Scientists and Stakeholders, Data and Diagnostics: Crossing Boundaries for Modeling the Impacts of Highway Paving in a Tri-national Frontier in the Amazon

The goal of our project was to evaluate how improvements in road connectivity affect ecological resilience as determined by simulation modeling and global sensitivity and uncertainty analysis. We convened a team that spanned multiple types of boundaries, between disciplines, organizations, and countries. Here we feature crossing boundaries between (1) stakeholders and scientists, (2) data personnel and modelers, and (3) modelers and model evaluators. We discuss the challenges we faced and the practices we employed to effectively cross these three types of boundaries and thereby advance our project. This chapter presents a suite of vignettes on the many challenges tied to specific boundaries we crossed, noting whether and how our strategic practices were effective. We conclude with reflections on our experience and lessons learned as they may support future collaborative projects that seek to span divides.

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