IGU International Geographical Union
UGI Union Géographique Internationale
Commission on Biogeography and Biodiversity C04.03
Chairman: Prof. Dr. Udo Schickhoff, Institute of Geography, University of Hamburg,
Bundesstr. 55, D-20146 Hamburg, Germany, ph.: +49 40 42838 4911, Fax: +49 40 42838
4981, E-mail: schickhoff@geowiss.uni-hamburg.de, Internet: http:// www.geowiss.unihamburg.de/i-geogr/
NEWSLETTER
1/2009
Contents:
1. Message from the Chair
2. Recent Activities of the Commission
3. Main Event Forthcoming: The IGU Regional Conference, Summer 2010, Tel-Aviv,
Israel
4. Upcoming Biogeography and Biodiversity Related Meetings 2010
5. Reports on Past Meetings and Events
6. Organizations
7. Research Projects
8. Current Publications
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Message from the Chair
Dear Colleagues,
Welcome to the most recent newsletter of the Commission on Biogeography and Biodiversity. The
focus of this edition is on recent activities of the Commission. Moreover, you will find an invitation to
the IGU Regional Conference in Tel-Aviv/Israel 2010 and detailed information on upcoming as well
as on past meetings and events. In 2009, the Commission held another annual meeting in India,
appreciating the remarkable upsurge of biogeography as a sub-discipline in that country. The
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‘International Conference on Land Use Change, Biodiversity and Sustainable Resource Management’
was organized and hosted by the Department of Geography, C.M. Dubey P.G. College, Bilaspur,
Chattisgarh, India, and jointly co-organized by the IGU Commission on Land Use and Land Cover
Change, the IGU Commission on Biogeography and Biodiversity, the Environmental Monitoring
Society, and the World Association of Soil and Water Conservation.
I express my sincere gratitude to Dr. R.B. Singh, Secretary General of the National Association of
Geographers, India, and Vice-Chairman of our Commission for supporting the Commission’s work to
promote biogeographical teaching, research and scholarship, and for co-organizing the 2009
Conference which was at the same time the Commission’s annual meeting. I also thank the Chief
Patron of the Conference, Prof. L. Chaturvedi, the Patron, Shri Sanjay Dubey, the Principal, Prof. S.N.
Agrawal, the Convener, Dr. V.K. Tiwari, and the Organizing Secretary, Dr. U.N. Pandey for the
possibility to realize this Conference and for their active cooperation.
We will continue to hold joint meetings with biogeography groups in different countries in order to
promote biogeography as an important sub-discipline. We especially support academic initiatives to
mobilize biogeographers in developing countries, and I am grateful for offers and initiatives regarding
upcoming meetings and events. The next joint meeting will be organized at the IGU Regional
Conference in Tel-Aviv/Israel.
If you are not yet member of our Commission, please contact me by sending an e-mail so that I can
include you into the list of members. Everyone is cordially invited to participate in the activities and
meetings of the Commission!
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Recent Activities of the Commission
2008 was a busy year for the Commission. The major event in 2008 was the 31st International
Geographical Congress in Tunis, August 12-15, where the Commission held sessions and a business
meeting. The Commission members accepted with pleasure the IGU Executive’s approval of the
request to extend the life of our Commission by another four years, retaining our current Commission
title and number (C04.03).
The business meeting of the Commission was held during the Tunis Congress. Major points on the
agenda included reports on recent activities, the discussion of objectives for the 2008-2012 term
(meetings, publications, newsletters, website), and the nomination of steering committee members for
the next period.
The steering committee members 2008-2012 are:
Prof. Dr. Udo Schickhoff, University of Hamburg, Germany (Chair)
Dr. R.B. Singh, University of Delhi, India (Vice Chair)
Dr. Albert Aweto, University of Ibadan, Nigeria
Dr. Hugo Bekle, Edith Cowan University, Perth, Australia
Dr. Mark Blumler, SUNY Binghamton, USA
Prof. Dr. Alvaro Gonzalez, Universidad de la Republica, Montevideo, Uruguay
Dr. Jennifer Hill, University of West England, Bristol, UK
Prof. Dr. Andrew Millington, Texas A&M University, College Station, USA
Prof. Dr. David Taylor, University of Dublin, Ireland
Dr. Alexander Wearing, University of Otago, New Zealand
Dr. Alejandro Velázquez, UNAM, Mexico
At the Tunis Congress, the Commission conducted several sessions with numerous papers on varied
aspects of biogeography and biodiversity. The papers had been arranged under the following session
titles:
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Session 1: Climate change and vegetation patterns in space and time (a joint International Year of
Planet Earth (IYPE) and Commission on Biogeography and Biodiversity session with speakers from
India, China, and the Ukraine)
Session 2: Sustainable management and conservation of communities and ecosystems (speakers from
Poland, Romania, and Tunisia)
Session 3: Vegetation-environment relationships in Africa (speakers from Japan and Tunisia)
Session 4: Biogeographical studies in Russia and Far East (speakers from Russia and North Korea)
Another major event in 2008 was the International Conference “Land-Use, Biodiversity and Climate
Change” in Marthandam, Tamil Nadu, India, October 6-7, which was organized by the Departments of
Tourism, Physics and Botany, Nesamony Memorial Christian College, Marthandam, Tamil Nadu,
India. Co-organized by the Commission on Biogeography and Biodiversity as a contribution to the
International Year of Planet Earth (IYPE), the theme of the Conference ‘Geoinformatics for
Monitoring and Modelling’ focused on raising awareness of the possibilities and constraints of using
modern technology such as remote sensing, geodata analysis and modelling, GIS, GPS, etc. with
respect to monitoring and conserving biodiversity. The Commission is very grateful to Dr. R.B. Singh,
Secretary General of the National Association of Geographers, India, and Vice-Chairman of the
Commission for the tasks he undertook co-organizing this conference. The Commission also expresses
sincere thanks to the local organizing committee including the Chief Patron Dr. R.T. Sabhapaty
Mohan, the Patron Rt. Rev. G. Devakadasham, the Chairman Dr. R. Paul Raj, the Co-Chairman Dr. N.
Gnanadhas, the Organizing Secretary Dr. S.D.D. Roy, the Convener Prof. H.G. Deva Kumar Samuel,
and the Co-Conveners Prof. V. Dhanabal Singh and Dr. K. Paul Raj.
Meanwhile, accepted papers presented during the conference had been classified thematically into
various sections and published in a two-volume set. The volumes contain numerous papers grouped
into the following sections: Geoinformatics for monitoring and modelling land-use and land cover
change, Geoinformatics for monitoring watershed and river basin, Geoinformatics for monitoring
urban environment, Geoinformatics for monitoring biodiversity, Geoinformatics for monitoring
climate change, Land-use and land cover change, Biodiversity, Tourism development, Interactive
areas. The bibliographic reference is as follows:
Singh, R.B., Roy, S.D.D., Deva Kumar Samuel, H.G., Dhanabal Singh, V. & G.D. Biji (eds.)(2009):
Geoinformatics for Monitoring and Modelling Land-Use, Biodiversity and Climate Change.
Contribution Towards International Year of Planet Earth. 2 Vols., NMC College,
Marthandam, Tamil Nadu, India.
The Commission’s annual meeting 2009 was held in Bilaspur, Chattisgarh, India, October 7-9. The
International Conference on Land Use Change, Biodiversity and Sustainable Resource Management
was organized and hosted by the Department of Geography, C.M. Dubey P.G. College, Bilaspur, and
jointly co-organized by the IGU Commission on Land Use and Land Cover Change, the IGU
Commission on Biogeography and Biodiversity, the Environmental Monitoring Society, and the
World Association of Soil and Water Conservation. Once again I am very grateful to Dr. R.B. Singh,
Secretary General of the National Association of Geographers, India, and Vice-Chairman of our
Commission as well as to the local organizing team for the commitment to making this conference
successful and a memorable one.
The conference aimed at addressing the issue of land use change and biodiversity of the world in
general and India in particular. It is imperative to have a common platform where scientists and
subject experts of all disciplines come together and discuss various issues related to land use change,
biodiversity, and impacts of climate change. To provide such a common forum, the Department of
Geography of the C.M. Dubey College in Bilaspur decided to organize and host this international
conference. The focus was on global change due to land use change, biodiversity and sustainable
resource management with special reference to Central India, complemented by studies of human
responses to various ecological, biological and physical changes. It further focused on all aspects of
sustainability of natural resource use.
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Fig. 1: Prof. Ali Mohammad (Aligarh; to the left) and Dr. R.B. Singh (Delhi; to the right)
inaugurating the International Conference on Land Use Change, Biodiversity and
Sustainable Resource Management in Bilaspur, Chattisgarh, India
The following sub-themes were addressed by c. 170 papers during the conference:
 Geoinformatics in biogeography and land use science
 Land use and cropping patterns
 Land degradation
 Water resources
 Forest resources
 Population and demographic resources
 Climate change
 Mineral resources
 Agricultural resources
 Biodiversity
 Sustainable management of natural resources
The Conference aimed in particular at
 Disseminating information on land use change, biodiversity and sustainable resource
management
 Environmental protection
 Livelihood system enhancement (land and water management, production system
management)
 Programme management and implementation
 Reaching out to develop collaboration through strengthening network groups
 Facilitating the exchange of information across disciplines and among individuals, groups and
institutions
 Highlighting the positive contribution of land use change, biodiversity and sustainable
resource management, research policy and practice
 Raising environmental awareness and responsibility, and empowering the human community
