Ecology and the social sciences

摘要: Summary 1 The urgency and complexity of current environmental problems require ecologists to engage in cross-disciplinary research with social scientists, among others. 2 This study explores what expect from such engagements, through a review editorial statements key ecological journals an empirical survey working scientists. 3 Ecologists were found have different perspectives on collaborating scientists depending upon whether they had instrumental or non-instrumental outlook the role sciences. 4 Ecologists are also pursuing other approaches incorporate human dimensions into their work, including engaging end-users stakeholders research; enlarging scope ecology include subjects/objects focus. 5 Synthesis applications. Ecologists face strategic choices when incorporating human/social work – engagement stakeholders, enlargement as life science, active exchange sciences. The choice depends stance taken place humans nature. Each strategy poses specific challenges for relating respectively to: justification how which engage; avoidance naive borrowings terms methods sciences; training needed interdisciplinary teams.