The MAB Mushroom Study as a teaching case example of interdisciplinary and sustainable forestry research

The MAB Mushroom Study was designed to promote sustainable natural and human communities and to involve multiple stakeholders having widely varying styles and knowledge of forest management. It used an interdisciplinary and collaborative research approach that united biologists, social scientists, land managers, and nonprofit volunteers from academic, federal and state government, and commercial sectors. Because of the cooperative and interdisciplinary nature of the project, study developers were awarded another competitive grant to summarize their work as one of four academic teaching case examples for Oregon State University's Sustainable Forestry Partnership. This second grant produced three products. First, a Narrative, which includes the theoretical basis and definitions of sustainability, how the MAB Mushroom Study operated within a sustainability framework, how stakeholders were chosen and worked in the study, and five key elements of sustainability research. Second, a Teaching Notes packet, which explains how students, resource managers, scientists, and others can use the case study to develop their own interdisciplinary and sustainabilty studies. Third, a set of 64 slides with captions illustrates examples of nontimber product resources in the Pacific Northwest. The case study example can be taught either as a formal university course or a 1-day continuing education workshop.