in order to strengthen the capability of planning, implementing and managing their own
development and negotiating with relevant authorities to harness the necessary resource
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Some 200 participants (scientists, geographers, botanists, hydrologists, community people,
practitioners, technicians, academicians, NGO’s, researchers and other academic institutions attended
this grand international conference. The conference was a unique platform for national and
international experts on the above subjects. The programme included oral presentations, talks and
discussions followed by deliberations for recommendations.
A book publication containing accepted papers is forthcoming.
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Main Event Forthcoming: The IGU Regional
Conference, Summer 2010, Tel-Aviv, Israel
The website for online-application is now open for the IGU Regional Conference Tel-Aviv 2010. If
you intend to participate, please send the following form to the organizing committee. You will find
all information available at the moment on the official website:
http://www.igu2010.com
Please see below the formal invitation by the national organizers:
Dear Colleagues
We take great pleasure in inviting you to the IGU Regional Conference 2010, hosted by the Israeli
National Commission for Geography. The conference will take place in Tel Aviv, July 12 – 16, 2010.
The central theme of the conference is Bridging Diversity in a Globalizing World.
Several keynote speakers will be invited for the plenary sessions. Commissions are encouraged to
integrate their meetings within the conference.
Our region provides visitors with an opportunity to explore the dynamism of a growing Mediterranean
economy trying to accommodate both lifestyle-driven development and ecological challenges in
diversified environments, including arid regions.
Numerous exciting field trips will be arranged before and after the conference to enable you to explore
the unique diversity that is Israel.
We look forward to welcoming you to Tel Aviv, the “city that never sleeps”!
Best wishes
The Steering Committee
The Israeli National Commission for Geography is delighted to invite you to attend the IGU Regional
Conference, Summer 2010, Tel-Aviv, Israel.
The region provides visitors with an opportunity to explore the dynamism of a growing Mediterranean
economy, trying to accommodate both lifestyle-driven development and ecological challenges in an
arid region. An engagement with the region combines a first-hand encounter of the factors driving
wider economic, political and social change coupled with the role played by local actors or
institutions. Israel presents you with a most diversified geographical experience:
● Varied Mediterranean coasts, shaped by sand and rocks, as well as the beautiful Red Sea, Dead Sea
and Lake of Galilee coastlines.
● Natural landscapes ranging from high, snowy and rocky mountains in the North to deserts in the
south.
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● A stimulating contemporary and critical political geography.
● Sacred and historical monuments and holy sites.
● A wide mix of cultural, ethnic, and gendered landscapes.
● A unique rural environment well-known for its social innovation.
● Leading high-tech parks blended into globalizing cities.
● Diversity of planned and unplanned towns and cities.
Numerous exciting field trips before, during and after the conference will permit exposure to these
unique diversity that is Israel.
Activities of the Commission during the Regional Conference / Call for papers
At the Tel-Aviv Regional Conference, the Commission intends to organize sessions on biogeography
and biodiversity-related issues. All participants of the conference are invited to contribute to these
sessions. A call for papers will soon be launched at the Conference website. Deadline for submitting
abstracts is February 1, 2010. Please follow the abstract submission details provided at the Conference
website (http://www.igu2010.com).
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Upcoming Biogeography and Biodiversity Related
Meetings 2010
1.
Delivering Biodiversity Targets : 2010 and Beyond / Protected Areas and
Ecological Networks in Europe
25 - 27 January 2010
Madrid, Spain
2.
UNESCO IYB Biodiversity Science-Policy Conference. Session on Conservation
Biogeography in association with the IBS
25-29 January 2010
Paris, France
The IYB Implementation Strategy refers to UNESCO as a central partner for IYB. As an
agency that can integrate biodiversity considerations into scientific research, education and
culture, UNESCO is recognized as an agency that can provide access to a broad variety of
actors involved in IYB.
Following the launch of the exhibition, UNESCO will also hold a scientific conference from
25 to 29 January 2010. This conference will focus on a number of topics which were
identified by the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the CBD as requiring further scientific
work. The Conference will be closely coordinated with the conference of the Inter-Academy
Panel scheduled to take place from 10 to 12 January 2010 in London as well as with the
Trondheim Biodiversity Conference in February 2010.
More information: http://www.unesco.org/en/biodiversity
6th Trondheim Conference on Biodiversity: Getting the biodiversity targets right
- working for sustainable development
1 - 5 February 2010
Trondheim, Norway
The five Trondheim Conferences on Biodiversity held since 1993 have provided an
opportunity for policy makers, managers and scientists to provide a constructive, transparent
and scientifically sound basis for key issues being discussed under the Convention on
biological diversity (CBD).
3.
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The sixth Trondheim Conference on Biodiversity will consider status and lessons learned
from the 2010 target and provide CBD with a sound basis for developing post 2010
biodiversity targets. New targets will be set under CBD and the United Nations in the second
half of 2010.
As we now draw nearer to 2010, we realize that the challenges ahead are severe. We must
continue to strengthen our efforts for the biodiversity, because human welfare relies on
securing biodiversity and healthy ecosystems. In 2010 countries will shape and agree on new
political and international objectives for biodiversity. The sixth Trondheim Conference on
Biodiversity will provide scientific inputs to discussions under the CBD on setting such new
post-2010 targets for biodiversity.
The conference is hosted by the Norwegian Ministry of the Environment in collaboration with
the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and the Secretariat of the Convention on
Biological Diversity (SCBD). It should be noted that participation at the conference will be
by invitation only, and that participation will be limited to a maximum of 300 participants.
Information on earlier conferences and on the 2010 conference, as well as the tentative
program for 2010 will be made available through the Conference home page.
More information: www.trondheimconference.org
4.
SAFARI Symposium: Remote Sensing and Fisheries
15 - 17 February 2010
Kochi, India
The SAFARI Project (Societal Applications in Fisheries and Aquaculture using Remotelysensed Imagery) was launched in November 2007 after receiving funding from the Canadian
Space Agency (CSA). SAFARI falls under GEO's task AG-06-02, which calls for
consultation at the international level to identify opportunities for enhanced utilization of
Earth observation data in fisheries and aquaculture.
The SAFARI Initiative is organising a symposium that will highlight case studies using Earth
observation data with contributions from key fisheries systems around the world.
SAFARI aims to accelerate the assimilation of satellite Earth observation data into fisheries
research and management on a global scale. This initiative, funded by the Canadian Space
Agency, falls under the Group of Earth Observation (GEO) Task AG-06-02, which calls for
consultation at the international level to identify opportunities for enhanced utilization of
Earth observation data in fisheries and aquaculture.
More information: http://www.geosafari.org/kochi
17th Session of the African Forestry and Wildlife Commission and 1st African
Forestry and Wildlife Week
22 - 26 February 2010
Brazzaville, Republic of Congo
Created in 1959, the African Forestry Wildlife Commission (AFWC) is one of six Regional
Forestry Commissions established by FAO to provide a policy and technical forum for
countries to discuss and address forest issues on a regional basis. It meets every two years.
This meeting will address: forestry and wildlife in support of sustainable livelihood systems in
Africa, sustainable management and benefits, climate change, forests and wildlife in Africa,
and other regional issues.
For the first time ever, the African Forestry and Wildlife Commission will observe an African
Forestry and Wildlife Week (AFWW), simultaneously with its meeting. The purpose of the
AFWW is to draw the attention of policy makers to the contribution of forests and wildlife to
the national economy and the improvement of the livelihoods of the populations and therefore
the need to accurately reflect this in the national accounts.
More information: http://www.fao.org/forestry/afwc/en/
5.
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6.
9th Meeting on Vegetation Databases
24 - 26 February 2010
Hamburg, Germany
The German Working Group on Vegetation Databases is dedicated to the promotion of plot
databanks, in order to facilitate application of botanical data, to open up new paths of analysis
and to encourage exchange among scientists and practitioners. As a Section of the Network
for Phytodiversity (NetPhyD), we coordinate activities concerning the stimulation,
compilation, dissemination and utilisation of vegetation data in Germany and surrounding
countries. Since 2002 the Working Group has organized eight annual meetings (click here to
find abstracts).
The forthcoming 9th meeting in Hamburg will be focussed on vegetation databases and
climate change. Vegetation databanks are an indispensable tool in climate change research
that deserves more attention by scientists and decision makers. Their vast legacy of historical
and recent co-ocurrence data allow to study vegetation responses to climate at various scales
and levels of complexity.
We particularly invite contributions based on vegetation databanks and related archives on the
following topics:

