ABSTRACT
The wildlife profession began with the arms of research and management in full embrace. Through time, the connection between the two has weakened and in some cases started to diverge. Managers may not have the technical training or convenient access to the scientišc literature. They often work in remote locations without large university libraries or even access to online journals. Managers who are familiar with pertinent, recent research with direct management applicability must still consider logistical, political, šscal, and sociological issues that constrain their ability to implement management changes. Researchers may not conduct studies that answer
Abstract .................................................................................................................. 179 Introduction ............................................................................................................ 180 Factors Contributing to a Dichotomous Relationship ............................................ 181
Research Perspective ......................................................................................... 181 Management Perspective ................................................................................... 182
Division of Disconnect........................................................................................... 182 Temporal ........................................................................................................... 183 Technical ........................................................................................................... 183 Spatial ................................................................................................................ 183 Logistic .............................................................................................................. 183
Reconnecting: A Western Deer Example of Cooperative Connections ................. 183 Conclusions ............................................................................................................ 187 References .............................................................................................................. 188
the most pressing needs of managers because funding sources or personal interests play a larger role in developing studies. When management-applicable research is conducted, there still may be barriers to its use and implementation. These barriers fall into four main categories: temporal, technical, spatial, and logistic. Although the disconnect between research and management specialists is common, means exist to enhance the relationships and improve the connection. An example of this is taken from the recent work of the Mule Deer Working Group (MDWG) assembled and sponsored by the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. The MDWG has been very successful in its efforts to compile past and present research and decades of agency management experience to inform decision-makers and thus improve management of mule deer. Disconnects between the research and management disciplines can be repaired, but a conscious effort, starting with an increase in communication, is required. Large-scale efforts to increase collaboration between research and management disciplines can be successful for many conservation challenges, just as they were for mule deer in the West. Improved recognition and understanding of the different worlds in which researchers and managers live is an initial step.
