There is often a disconnection or gap between scientific knowledge and the implementation of actions aimed at addressing related problems. This gap is especially evident in fields with complex interactions between a multitude of factors and actors, such as sustainability challenges, biodiversity conservation, environmental management and addressing climate change (Moser and Dilling, 2011; Lang et al., 2012; O’Brien, 2013; Cook et al., 2013; Swilling, 2014; Cockburn et al., 2016). Transdisciplinary approaches are increasingly being proposed and attempted to bridge the gap(s) between science and action (Reyers et al., 2010; Cook et al., 2013; Lawrence, 2015). Transdisciplinarity not only bridges and integrates across disciplines and professions, but through this approach science becomes a more inclusive social process of resolving problems through the participation and mutual learning of stakeholders in the government, business and civil society sectors. Making science, or the structured pursuit of improved knowledge, more inclusive is important because the knowledge sought (and the resources invested in it) is more reflective of priorities widely-held in society and the products of research are more widely understood and thereby more readily able to be acted upon.
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