detection of climate-induced changes in community composition and functional traits

modelling of species niches

modelling of current and future distributions of species and vegetation types

separating long-term trends in vegetation composition from methodological artifacts
caused by subjective sampling, unequal plot sizes, incomplete relevés etc.

disentangling effects of climate change, land use change, eutrophication, and biotic
invasions

forecasting landscape change

estimating vulnerability of species and vegetation types

dealing with scenarios, uncertainty, and risk
Both case studies and methodological contributions are welcome. While databases and
climate changes are the major topic of the meeting, as always, we also invite the submission
of contributions associated with the general aims of the Working Group, such as the
presentation of new methods, new software tools, or new databases. In particular, we invite all
persons who host a vegetation database to present its scope and content on a poster. We intend
to publish a comprehensive overview of vegetation databases worldwide in the conference
volume.
More information: http://www.botanik.uni-greifswald.de/workshop2010.html?&L=1
7.
IR3S Symposium to Commemorate the International Year of Biodiversity
27 February 2010
Tokyo, Japan
Organized by the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity.
More information. http://www.cbd.int/doc/?meeting=003418
8.
Tackling the Emerging Crisis of Invasion Biology - How can ecological theory,
experiments, and field studies be combined to achieve major progress?
8 - 10 March 2010
Benediktbeuren (near Munich), Germany
Invasion biology is still a young ecological subdiscipline, but it already starts to show signs of
age and its development is losing pace. Until recently, new concepts on invasive species were
proposed on a monthly basis, and there was great excitement about finding new patterns and
explaining them. More and more data have become available on invasive species which,
however, often question existing concepts. For example, the results of small-scale
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experimental studies are sometimes in conflict with the results of largescale observational
field studies, as is the case for the biotic resistance hypothesis. Some researchers also argue
that many concepts cannot be tested at all, as for example data on the number of introduced
species are typically unreliable. Broad concepts additionally have difficulties to capture
differences among individual invasion events. As a consequence, the list of well-supported
concepts on invasive species is awfully short. Invasion biology has entered its next stage, a
stage that might be termed “crisis”.
Part A: Is there an emerging crisis of invasion biology?
We invite contributions (talks or posters) that identify concepts of invasion biology and show
how well they are supported by theoretical or empirical evidence. Your contribution can be
purely theoretical or based on modeling, a metaanalysis, a review, experiments, or field
studies within any taxonomic group. Contributions setting the problems of invasion biology
into a philosophical context are also highly welcome.
Part B: How can we achieve major progress?
We appreciate contributions here that suggest solutions to invasion biology’s problems. For
example, you may (a) suggest how existing untestable concepts have to be modified to
become testable, (b) identify necessary methods and data to validate testable concepts, or (c)
present your ideas on how to develop novel concepts with broader but well defined extent and
scope.
The workshop is presented by the specialist group „Theory in Ecology“ of the Ecological
Society of Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
Deadline for registration: 07.01.2010
Max. number of participants: 35.
More information: http://www.gfoe.org/gfoe-arbeitskreise/theorie-in-deroekologie/veranstaltungenalt.html
15th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to CITES - Convention on
International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (COP 15
CITES)
13 - 25 March 2010
Doha, Qatar
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
(CITES) is an international agreement between governments. Its aim is to ensure that the
international trade in animals and plants does not threaten their survival. The Conference of
Parties to the Convention (CoP) is the decision-making body and meets every two to three
years.
All documents to be discussed at this meeting, including proposals to amend the Appendices,
draft resolutions, decisions and agenda items are posted on the CITES web site.
More information: http://www.cites.org/eng/disc/CoP.shtml
9.
10.
Multitrophic Interactions
25 - 26 March 2010
Goettingen, Germany
By invitation of Teja Tscharntke, Stefan Scheu and Stefan Vidal this traditionally biannual
workshop again takes place at Goettingen University, Germany. We would like to invite all
ecologists interested in multitrophic interactions to attend a compact workshop aimed at
sharing their expertise and knowledge on vertical and horizontal, direct and indirect, or
chemical and physical interactions between organisms from different trophic levels and phyla.
Our intention is to bring together different groups working belowground, aboveground, on
vertebrates and invertebrates, microorganisms and macroorganims, plants and fungi and other
taxa interacting in ecosystems.
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Please send your registration (e-mail) with the title of your lecture (15 min) or poster as soon
as possible, at the latest 31 January 2010 to Stefan Vidal (svidal@gwdg.de). Further
information with regard to the workshop (i.e. program, location, avenue, hotel reservation
etc.) will be circulated by beginning of February.
More information:
http://www.gfoe.org/fileadmin/website/downloads/externe_veranstaltungen_2009/workshop2010.pdf
11.
Pre-COP 10 event on Biodiversity 2010 targets
25 - 26 March 2010
Aichi-Nagoya, Japan
See information for the “5th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties Serving as the Meeting
of the Parties to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (COP-MOP 5) and 10th Conference of
the Parties (COP-10)”
More information: http://cop10.jp/aichi-nagoya/english/cop/cop.html
12.
2010 US-IALE Twenty-fifth Anniversary Symposium: Is What Humans Do
Natural?
5 - 9 April 2010
Athens, Georgia
Participants engaged in diversified disciplines and fields of study are welcome to join us in
Athens, Georgia next spring to address societal problems in a transdisciplinary format. The
first annual symposium of United States Regional Association of the International Association
for Landscape Ecology (US IALE) was held at the University of Georgia in January 1986.
The 2010 US IALE symposium will provide a time for reflection on the history of landscape
ecology, and perhaps paramount, a place for strategizing problem-solving methodologies
relevant to our futures.
In celebration of the twenty-fifth anniversary of the United States Regional Association for
the International Association for Landscape Ecology, we propose two questions to
contemplate: What is the actualized contribution of Landscape Ecology when considered as a
body-of-work; and What is the actualized contribution of your body-of-work regarding
Landscape Ecology? For those not prone to retrospection, we offer a question, as the theme of
the twenty-fifth year celebration, Is What Humans Do Natural?
Proposals of scholarly work that (a) represent collaboration in unique pairings of disciplines
that address questions in landscape ecology; and/or (b) demonstrate an inventive approach to
technology such as GIS, that is relevant to landscape ecology, will be encouraged for 2010
symposia. Presentations may be articulated as prototype or model as well as the traditional
poster or oral presentation. Approximately four hundred and fifty registrants are expected
including IALE participants traveling from several countries.
More information: http://www.usiale.org/athens2010/index.php?id=index
13.
106th Annual Association of American Geographers Meeting
14 - 18 April 2010
Washington, DC
In addition to many scholarly presentations, the 2010 Meeting will feature opportunities for
interactions with government agencies and will include keynote speakers from nonprofit
groups and other influential nongovernmental organizations located in the nation’s capital.
The District of Columbia is home to 174 foreign embassies, many high profile NGOs, and
numerous universities.
More information: http://www.aag.org/annualmeetings/
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The 53rd International Symposium of the Association for Vegetation Science
"Changing Gradients in Vegetation and the Environment"
18 - 23 April 2010
Ensenada, Mexico
The main goals of the IAVS are to facilitate personal contacts among vegetation scientists all
over the world and to promote research in all aspects of vegetation science and its
applications. Toward these ends we hold meetings and excursions, sponsor publications, and
provide mechanisms for vegetation scientists to communicate with each other and the world at
large.
The main theme of the symposium is “Changing Gradients in Vegetation and the
Environment”. Contributions on a subject related to these topics are welcome. Major topics:

Vegetation biodiversity along environmental gradients

Arid zone vegetation in general

Sky island ecosystems

Marine influences on coastal deserts

Mediterranean-climate ecosystems throughout the world

Human impacts and restoration

Disturbance pulses in marginal environments: magnified effects

Climatic change and its projections in plant communities
We invite you to submit abstracts for a presentation in any subject related to the major topics.
Papers may be presented orally or poster. Each participant may be present one oral
presentation and up to two posters. Abstract submission is possible only for registered
participants; the abstract submission format is available online and will be open in October
18, 2009 to January 31, 2010.
More information: http://www.iavs2010.org/
14.
15.
The NatureServe Conservation Conference 2010 “Biodiversity without
Boundaries” and The Southeast Natural Heritage Conference - "Come Network
with the Network!”
26 - 30 April 2010
Austin, Texas, United States of America
The NatureServe Conservation Conference 2010 “Biodiversity without Boundaries” is an
international training and education event for the environmental conservation community.
Conservation leaders, thinkers and doers representing federal, state and provincial agencies,
non-profit conservation organizations, universities, and corporations come together for three
days of education, issue discussion, idea exchange, innovation sharing, and professional
networking. Attendees of the conference have one thing in common: a commitment to meet
emerging and urgent conservation needs in the United States, Canada, Latin America, the
Caribbean, and around the world.
The Southeast Natural Heritage Conference focuses on knowledge exchange among the
NatureServe network members to facilitate productive working sessions on new
developments in science, technology, and leadership across the Southeast and the entire
network.
More information:http://www.natureserve.org/visitLocal/conferences/conferences_home.jsp
19th Workshop of the European Vegetation Survey "Flora, vegetation,
environment and landuse at large scale"
29 April - 02 May 2010
Pécs, Hungary
We are pleased to invite you to the EVS workshop in Pécs, southern Hungary, which is then
Cultural Capital of Europe as well. The programme includes various excursions.
16.
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It will be organized by the Department of Plant Systematics and Geobotany in University of
Pécs and the Institute of Ecology and Botany of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences.
The main topic: "Flora, vegetation, environment and land-use at large scale" is focused on
searching and revealing connections between vegetation, environmental and land-use data for
asking and answering ecological questions, preferably at large scale. Insight about their
implication in policy is also welcome.
Subtopic 1: "Vegetation of European rivers and floodplains" is focused on vegetation units
and their surroundings in riverine environments: vegetation structure, composition and pattern
regarding to presence of water.
Subtopic 2: "Use and abuse of ecological indicator values". Experiences – both positive and
negative – with ecological indicator values in any vegetation type at any scale.
More information: http://www.obki.hu/evs/
17.
European Geosciences Union General Assembly 2010
02 - 07 May 2010
Vienna, Austria
The EGU General Assembly 2010 will bring together geoscientists from all over the world
into one meeting covering all disciplines of the Earth, Planetary and Space Sciences.
Especially for young scientists the EGU appeals to provide a forum to present their work and
discuss their ideas with experts in all fields of geosciences. The EGU is looking forward to
cordially welcome you in Vienna!
More information: http://meetings.copernicus.org/egu2010/
5th Global conference on Oceans, Coasts, and Islands “Ensuring Survival,
Preserving Life, and Improving Governance”
3 - 7 May 2010
Paris, France
The 5th Global Oceans Conference (in association with the 50th anniversary of the
Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission and in celebration of the International Year of
Biodiversity 2010) will specifically address the challenges and opportunities posed by the
emerging international consensus on a new climate regime (as developed through the UN
Framework Convention on Climate Change, Copenhagen, December 2009). Mitigation,
adaptation, and financing issues will profoundly affect oceans, coasts, and small island States,
which are at the frontline of climate changes. Thus, it is imperative that the importance of
marine and freshwater ecosystems and resources and their vulnerability to climate change are
emphasized and that integrated ecosystem-based principles and approaches be fully
incorporated in the shared vision for long-term cooperative action and in the adaptation,
mitigation, financing, and technology strategies and measures.
There are three major conference themes, which are interlinked:
1. Ensuring survival
Oceans, climate and security: Major issues in mitigation, adaptation, and financing in the
Post-Copenhagen climate regime.
2. Preserving life
Marine biodiversity (2010 global goal), networks of marine protected areas (2012 global
goal), and celebrating the 2010 International Year of Biodiversity Toward Nagoya 2010,
Convention on Biological Diversity Conference of the Parties COP-10.
3. Improving governance
Achieving integrated, ecosystem-based ocean and coastal management (2010 global goal) at
national and regional levels and in areas beyond national jurisdiction.
More information: http://www.globaloceans.org/
18.
13
19.
12th Annual Meeting of AK Biogeographie
7 - 9 May 2010
Trier, Germany
More information: http://www.biogeographie.org/events.htm
23rd Annual Conference of the working group Plant Population Biology of the
Ecological Society of Germany, Switzerland and Austria (GfÖ) “Plant Population
Biology: Crossing Borders”
13 -15 May 2010
Nijmegen, The Netherlands
Welcome to the Plant Population Biology “Crossing Borders” meeting, which is a mediumsized international meeting for plant population ecologists. This year the PopBio meeting will
take place in Nijmegen, the Netherlands, and is jointly organized by Dutch ecologists and the
GfÖ (the Ecological Society of Germany, Switzerland and Austria). The meeting will also be
the 23rd annual meeting of the GfÖ section “Plant Population Biology”. We offer two and a
half days of interesting talks and posters, great keynote speakers, a conference dinner, and an
excursion. We encourage plant ecologists (explicitely including MSc- and PhD-students)
working on population-related topics to attend the meeting, present their work, and become
part of the PopBio community.
The PopBio2010 meeting will cover all aspects of plant population biology and related
disciplines. Our keynote speakers will address how transdisciplinary studies are the way
forward in plant population biology and we encourage all contributors to show how progress
in their studies depends on adopting and integrating approaches from other disciplines.
More information: http://www.ru.nl/popbio2010/
20.
21.
Ecological Conference : Climate Change and Natural Resource Use in Eastern
Africa : Impacts, adaptations and mitigation
19 - 21 May 2010
Kenyatta University Conference Center, Nairobi, Kenya
Ecological Society for Eastern Africa (ESEA) draws its members from various professionals
and institutions (from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Ethiopia) who are engaged in scientific
research and management of species and ecosystems. Individual and Institutional members of
ESEA are involved in climate change impact, adaptation and mitigation studies in the region.
The eastern African region has diverse landscapes and ecosystems as well as a high diversity
of flora and fauna. The region, also known as the cradle of mankind, has been shaped by
natural evolutionary processes and long history of human influence. Biodiversity here is an
asset of regional and global significance. However, trends in global climate change and
pressure from rapidly growing human population and the associated socio-economic
development activities are posing serious threats to landscapes and biodiversity therein. Thus,
sustaining a reasonably high growth rate to match the human population growth rate coupled
with ensuring environmental and natural resources integrity is a key challenge to the region.
Current use of natural resources has taken little consideration of need for sustainability.
Consequently, environmental status is characterised by land degradation and desertification,
water stress, declining biodiversity, deforestation, rising pollution and rapid urbanisation.
Climate change is likely to intensify these conditions and alter the environment even further.
On 19-21 May 2010, ESEA proposes one such forum to bring scientists, climate change
experts, policy makers and implementers, communication agents, vulnerable communities and
the general public together. The meeting will address a wide range of climate change topics
with the aim of increasing awareness of vulnerabilities, impacts and targeted adaptation
measures that can be applied in the region.
The conference aims at achieving the following:
14
To share on the impacts, adaptation and mitigation of climate change on the natural
resources and people of eastern Africa.

