TY - JOUR

T1 - Coupled component modelling for inter- and transdisciplinary climate change impact research

T2 - Dimensions of integration and examples of interface design

AU - Strasser, U.

AU - Vilsmaier, U.

AU - Prettenhaler, F.

AU - Marke, T.

AU - Steiger, R.

AU - Damm, A.

AU - Hanzer, F.

AU - Wilcke, R. A I

AU - Stötter, J.

PY - 2014/10

Y1 - 2014/10

N2 - In environmental research the importance of interfaces between the traditional knowledge fields in natural and social sciences is increasingly recognized. In coupled component modelling, the process of developing interface designs can support the communicative, social and cognitive integration between representatives of different knowledge fields. The task of integration is thereby not merely an additive procedure but has to be considered as important part of the research process. In our application, the development of a coupled component model facilitated an integrative assessment of the impact of climate change on snow conditions and skiing tourism in a typical Austrian ski resort. We elaborate the integration on two abstraction levels, a theoretical one and an applied one related to the case study. Other than model output, results presented here relate to the inter- and transdisciplinary development of the coupled component model and its interface design. We show how scientists from various disciplines and representatives from diverse societal fields jointly design interface tools. We identify joint model development - taking into consideration the different dimensions of integration - and recursive modelling as keys for successful inter- and transdisciplinary integration. Such integrative interface science can provide new insights which go beyond the sum of what can be learned from its disciplinary components.

AB - In environmental research the importance of interfaces between the traditional knowledge fields in natural and social sciences is increasingly recognized. In coupled component modelling, the process of developing interface designs can support the communicative, social and cognitive integration between representatives of different knowledge fields. The task of integration is thereby not merely an additive procedure but has to be considered as important part of the research process. In our application, the development of a coupled component model facilitated an integrative assessment of the impact of climate change on snow conditions and skiing tourism in a typical Austrian ski resort. We elaborate the integration on two abstraction levels, a theoretical one and an applied one related to the case study. Other than model output, results presented here relate to the inter- and transdisciplinary development of the coupled component model and its interface design. We show how scientists from various disciplines and representatives from diverse societal fields jointly design interface tools. We identify joint model development - taking into consideration the different dimensions of integration - and recursive modelling as keys for successful inter- and transdisciplinary integration. Such integrative interface science can provide new insights which go beyond the sum of what can be learned from its disciplinary components.

KW - Sustainability Science

KW - Climate change

KW - Recreational facilities

KW - Research Abstraction level

KW - Component modelling

KW - Environmental researches

KW - Integrative assessment

KW - Interface designs

KW - Climate change impact research

KW - Inter- and transdisciplinary modelling

KW - Joint model development

KW - Recursive modelling

KW - Interface design

KW - Communicative/social/cognitive integration

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84903744665&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.envsoft.2014.06.014

DO - 10.1016/j.envsoft.2014.06.014

M3 - Journal articles

AN - SCOPUS:84903744665

VL - 60

SP - 180

EP - 187

JO - Environmental Modelling & Software

JF - Environmental Modelling & Software

SN - 1364-8152

ER -