scales.

Results/Conclusions:  The paper concludes by drawing lessons for interdisciplinarity in future international science and assessment programs.