To share the way in which communities in eastern African are coping with climate change

To share on mitigation policies in place and how they will benefit the people of eastern
Africa.

To offer recommendation in form of policy briefs to governments, research institutions
and stakeholders.

To help communicate the knowledge on climate change to the general public
The conference will bring together diverse experts and practitioners on climate change and
related disciplines. There will also be natural resource managers, local authorities,
Community Based Organizations, Non-governmental Organizations, government institutions,
local authorities and media houses representatives in the presentations and discussions.
More information: www.ecsea.org

22.
The Evolution of Pacific Biota
20 - 22 May 2010
Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
Evolution of Pacific Island Biota is a three-day, stand-alone meeting to be held on Oahu, HI at
the University of Hawaii, Manoa. It is designed to bring together a diverse international group
of experts and students to examine the biogeography and evolution of terrestrial, near-shore,
and freshwater biota from across the tree-of-life, including humans, which are distributed
across the Pacific Islands.
There will be a variety of ways to participate in the meeting, including public lectures, invited
presentations, contributed papers, poster and discussion sessions, as well as pre- and postmeeting fieldtrips and workshops. The meeting will be organized around several theme
questions, and will focus on both empirical studies and methods for analyzing
biogeographical data. Theme examples include:

What phylogeographic patterns are found in the Pacific Islands?

Do Pacific Islands act as sources for dispersal to other areas?

Do fossil data change our interpretation of evolution and biogeography of the Pacific
Islands?

What are the evolutionary patterns of community assembly?

Do Pacific biogeographic patterns track the geologic or human history of the area?

How do data from biogeography and evolution inform conservation efforts?
More information: http://www.pacificscience.org/meetings.html
23.
The 7th European Dry Grassland Meeting
28 - 31 May 2010
Smolenice Congress Centre, Slovak Republic
The basic aims of the EDGG are (a) to compile and to distribute information on research and
conservation in dry grasslands beyond national borders, and (b) to stimulate active
cooperation among dry grassland scientists (exchanging data, common data standards, joint
projects). The main topic “Succession, restoration and management of dry grasslands” is
divided into the following subtopics:

Succession and restoration in dry grassland communities.

Detection of „favourable conditions“ of dry grassland habitats.

Management models for grassland habitats.

Species invasions and expansions in dry grasslands.

Classification of successional stages and degraded communities.
15
All other topics related to dry grassland ecosystems are welcome. The conference will be
devoted to the memory of Pavel Deván, Slovak zoologist, botanist and nature conservationist.
The Number of participants is restricted to 90!
More information: http://www.edgg.org/edgg_meeting.html
24.
GeoMed 2010 - 2nd International Geography Symposium: Mediterranean
Environment
2 - 5 June 2010
Antalya, Turkey
The meeting is hosted by the Dokuz Eylul University, Izmir - Turkey. The purpose of this
symposium is to share your experiences, knowledge and research results about all aspects of
geography, ecology, and environment in general. All papers presented at the symposium will
be published in an abstract book and Symposium Proceeding Book. Selected papers will be
published in a book/or journal by international publisher. Topics are not limited to the
Mediterranean Region. The Symposium includes three field trips.
More information: http://web.deu.edu.tr/geomed2010
25.
TOP Biodiversity 2010 - Threats, Opportunities and Paces for Biodiversity
3 - 4 June 2010
Larnaca, Cyprus
On the occasion of the 2010 Year of Biodiversity declared by the United Nations, Cyprus
would like to be an active participant by contributing to the development of sustainable
biodiversity conservation. The 1st International Bi-communal Conference is hosted and
organised by Intercollege-Larnaca and Friends of Nature Cyprus.
Business globalisation, changes in life styles and obviously climate changes are causing
detrimental or even irreversible losses in biodiversity. Actions must be taken without delay
and this implies amongst other, a change on human behaviour and mindset. Therefore, this
conference is aimed to critically reflect with a holistic view on the threats that consciously and
unconsciously are done to biodiversity and to take immediate actions to safeguard nature.
More information: http://research.intercollege-larnaca.com/index.php/conferences/topbiodiversity-2010
5th International Symposium-Workshop on Frugivores and Seed Dispersal (19852010) “Mechanisms and Consequences of a Key Interaction for Biodiversity”
13 - 18 June 2010
Montpellier, France
The 5th International Symposium-Workshop on Frugivores and Seed Dispersal (1985-2010)
in Montpellier will celebrate 40 years of studies on seed dispersal. Biodiversity involves not
just the preservation of species, genetic code and habitat types but also a range of natural
ecological processes, and it is important to keep frugivores and seed dispersal systems
functioning for this reason alone. In addition, many plant species may fail to keep reproducing
themselves without their dispersers, and many frugivores will be disadvantaged if they cannot
find sufficient fruits in lean seasons. This needs to be remembered for instances when
managing habitat fragments and providing resources for both sedentary and migratory birds.
Paper and poster topics reflecting the FSD2010 Symposium’s main themes are particularly
encouraged, including:

Organismal and natural history oriented research;

Movement ecology, dispersal kernels, and genetic effects;

