Wilfrid Laurier University Scholars Commons @ Laurier Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive) 2019 MAPLE SYRUP AND CLIMATE CHANGE IN ONTARIO: ASSESSING TRANSDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH ACROSS MULTIPLE, RELATED PROJECTS Kendra Serbinski [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://scholars.wlu.ca/etd Part of the Environmental Studies Commons Recommended Citation Serbinski, Kendra, "MAPLE SYRUP AND CLIMATE CHANGE IN ONTARIO: ASSESSING TRANSDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH ACROSS MULTIPLE, RELATED PROJECTS" (2019). Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive). 2228. https://scholars.wlu.ca/etd/2228 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive) by an authorized administrator of Scholars Commons @ Laurier. For more information, please contact [email protected]. MAPLE SYRUP AND CLIMATE CHANGE IN ONTARIO: ASSESSING TRANSDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH ACROSS MULTIPLE, RELATED PROJECTS By Kendra Serbinski A Major Research Paper In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for Master of Environmental Studies Department of Geography and Environmental Studies Wilfrid Laurier University © Kendra Serbinski 2019 Abstract MAPLE SYRUP AND CLIMATE CHANGE IN ONTARIO: ASSESSING TRANSDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH ACROSS MULTIPLE, RELATED PROJECTS Kendra Serbinski Advisor: Dr. Brenda Murphy Wilfrid Laurier University, 2019 The aim of this research was to critically evaluate the transdisciplinary process being utilized on the SSHRC and related research projects being led by Dr. Brenda Murphy. The approach was two-fold: first, a document analysis was performed using secondary data, and second, a questionnaire was conducted based on six themes that emerged from the literature. These themes were: Degree of Collaboration, The Value of Working Together over Time, Mutual Learning, Integration of Team Members, Complexity of the Problem Being Investigated and Bridging the Research-Societal Gap. Based on findings in the literature and responses to the questionnaire the themes were assessed as strengths or challenges. The strengths that emerged were: Degree of Collaboration, Complexity of the Problem Being Investigated and Bridging the Research- Societal Gap. The remaining themes (The Value of Working Together over Time, Mutual Learning and Integration of Team Members) had traits indicative of challenges to the research. Understanding the successes, challenges and solutions to challenges in transdisciplinary research is crucial to advancing this methodology in the academic realm. By including a wide variety of knowledges and perspectives transdisciplinary research is ideal for tackling the increasing number of complex problems, including climate change. i Acknowledgements First and foremost, I would like to sincerely thank my advisors, Dr. Brenda Murphy, Dr. Scott Slocombe and Bryce Gunson for their guidance, patience and technical support throughout the MES process. They helped to shape and mould this MRP while encouraging me to find a “grey area” in my research and results. I am grateful for the support of my boyfriend, Ashby Kissoondoyal for his continuous encouragement, editing and technical finesse, and my mom, Kym Redford for always answering the phone at work when I needed her help. Finally I would like to thank all the members of Dr. Murphy’s projects who agreed to be part of the research process, for finding time to participate in interviews and offering insightful comments to guide my research. ii Table of Contents 1.0 Problem Statement ............................................................................................................... 1 2.0 Literature Review...................................................................................................................... 3 2.1 Overview of Transdisciplinarity ........................................................................................................... 3 2.1.1 Multidisciplinarity vs Transdisciplinarity vs Interdisciplinarity .................................................... 4 2.1.2 Transdisciplinary Processes and Outcomes ................................................................................. 6 2.1.3 Transdisciplinarity Challenges ...................................................................................................... 9 2.1.4 Modified Transdisciplinary Wheel ............................................................................................. 11 2.2 The Maple Syrup Industry ................................................................................................................. 12 2.3 Key Stakeholders ............................................................................................................................... 15 2.4 Overview of Maple Syrup Studies ..................................................................................................... 19 3.0 Methodology ........................................................................................................................... 23 3.1 Potential Bias and Conflict of Interest .............................................................................................. 23 3.2 Document Analysis ............................................................................................................................ 24 3.3 Structured Interviews ....................................................................................................................... 26 4.0 Results ..................................................................................................................................... 29 4.1 Document Analysis Results ............................................................................................................... 29 4.2 Interview Results ............................................................................................................................... 33 4.2.1 Theme 1: Degree of Collaboration ............................................................................................. 34 4.2.2 Theme 2: The Value of Working Together over Time ................................................................ 35 4.2.3 Theme 3: Mutual Learning ......................................................................................................... 37 4.2.4 Theme 4: Integration of Team Members ................................................................................... 38 4.2.5 Theme 5: Complexity of the Problem Being Investigated ......................................................... 40 4.2.6 Theme 6: Bridging the Research-Societal Gap ........................................................................... 42 4.3 Chapter Summary ............................................................................................................................. 44 5.0 Discussion ............................................................................................................................... 46 5.1 Transdisciplinary Strengths ............................................................................................................... 46 5.1.1 Degree of Collaboration ............................................................................................................. 46 5.1.2 Complexity of the problem being investigated .......................................................................... 47 5.1.3 Bridging the gap ......................................................................................................................... 48 5.2 Transdisciplinary Challenges ............................................................................................................. 49 5.2.1 Value of working together over time ......................................................................................... 49 iii 5.2.2 Mutual learning .......................................................................................................................... 50 5.2.3 Integration of team members .................................................................................................... 51 5.3 Reflecting on the TD Wheel .............................................................................................................. 52 6.0 Conclusion and Next Steps ..................................................................................................... 54 7.0 References ............................................................................................................................... 57 Appendices .................................................................................................................................... 61 Appendix 1: Summary of Personnel Involved in Projects ....................................................................... 61 Appendix 2: Documents Analyzed .......................................................................................................... 63 Appendix 3: Study Questionnaire ........................................................................................................... 65 Figures Figure 1 - The Transdisciplinary Wheel in motion (Carew & Wickson, 2010). ............................ 7 Figure 2 - Modified transdisciplinary wheel (adapted from Carew & Wickson, 2010). .............. 11 Figure 3 - Sugar maple (acer saccharum) range in North America (Murphy et al., 2012). ......... 13 Figure 4 - Ontario maple syrup regions (Ontario Maple Syrup Producers’ Association, 2015). 16 Figure