Ecology and evolution of frugivory and seed dispersal; and

Impact of anthropogenic disturbance and climate change on seed dispersal systems.
26.
16
Research on plant-animal interactions from all habitat types and global regions will be
considered, and we encourage submission of original research from all scholars, including
students, junior researchers, and senior scientists.
All proposals, abstracts, lists of symposia speakers, and titles should be sent to the Chair by
January 14, 2010, and will be reviewed by the academic committee before final acceptance
February 14, 2010. All questions and proposals for symposia should be addressed to Dr.
Pierre-Michel Forget, Chairperson of the FSD2010 Symposium-Workshop, by e-mail:
fsd2010@yahoo.fr.
More information: http://www.fsd2010.org
24th International Congress for Conservation Biology (ICCB 2010): Conservation
for a changing planet.
3 - 7 July 2010
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
ICCB 2010 will bring together conservation professionals and students from every sector of
the field, including the biological and social sciences, management, policy, and planning.
Most importantly, it will connect the global community of conservation professionals and
serve as the major networking outlet for anyone interested in conservation. Dedicated to
advancing the science and practice of conserving the Earth’s biological diversity, the Society
for Conservation Biology is a global community of conservation professionals with more than
12,000 members world-wide and representatives from over 140 countries.
Humans are causing large changes to the ecology of the earth. Industrial development and
agriculture are changing landscapes and carbon emissions to the atmosphere are changing
climates. Developing conservation strategies to cope with our changing planet is arguably the
greatest challenge facing today’s world and its biodiversity. No where on earth are changes to
climate having more drastic effects on ecosystems and human cultures than in the north.
Circumpolar caribou and reindeer populations are declining with huge consequences for
indigenous peoples of the north. As such, ICCB 2010 will be held in Edmonton, Alberta - the
city known as Canada’s “Gateway to the North.”
More information: http://www.conbio.org/activities/meetings/2010/images/prospectus.pdf
27.
28.
8th European Palaeobotany – Palynology Conference
6 - 10 July 2010
Budapest, Hungary
Within the classical era of scientific exploration, palaeobotanical and palynological
documentation and research in Hungary date back to the mid-19th century marked by the first
monograph published in this field in 1856 and followed by a number of major works during
the 19th and 20th century. Nowadays, the Hungarian Natural History Museum is the center
for palaeobotanical research in the country and thus has been selected as the venue for the
conference.
We are looking forward to receiving presentations focusing on Paleozoic, Mesozoic and
Cenozoic taxonomy, palaeofloristics, taphonomy, palaeoecology and palaeoclimate studies
are all of great interest.Symposia, poster sessions, and meetings associated with workshops
will be included in the scientific program. EPPC conferences usually host a small but
enthusiastic group of Quaternary (Pleistocene and Holocene) pollen and plant macrofossil
scientists. Various pre- and post-conference field trips will be organized for the participants to
ensure that all can select the one that fits their personal interest.We would like to encourage
both regular EPPC-goers and those who have not yet participated in EPPC before to attend the
next conference in Budapest.
More information:
http://www.eppc2010.org/modules.php?name=home&PHPSESSID=58805fb47e65e3727ae026fa3
17
b1b9bdb and http://www.palaeobotany.org/page/meetings/8th-european-palaeobotanical-andpalyynology-conference/
29.
IGU Regional Conference 2010 “Bridging Diversity in a Globalizing World”,
hosted by the Israeli National Commission for Geography
12 - 16 July, 2010
Tel Aviv, Israel
We take great pleasure in inviting you to the IGU Regional Conference 2010, hosted by the
Israeli National Commission for Geography. The conference will take place in Tel Aviv, July
12 – 16, 2010.
The central theme of the conference is Bridging Diversity in a Globalizing World. Several
keynote speakers will be invited for the plenary sessions. Commissions are encouraged to
integrate their meetings within the conference.
Our region provides visitors with an opportunity to explore the dynamism of a growing
Mediterranean economy trying to accommodate both lifestyle-driven development and
ecological challenges in diversified environments, including arid regions. Numerous exciting
field trips will be arranged before and after the conference to enable you to explore the unique
diversity that is Israel. We look forward to welcoming you to Tel Aviv, the “city
that never sleeps”!
More information: http://www.igu2010.com/siteFiles/3/46/51427.asp
30.
UNESCO International Congress on Biological and Cultural Diversity
19 - 23 July 2010
Montreal, Canada
The aim of the Congress is to contribute to transforming political commitments into concrete
actions by developing recommendations towards effectively integrating biological and
cultural diversity into development cooperation strategies and programmes. The Congress is
therefore not an event by environmental specialists for environmental specialists, but rather
aspires to bring together civil society, interested citizens, representatives of local populations,
politicians, development cooperation agencies and environmentalists to jointly pave the way
forward and enhance the conservation of biological and cultural diversity as a key basis for
sustainable development.
More information: http://www.crcecb.umontreal.ca/pdf/Leaflet_ICBCD_2010.pdf
31.
The 2010 International meeting of the Association for Tropical Biology and
Conservation (ATBC) “Tropical biodiversity: surviving the food, energy and
climate crisis””
19 - 23 July 2010
Bali, Indonesia
The Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation is the world's largest professional
society devoted to the furtherance of tropical biology and tropical conservation. It was
founded in 1963 to promote research and to foster the exchange of ideas among biologists
working in tropical environments.
The biological nature of Indonesia is unmatched in the world. The range of ecosystems is
astounding, from the world's most diverse coral reefs and most majestic tropical rain forests to
tropical dry forest and alpine meadows. The archipelago has played a major role in the
development of evolutionary and ecological theory, through A. R. Wallace's travels, and
studies of the recolonization of Krakatau volcano. To experience this `biological paradise' is
for many biologists a professional dream. We invite you to realize this dream, by attending
the ATBC 2010 meeting, and then visiting some of Indonesia's biological and cultural
wonders.
18
Within Indonesia there are many active biologists, in government institutions, universities,
and NGOs, as befits the fourth most populous country in the world. By hosting an ATBC
annual meeting in Indonesia, we hope to spread cutting edge research findings to local and
regional biologists, and to the general public, as well as to facilitate new friendships and
partnerships that will lead to increased research on Indonesia's amazing biodiversity and
ecosystems. In turn, we hope that this increased activity will have a strong positive effect on
education and conservation, helping Indonesia, and other tropical countries, face the imminent
food, energy and climate crisis.
We will offer a balance of pure and applied symposia themes. Because of the unique
archipelago nature of Indonesia, we will also be highlighting marine biology at this ATBC
meeting.
More information: http://atbc2010.org
32.
International GMBA-DIVERSITAS conference “Functional significance of
mountain biodiversity”
27 - 30 July 2010
Chandolin (Valais), Switzerland
The Global Mountain Biodiversity Assessment of DIVERSITAS is celebrating its 10th year
of activity in 2010 with an international conference in the Swiss Alps, on the overarching
theme of functional significance of mountain biodiversity. We will meet in the center of the
Swiss Alps at the peak of the flowering season at a very scenic historic village.
We are seeking conference contributions which
(1) offer novel facts and research results
(2) are from the uppermost montane, alpine or nival belt, or cover full elevational transects
(3) address functional aspects such as erosion control, grazing resistance, water yield,
productivity, nutrient retention, disease or invasion resistance, multispecies interactions and
related topics.
(4) or address one of the other thematic clusters:

Land use and climate change and effects on mountain biodiversity

Large scale patterns (latitudinal and altitudinal) of mountain biodiversity (including

invasives)

LTERs in the Alpine and their influence on biodiversity research- the challenge of
converting long term monitoring into science.

Testing ecological and evolutionary hypotheses by using archive data.
The GMBA Scientific Steering Committee Contributions will select key notes and session
chairs (deadline of sending abstracts is 15th of December). Contributions that are merely
programmatic or method oriented and without showing functional aspects as described above,
will not be eligible. The conference will be limited to 130 Persons for logistics reasons.
You can pre-register from now on, by sending us your address and your planned contribution
(poster/talk/session leader). Your abstract can be submitted later until 15th of December.
Registrations will be accepted on a first come first serve basis. The conference will offer
plenary lectures, and parallel oral and poster sessions in 2.5 days.
More information: http://www.gmba.unibas.ch/2010conference/2010conference.htm
33.
II Conference on Biodiversity of the Guiana Shield
1 - 4 August 2010
Macapá, Amapá, Brazil
The objectives of this conference are to discuss advances made on biodiversity research in the
Guiana Shield and, to share experiences in the use and management of biodiversity. 300
participants will be allowed to register. Final date for registration and payment of closing
social: January 10, 2009.
19
More information: http://www.ufpa.br/naea/pdf/II_Congr_guianas_INGLES.pdf
34.
95th ESA Annual Meeting
1 - 6 August, 2010
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Increases in surface temperatures on a global scale over recent decades support past
predictions of global warming as a theory. Although this pattern may be attributable to longterm cycles in global temperatures and atmospheric CO2, data sets examining climate
phenomena at multi-millennial time scales (e.g., the Lake Vostok data) clearly demonstrate
that current trends are far out of range of cyclic change alone. The accumulation of such data
has led the United National Environment Programme’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change to the unavoidable conclusion: human activity has brought about unprecedented rates
of temperature increase on a global scale through release of greenhouse gases primarily
associated with combustion of fossil fuels.
In contrast to the high level of certainty of the phenomenon of global warming, environmental
scientists—including and especially ecologists—have been less certain of its far-reaching
effects, although recent evidence suggests that these effects can be far ranging: from altered
plant phenology to enhanced occurrence of disease to exacerbated glacial retreat to increased
frequency and intensity of tropical storms. Indeed, global warming will continue to exert
influence at virtually all levels of ecological organization, from individuals to landscapes. At
its 2010 Annual Meeting in Pittsburgh, PA, the Ecological Society of America will place
global warming at center stage to draw a critical combination of scientists, policy makers, and
concerned citizens to understand further its causes and consequences and to elucidate a clear
scenario for addressing what is perhaps the most serious environmental threat facing the
biosphere.
More information: http://www.esa.org/pittsburgh/
35.
25th International Ornithological Congress
22 - 28 August 2010
Campos do Jordão, SP, Brasil
The scientific programme consists of 10 plenary lectures and 48 symposia, together with
contributed oral papers, posters, round table discussions, and special interest group meetings.
Plenary lectures are keynote addresses by outstanding ornithologists.
Symposia cover a wide range of current ornithological topics. Each symposium will feature
five papers, with two keynote speakers and three papers chosen from submitted abstracts.
Contributed oral papers and posters will cover unpublished original research or new
syntheses. Oral papers will be selected from submitted abstracts by review panels of the
Scientific Programme Committee.
Round table discussions are forums for discussion on specialist topics. They can include new
scientific findings, new directions in a particular field, methods, techniques and hypotheses.
Special interest groups may arrange to meet during the Congress. Requests for such meetings
should be sent to the Congress Secretariat ioc2010@ib.usp.br
Scientific contributions are encouraged on any topic in all fields of ornithology. There are
four categories for contributions:

oral paper to be considered for symposium

standard oral paper

poster

round table discussions
More information: http://www.ib.usp.br/25ioc/
20
7th SER European Conference on Ecological Restoration "Ecological Restoration
and Sustainable Development: Establishing Links Across Frontiers"
23 - 27 August, 2010
Avignon, France
The biological conservation and ecological restoration of natural and semi-natural habitats are
both essential in Europe. The aim of the conference is to present and assess the state-of-the-art
in ecological restoration and to bring together scientists, policy makers, practitioners and
stakeholders for mutual exchange and synergy. Through lectures, workshops, poster sessions
and excursions, the conference will offer an outstanding opportunity for transboundary
contacts and exchanges of knowledge, experiences, and “best” or at least successful practices
in ecological restoration, an emerging field and profession at the crossroads of applied
ecology, ecological and environmental economics.
Without consideration of the “special” ecological and economical aspects of the
Mediterranean environment, the sustainability of restoration processes and restored
ecosystems cannot be achieved. Cooperation is essential as well. The recently established
“Mediterranean Union” will facilitate transboundary cooperation among the 24 countries of
the Mediterranean Basin, and between the Mediterranean Union and the other countries of the
European Union. Restoring and improving the ecological health and sustainability of habitats,
ecosystems, ecosystem services, and landscapes in Europe is a major challenge, particularly in
the face of increasing pressures due to global changes including land use, demography, socioeconomic, and climate changes. To download a flyer with more details, visit
http://www.ser.org/europe/pdf/SER2010_printflier.pdf
More information: http://www.seravignon2010.org
36.
37.
Annual conference of the ecological society of Germany, Switzerland and Austria
29 August - 2 September 2010
Vienna, Austria
The GfÖ Annual Conference 2010 will take place in Vienna (Austria) from August 29
(Sunday) to September 3 (Friday), 2010. More information will be soon available.
More information: http://www.gfoe.org/en/
38.
BES Annual Meeting 2010. British Ecological Society
7 - 9 September 2010
Leeds, United Kingdom
The British Ecological Society organises an exciting and diverse range of scientific,
ecologically-orientated meetings. The Annual Meeting is the largest annual meeting of
ecologists in Europe, attracting hundreds of delegates and over 450 abstracts across the whole
range of ecological topics. Field-based Meetings organised by the Society's Specialist Groups
bring together small numbers of ecologists to really get to grips with specific site issues. The
Society funds a number of grants to help delegates attend its meetings, including a new grant
to support ecologists in developing countries.
Please keep an eye on our page for further updates and deadlines.
More information: http://www.britishecologicalsociety.org/
39.
VI Spanish congress of biogeography
7 - 11 September 2010
Alicante, Spain
The congress is organized into five broad subject areas or presentations:

Techniques in biogeographical research

conservation management of species and their habitats Historical biogeography

Mediterranean
21
Biogeography of Mediterranean mountain
Biogeography of coastal and marine resources
Every day the Congress is dedicated to one of these five papers.
More information: http://web.ua.es/en/vi-congreso-biogeografia/


40.
Tropentag 2010 “World Food System - A Contribution from Europe”
14 - 16 September 2010
Zurich, Switzerland
The annual Conference on Tropical and Subtropical Agricultural and Natural Resource
Management (TROPENTAG) is an international Conference on Research for Development in
Agriculture and Forestry, Food and Natural Resource Management and jointly organised by
the universities of Bonn, Göttingen, Hohenheim, Kassel-Witzenhausen, Hamburg, Zürich
(2010) as well as by the Council for Tropical and Subtropical Research (ATSAF e.V) in cooperation with the GTZ Advisory Service on Agricultural Research for Development (BEAF).
Target of the conference: The Tropentag is a development-oriented and interdisciplinary
conference. It addresses issues of resource-, environmental-, agricultural-, forestry-, fisheries-,
food-, nutrition and related sciences in the context of international rural development,
sustainable resource use and poverty alleviation worldwide.
More information: http://www.tropentag.de/
6th NEOBIOTA Conference “Biological Invasions in a Changing World - from
Science to Management”
14 - 17 September 2010
Copenhagen, Denmark
There is overwhelming scientific evidence and rising public awareness that humans have
started to modify the Earth at an unprecedented scale. Global change is a complex set of
interacting processes with climate, land use and transport as the probably most significant
drivers.
Biological invasions are an important component of global change, and invasive organisms
have been described both as factor and symptom of local shifts in habitat conditions.
NEOBIOTA 2010 is the first conference focusing on biological invasions in a changing
environment.
We seek a wide perspective including contributions from science and management; there will
be no bias to particular species groups, habitats or regions. The conference invites a number
of outstanding experts dealing with different aspects of invasions in a changing environment,
and we welcome an international audience with interest in this field.
Specialist sessions will allow for in-depth discussions on contrasting methodological
approaches to biological invasions, including macroecological analyses, population models
and molecular methods. There will also be room for applied topics including impact, risk
assessment, socio-economic aspects and control of invasive species in a changing world.
For further information on programme, organisers and scientific committee, conference
venue, oral and poster contributions, registration and other details, see conference website.
More information: http://cis.danbif.dk/neobiota2010
41.
42.
World Water Congress and Exhibition
19 - 24 September 2010
Montréal, Canada
Water is the lifeblood of the world and never more so than in Montreal, Canada, the venue for
the World Water Congress and Exhibition in 2010. The city of Montreal is an exciting place
for a conference and especially one on water. Water is central to the Canadian identity you
could be forgiven for thinking that Canadians have water in the blood. Montreal itself is an
22
island on the St Lawrence River. Historically it played an important part in the development
of the nation. The city has a strong focus on clean water and sustainable development. The
Canadian scientific community is extremely dynamic. Some important international treaties
were developed in Montreal. In 1987, 24 nations signed one of the first global climate change
treaties, the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. The organisers
are keen to do something as spectacular in 2010 and will work hard to attract cutting-edge
papers from across the globe.
The IWA World Water Congress and Exhibition will bring together 3,000 like-minded water
professionals to advance their common goal of sustainable water management.
More information: http://www.iwa2010montreal.org/
43.
IUFRO Landscape Ecology Working Group International Conference: Forest,
Landscapes and Global Change. New Frontiers in Management, Conservation
and Restoration.
21 - 27 September 2010
Bragança, Portugal
Ongoing changes driven by environmental, technological, political, economic and social
factors produce additional challenges for forest landscape ecologists and managers by creating
new and multiple contexts for their activities. Climate change, urban sprawl, agriculture
abandonment, intensi_cation of forestry and agriculture, changes in energy generation and
use, expanding infrastructure networks, increased habitat destruction and degradation and
other processes of change occur at faster rates. These processes affect structure, disturbance
regimes, productivity, carbon sequestration, and biodiversity in forest ecosystems and
landscapes at increasing rates. Rapidly changing landscapes therefore expand the frontiers of
the current and future activity of scientists and managers. This IUFRO Landscape Ecology
international conference aims to bring together scientists, planners, and managers in order to
share science and experiences on approaches, methods and tools to assess change, to forecast
change in structures and processes, and to optimize goods and services provided at multiscalemultifunctional levels under a context of change.
Topics of the conference:

Patterns and processes in changing landscapes

Scaling in landscape analysis

Disturbances in changing landscapes

Biodiversity conservation and planning in changing landscapes

Monitoring landscape change

Tools of landscape assessment and management

Management and sustainability of changing landscapes

Urban Forestry in changing regions
More information: http://www.ipb.pt/iufro2010
44.
Joint CBD-Aarhus Convention Workshop
8 - 9 October 2010
Nagoya, Japan
"2010 Success Stories" event focusing on activities under the Protocol on Biosafety and the
Aarhus Convention. Public awareness, education and participation concerning living modified
organisms. Offer an opportunity to highlight the contribution of biosafety, access to
information and public participation of GMOs in achieving the 2010 Target by reviewing case
studies on experiences and lessons learned in implementation of Article 23 of the Protocol
and Almaty Amendment to the Aarhus Convention.
More information: http://www.cbd.int/2010/calendar/
23
45.
Open Science Meeting 2010 “Land Systems, Global Change and Sustainablility”
17 - 19 October 2010
Tempe, Arizona, USA
The Global Land Project (GLP) is pleased to announce the GLP 2010 Open Science Meeting
(GLP OSM), to be held 17-19th October 2010 at Arizona State University. This Meeting is
organized in close cooperation with IHDP’s Urbanization and Global Environmental Change
project (UGEC). UGEC will hold its 1st International Science and Practice Conference from
the 15-17th October, with the 17th October organized jointly with GLP.
The aim of the GLP OSM on 'Land Systems, global change and sustainability' is to bring
together large parts of the international research community working on land change issues,
showcase the width and scope of ongoing research, help build a community in this highly
interdisciplinary field, inspire new research and facilitate review, theory building and
extrapolation.
The intellectual aim of the Conference is to advance the science of land systems and their
change for analysis and response to global change and sustainability. Human transformations
of the land surface of the planet are among the largest sources of change on Earth. The rapidly
accelerating change of the land systems is closely related to the last decades’ unprecedented
transformation of the terrestrial structure and functioning of the coupled humanenvironmental systems. The exploration of the coupled environment system can provide
needed insight to better develop strategies for future sustainably of the land system. The
transdisciplinary field of 'Land Change Science' has emerged as a fundamental component of
global environmental change and sustainability research, and is at the heart of the GLP
Science Plan. The land systems approach requires the integration of social, ecological and
geographhical information/Earth observation sciences, and faces various data, methodological
and analytical challenges.
More information: http://www.glp2010.org/
5th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties Serving as the Meeting of the Parties
to the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (COP-MOP 5) and 10th Conference of the
Parties (COP-10)
11 - 29 October 2010
Nagoya, Japan
The 10th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity
(COP 10) and the 5th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties Serving as the Meeting of the
Parties to the Cartagena Protocol (COP-MOP 5) will be held in Nagoya, Aichi in 2010, a year
that marks the UN International Year of Biodiversity. That is also the deadline for the 2010
Biodiversity Target adopted at COP 6 (held in The Hague, Netherlands) in 2002, which
requires contracting parties to "significantly reduce the rate of loss of biological diversity by
2010." Thus, COP 10 will mark an important milestone for the Convention on Biological
Diversity.
Expected Agenda for COP 10: Evaluation of the status of achievement for the 2010
Biodiversity Target and discussion of the framework for the next milestone targets.
Development of an international framework for access and benefit-sharing (ABS), etc.
COP-MOP 5: October 11 - 15, 2010
COP 10: October 18 - 29, 2010
High-level segment: October 27 - 29, 2010 during COP 10
More information: http://cop10.jp/aichi-nagoya/english/cop/cop.html
46.
47.
5th International Conference of the International Biogeography Society
6 - 10 January 2011
Crete, Greece
24
The symposia:

Analytical advancements in macroecology and biogeography (Organizers: Alexandre
Diniz-Filho & Carsten Rahbek)

New Perspectives on Comparative Phylogeography - novel integrative approaches and
challenges (Organizers: Ana Carnaval & Mike Hickerson)

Biogeography and Ecology: Two Lenses in One Telescope (Organizers: Dave Jenkins &
Bob Ricklefs)

Mediterranean biogeography: where history meets ecology across scales (Organizers:
Spyros Sfenthourakis & Rémy Petit)
Please check back for more information in a few months.
More information: http://www.biogeography.org/
48.
Neogene park – Vertebrate migration in the Mediterranean and Paratethys
1 - 3 March 2011
Scontrone, Italy
A rich vertebrate fossil fauna (chelonians, crocodiles and land mammals, the latter including
the giant insectivore Deinogalerix and the problematic genus Hoplitomeryx) has been
recovered from Tortonian peritidal carbonates cropping out in the outskirts of Scontrone, a
charming mountain village located at the southern border of the Abruzzi National Park in the
Central Apennines. In Scontrone a small geo-paleontological center (Centro di
Documentazione Paleontologico “Hoplitomeryx”) plays an active didactic role in the region
offering an accurate documentation of the fossil vertebrates and a reconstruction of the
Tortonian habitat.
The Scontrone vertebrates display close similarities to a well-known fossil assemblage
discovered in the Gargano region (Apulia) in the early seventies. The two faunal assemblages
share remarkable endemic characters indicative of a common paleobioprovince isolated from
the nearest mainland areas. When has colonization took place? How and from where did land
vertebrates reach the Gargano and Scontrone areas? The Abruzzo-Apulian finds revive the
interest in the movements of vertebrate populations as well as in the colonization of insular
setting.
Several modes of past vertebrate migration, especially into islands, have been suggested by
paleontologists. Conflicting hypotheses on these topics in the literature highlight the growing
need for a new integrated approach in facing these problems.
The conference intends to promote an interdisciplinary discussion between palaeontologists,
eco/ethologists, zoologists and geneticists focused on Neogene vertebrate migrations in the
Mediterranean and Paratethys and stratigraphers, sedimentologists and regional geologists
involved with paleogeographic reconstructions and palinspastic restorations of these regions
during the same time span.
More specifically, the goals of the meeting will be: 1) taxonomic assessment of the fossil
remains, 2) mammalian biochronology, 3) major dispersal events of the past vertebrate
populations, 4) integrated stratigraphy and facies analysis of the vertebrate-bearing
depositional sequences, 5) paleobiogeographic studies and paleoecologic reconstructions, 6)
movement rates of vertebrates in fragmented landscapes, 7) behavioural mechanisms
underlying individual or collective movements and reproductive success of vertebrate in
restricted environments, 8) population dynamics/population densities and evolutionary
dynamics in settings equivalent to the Mediterranean and Paratethys during the Neogene.
Scontrone, with its noteworthy wildlife, nature and human culure, will offer to the participants
and enchanting, peaceful atmosphere.
More information: http://www.comune.scontrone.aq.it/en/gp_center.htm
25
49.
XVIII International Botanical Congress
23 - 30 July 2011
Melbourne, Australia
The Australian botanical community invites you to Melbourne, Australia in
July 2011 to participate in the XVIII International Botanical Congress. Australia
has a vibrant scientific community active across all botanical disciplines and its researchers
play a prominent and highly collaborative role in international biological sciences.
The Australian flora, with its many endemics and strong Gondwanan element, provides a
unique opportunity full of inspiring experiences for the botanical visitor. Its ancient landscape
includes vast deserts, tropical and temperate rainforests, floristically rich heathlands and
unique eucalypt forests. Marine environments include a rich flora and the most extensive
coral ecosystem, the Great Barrier Reef.
Australia’s botanical community is eager to welcome our colleagues from around the world to
the 2011 IBC for an intellectually stimulating and socially memorable occasion.
As with previous International Botanical Congresses, the scientific program covers all fields
of botanical science, including research on plants, algae and fungi. The program structure will
consist of up to 225 general symposia (allowing 1350 presentations).
More information: http://www.ibc2011.com/
5
Reports on Past Meetings and Events
1.
4th International Conference of the International Biogeography Society
08 - 12 January, 2009
Mérida, México
Reports on this Conference will be available on the website:
http://www.biogeography.org/html/Meetings/2009/index.html
The list of symposia speakers, posters, and contributed oral presentations can be found on:
http://www.biogeography.org/html/Meetings/2009/presentations.html
2.
Conservation of biodiversity in protected areas - opportunites & challenges
23 - 24 January 2009
Bangladore, India
More information:
3.
18th Annual Meeting of the AK Hochgebirge
23 - 25 January 2009
Heidelberg, Germany
More information: http://www.sai.uni-heidelberg.de/abt/GEO/akh.html
4.
Capacity-building workshop for the Pacific region for implementation of the
Programme of Work on Protected Areas
9 - 12 February 2009
Nadi, Fiji
The Executive Secretary, with the generous financial support of the European Commission
and the Government of Spain jointly organized with the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional
Environment Programme (SPREP), the Government of Fiji and PoWPA Friends Consortium,
the Pacific Islands Subregional Workshop on Capacity-building for the Implementation of the
Programme of Work on Protected Areas under the Convention on Biological Diversity, which
was held in Nadi, Fiji, from 9 to 12 February 2009.
26
The objectives of the workshop were:
(a) To strengthen the skills and knowledge of protected area functionaries and others who
implement the programme of work through an exchange of experiences, sharing of tools,
available resources and capacity-building in the three important aspects for implementing the
programme of work on protected areas:
(i) Undertaking ecological gap analysis with special emphasis on marine protected areas;
(ii) Developing sustainable financing for protected areas; and
(iii) Assessing protected area management effectiveness.
These activities will facilitate the preparation of country-specific future work plans (next steps
in-country and envisioning regional steps) in making the assessments and implementing the
results of the analyses;
(b) To determine a way forward for implementing decisions IX/18 A-B and IX/20 of the
Conference of the Parties, and next steps leading up to the review of the programme of work
on protected areas by the Conference of the Parties at its tenth meeting.
The workshop was attended by two representatives of indigenous and local communities and
a representative of Foundation of the Peoples of the South Pacific International (FSPI).
The Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), The Nature
Conservancy (TNC), the World Wide Fund for Nature, Conservation International, the IUCNOceania, the IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas (IUCN-WCPA), the Pacific
Islands Applied Geoscience Commission (SOPAC), the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische
Zusammenarbeit (GTZ), and the Micronesia Challenge Regional Office provided resource
persons.
More information: http://www.cbd.int/doc/?meeting=WSPAPAC-01
25th Session of the Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum:
“Globalization and the Environment” and “International Environmental
Governance”
16 - 20 February 2009
Nairobi, Kenya
The twenty-fifth session of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Governing
Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum was held at UNEP headquarters, Nairobi,
from 16 to 20 February 2009. At the opening session of the meeting, on 16 February, the
Council/Forum elected the following officers by acclamation:
President: Mr. Olivier Dulić (Serbia)
Vice-Presidents: Mr. Mohamed Cherif Rahmani (Algeria)
Mr. Juan Carlos Cué Vega (Mexico)
Mr. John Matuzsak (United States of America)
Rapporteur: Mr. Budi Bowoleksono (Indonesia)
During the high-level segment of the session delegates from 147 countries, including
110 ministers and deputy ministers and 192 representatives of major groups and stakeholders,
discussed two separate but related themes:
(a) “Globalization and the environment – global crises: national chaos?”;
(b) “International environmental governance (IEG) and United nations reform – IEG: help
or hindrance? – IEG from a country perspective”.
Full Report can be found on the website.
More information: http://www.unep.org/GC/GC25/
5.
1st meeting of the Group of the Friends of the Co-Chairs Concerning Liability
and Redress in the Context of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety
23 - 27 February 2009
Mexico City, Mexico
6.
27
The Group of the Friends of the Co-Chairs Concerning Liability and Redress in the Context of
the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety was established by decision BS-IV/12 of the fourth
meeting of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Protocol.
Following the generous offer made by the Government of Mexico to host it, the first meeting
of the Group was held in Mexico City from 23 to 27 February 2009.
The Group of the Friends of the Co-Chairs consisted of six representatives of the Asia-Pacific
region of which four, namely China, India, Malaysia and the Philippines, were represented in
the Group; two representatives of the European Union; two representatives of Central and
Eastern Europe of which one (Moldova) was represented in the Group; six representatives of
the African Group (Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Liberia, Namibia, South Africa and Zambia were
represented in the Group); six representatives of the Latin America and Caribbean Group, and
New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland and Japan. The final Report can be downloaded from the
website.
More information: http://www.cbd.int/doc/?meeting=BSGFLR-01
5th Coordination Meeting for Governments and Organizations Implementing or
Funding Biosafety Capacity-building Activities
9 - 11 March 2009
San José, Costa Rica
The fifth Coordination Meeting for Governments and Organizations Implementing or Funding
Biosafety Capacity-Building Activities was held from 9 to 11 March 2009 in San José, Costa
Rica. It was hosted by the Government of Costa Rica, through the Ministry of Agriculture and
Livestock, with support from the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture
(IICA). It was held at the IICA headquarters. The Government of Norway and the
Government of Germany through the GTZ/African Union Commission biosafety project
provided financial support for participants from developing countries and countries with
economies in transition to attend the meeting.
The meeting was attended by 47 participants from 22 Governments and 15 organizations.
The objectives of the meeting were:
(a) To share information and experiences from different biosafety capacity-building
initiatives;
(b) To identify emerging biosafety capacity-building issues, needs and gaps and ways to
address them;
(c) To discuss possible measures to facilitate the strengthening of national capacities in: (i)
environmental risk assessment and post-release monitoring of living modified organisms
(LMOs); and (ii) integration of biosafety into national development plans, strategies and
programmes.
The meeting discussed a number of issues and possible measures that could be taken to assist
developing country Parties and Parties with economies in transition to develop and strengthen
their capacities in environmental risk assessment and post-release monitoring of LMOs and in
integration of biosafety into national development plans, strategies and programmes. It also
discussed the way forward in developing possible options for cooperation in identifying the
capacity-building needs of Parties for research and information exchange on socio-economic
impacts of LMOs. The final Report can be downloaded from the website.
More information: http://www.cbd.int/doc/?meeting=BSCMCB-05
7.
8.
Climate Change: Global Risks, Challenges and Decisions
10 - 12 March 2009
Copenhagen, Denmark
Key Message 1: Climatic Trends
28
Recent observations show that greenhouse gas emissions and many aspects of the climate are
changing near the upper boundary of the IPCC range of projections. Many key climate
indicators are already moving beyond the patterns of natural variability within which
contemporary society and economy have developed and thrived. These indicators include
global mean surface temperature, sea-level rise, global ocean temperature, Arctic sea ice
extent, ocean acidification, and extreme climatic events. With unabated emissions, many
trends in climate will likely accelerate, leading to an increasing risk of abrupt or irreversible
climatic shifts.
Key Message 2: Social and environmental disruption
The research community provides much information to support discussions on “dangerous
climate change”. Recent observations show that societies and ecosystems are highly
vulnerable to even modest levels of climate change, with poor nations and communities,
ecosystem services and biodiversity particularly at risk. Temperature rises above 2°C will be
difficult for contemporary societies to cope with, and are likely to cause major societal and
environmental disruptions through the rest of the century and beyond.
Key Message 3: Long-term strategy: Global Targets and Timetables
Rapid, sustained, and effective mitigation based on coordinated global and regional action is
required to avoid “dangerous climate change” regardless of how it is defined. Weaker targets
for 2020 increase the risk of serious impacts, including the crossing of tipping points, and
make the task of meeting 2050 targets more difficult and costly. Setting a credible long-term
price for carbon and the adoption of policies that promote energy efficiency and low-carbon
technologies are central to effective mitigation.
Key Message 4: Equity Dimensions
Climate change is having, and will have, strongly differential effects on people within and
between countries and regions, on this generation and future generations, and on human
societies and the natural world. An effective, well-funded adaptation safety net is required for
those people least capable of coping with climate change impacts, and equitable mitigation
strategies are needed to protect the poor and most vulnerable. Tackling climate change should
be seen as integral to the broader goals of enhancing socioeconomic development and equity
throughout the world.
Key Message 5: Inaction is inexcusable
Society already has many tools and approaches – economic, technological, behavioural, and
managerial – to deal effectively with the climate change challenge. If these tools are not
vigorously and widely implemented, adaptation to the unavoidable climate change and the
societal transformation required to decarbonise economies will not be achieved. A wide range
of benefits will flow from a concerted effort to achieve effective and rapid adaptation and
mitigation. These include job growth in the sustainable energy sector; reductions in the health,
social, economic and environmental costs of climate change; and the repair of ecosystems and
revitalisation of ecosystem services.
Key Message 6: Meeting the Challenge
If the societal transformation required to meet the climate change challenge is to be achieved,
then a number of significant constraints must be overcome and critical opportunities seized.
These include reducing inertia in social and economic systems; building on a growing public
desire for governments to act on climate change; reducing activities that increase greenhouse
gas emissions and reduce resilience (e.g. subsidies); and enabling the shifts from ineffective
governance and weak institutions to innovative leadership in government, the private sector
and civil society. Linking climate change with broader sustainable consumption and
production concerns, human rights issues and democratic values is crucial for shifting
societies towards more sustainable development pathways.
Full Report can be downloaded from the website.
More information: http://climatecongress.ku.dk/
29
9.
105th Annual Association of American Geographers 2009
22-27 March 2009
Las Vegas, NV, USA
The Annual Meeting of the Association of American Geographers attracted 4,000 scholars
and researchers from more than 60 countries. Our meeting forum stimulated discussion about
research, education, accomplishments, and developments in geography.
The program included exhibitions showcasing recent scholarly publications, advanced
geographic technologies, and expanding employment opportunities, furthermore numerous
field trips to explore the rich cultural and physical geography of Las Vegas and the
surrounding region.
More information: http://www.aag.org/AnnualMeetings/2009/program.htm
10.
18th I.A.V.S. Workshop for the European Vegetation Survey Working Group
25 - 28 March 2009
Rome, Italy
The 18th Workshop of the I.A.V.S. Working Group for the European Vegetation Survey was
in Rome, from Wednesday March 25 to Saturday March 28, 2009.
The main theme of the workshop was "Thermophilous vegetation", which can be interpreted
at any scale, from plot-size studies, through ecosystem and landscape scale, to the impacts of
global change and which could include, for example, geographical relationships between
syntaxa and temperature regimes, impacts of global warming on vegetation and species
distributions, ecophysiological experiments on plants and temperature.
Two additional topics were proposed:
1) What does “Favourable Conditions” for Habitat of the EC Directive mean? What are the
implications for management (EU Life+ & FESR Projects, other Natura 2000 projects);
2) Coenology and the Historical ecology of Plant Communities. The total participants has
been 149 from 24 countries, the total contributions has been 44 lectures, in 9 sessions, and 46
posters, in 3 sessions.
More information: http://www.evsitalia.eu/18%C2%B0%20EVS%20Workshop.htm
11.
2nd Meeting of the CBD AHTEG on Biodiversity and Climate Change
30 March 2009 - 3 April 2009
Helsinki, Finland
The second meeting of the AHTEG was held in Helsinki from 18 to 22 April, 2009 in order to
address the links between biodiversity conservation and sustainable use and climate-change
adaptation, risks and vulnerabilities. In particular, the second meeting addressed the following
elements of the terms of reference:
(a) Identifying case-studies and general principles to guide local and regional activities
aimed at reducing risks to biodiversity values associated with climate change
(b) Identifying ways that components of biodiversity can reduce risk and damage associated
with climate change impacts
(c) Identifying potential biodiversity-related impacts and benefits of adaptation activities,
especially in the regions identified as being particularly vulnerable under the Nairobi work
programme on impacts, vulnerability and adaptation to climate change (developing countries,
especially least developed countries and small island developing States) as adopted by the
Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change at
its eleventh meeting
(d) Proposing ways and means to improve the integration of biodiversity considerations and
traditional and local knowledge related to biodiversity within climate change adaptation, with
particular reference to communities and sectors vulnerable to climate change
30
(e) Identifying ways and means for the integration of the ecosystem approach in impact and
vulnerability assessment and climate-change adaptation strategies
(f) Identifying measures that enable ecosystem restoration from the adverse impacts of
climate change which can be effectively considered in impact, vulnerability and climate
change adaptation strategies
(g) Highlighting case-studies and identifying methodologies for analysing the value of
biodiversity in supporting adaptation in communities and sectors vulnerable to climate change
(h) Analysing the social, cultural and economic benefits of using ecosystem services for
climate change adaptation and of maintaining ecosystem services by minimizing adverse
impacts of climate change on biodiversity
(i) Identifying means to incentivize the implementation of adaptation actions that promote
the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.
Full Report can be downloaded from the website.
More information: http://www.cbd.int/doc/?meeting=AHTEG-BDCC-02-02
7th Meeting of the Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group on Access and Benefitsharing (WGABS 7)
2 - 8 April 2009
Paris, France
The seventh meeting of the Ad Hoc Open-ended Working Group on Access and Benefitsharing was held at the headquarters of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and
Cultural Organization (UNESCO), in Paris, from 2 to 8 April 2009.
This meeting is the first of three mandated by ninth meeting of the Conference of the Parties,
held in Bonn in May 2008, to finalize the negotiation of the international regime.
Full Report can be downloaded from the website.
More information: http://www.cbd.int/wgabs7/
12.
24th US-IALE Symposium: Coupling Humans and Complex Ecological
Landscapes
12 - 16 April 2009
Snowbird, Utah
More information: http://www.usiale.org/snowbird2009/index.php
13.
5th International Conference "Research and conservation of biological diversity
in Baltic Region"
22 - 24 April 2009
Daugavpils University, Latvia
Scientific topics:

Systematics, Morphology & Phylogeny

Baltic Fauna & chorology;

Baltic Flora & chorology;

Genetics and Biotechnology;

Conservation Biology;

Ecology and Ecosystem Management;

Forest Management & Biological Diversity;

Climate Change & Biological Diversity;

Parasitology

Agriculture & Biological Diversity;
More information: http://www.biology.lv/conferences/biodiversity5th/
14.
31
15.
IHDP Open Meeting 2009
26 - 30 April 2009
Bonn, Germany
Based on the contributions of 938 participants who define, challenge and implement the
international human dimensions research agenda, the IHDP Open Meeting 2009 was a great
success! The four days of the conference provided the participants with a variety of formats
and opportunities for intense debates, ranging from high-level plenaries, 91 parallel sessions,
about 25 special sessions and events, to a lively exhibition area for exchange and informal
gatherings. The scientific agenda set by the International Scientific Planning Committee
structured the conference according to four major “Social Challenges of Global Change”. It
was a concerted effort to address the broad scope of the human dimensions of global
environmental change research agenda that exceeds the “purely” environmental domain. It
was intended to define these challenges in a way so that they both add to and complement
existing IHDP research.
The presentation of IHDP’s core and joint projects was a crucial part of the conference. Their
sessions represented real highlights of the IHDP Open Meeting 2009. Both the Global
Environmental Change and Human Security (GECHS) and Industrial Transformation (IT)
projects ran several sessions presenting their research findings as both projects will come to a
close in the next couple of months. Both projects provided enough time and space, using the
presence of the international community at the conference, to explore ideas for future research
directions. Established projects such as the Global Land Project (GLP), Urbanization and
Global Environmental Change (UGEC) or the project on Land Ocean Interactions in the
Coastal Zone (LOICZ) successfully presented their current research portfolio in several
sessions to the global community. New initiatives such as the the Earth System Governance
Project (ESG), Integrated Risk Governance (IRG-project) and, in a somewhat less advanced
stage Knowledge, Learning and Societal Change (KLSC) used the opportunity to kick-start
their activities and to reach out to the large audience present at the IHDP Open Meeting 2009.
Among the parallel sessions, contributions from the ESSP partners, from IHDP national
committees, well-known research institutes, official “partners of the conference” and many
more, enhanced scientific quality and a broad but focused scope of the scientific agenda of the
conference.
As the organizer of the conference, IHDP is very grateful to those who made this conference
possible with their financial and in-kind contributions. One of the major strategic goals of
IHDP is to build capacity in global change research world-wide and therefore the attendance
of more than 80 scholars who were supported by the funds raised was an outstanding success
on its own. These scholars presented their research both parallel sessions and were often part
of special events that integrated a distinct capacity and network building component in the
IHDP Open Meeting 2009, for example as follow up to the IHDW seminars held last October
in New Delhi. Given the great demand for human dimensions research these days and the
opportunities stemming from being an UN conference at the UN Campus Bonn, the IHDP
Open Meeting 2009, consciously reached out to policy makers and practitioners, for example
by discussing jointly the challenges for “Science for the 21st Century” – one of the special
round tables of the conference and truly one of its highlights.
The IHDP Open Meeting 2009 was the first Open Meeting influenced by the IHDP Strategic
Plan 2007-2015. It contributed successfully to the implementation of its strategic pillars on
cutting-edge science, capacity development and science-policy interaction. It provided the
human dimensions research community with substantial food for thought, as well as many
concrete research collaborations initiated during these days in Bonn. It clearly reasserted to us
the importance of the human dimensions research agenda in times of rapid changes and
motivate us to implement this agenda even more powerfully.
Full Report can be downloaded from the website.
32
More information: http://www.openmeeting2009.org/Report.html
52th Annual Symposium of the International Association for Vegetation Science:
Vegetation processes and human impact in a changing world.
30 May - 4 June 2009
Crete, Greece
More information: http://www.iavs.org/
16.
17.
Capacity Development Workshop for Europe on NBSAPs and the
Mainstreaming of Biodiversity
13 - 17 June 2009
Isle of Vilm, Germany
The main success factors for NBSAP development and implementation identified by the
workshop are:

Stability of the institutional framework and government that facilitates trust, mutual
understanding between sectors, and motivation (want, not must).

Existence of a network of supporters that provides competence and expertise.

Flexibility in the approach instead of a prescriptive attitude towards the process
enhances participation. Stakeholders are confronted by the expectations of the process
management that is in turn perceived as the ruler of the game. A flexible attitude helps
mutual understanding.

Continuity allows for keeping track of the process message and for responding to
demands emerging in the process.

Clear target and focus of the process are prerequisites for the ability to formulate a
new vision.

Support from both the political arena (will to change) and from the civil society (will
to engage).
Full Report can be downloaded from the website.
More information: http://www.cbd.int/doc/?meeting=NBSAPCBW-EUR-02
18.
The ICLEI World Congress 2009 “Local Governments for Sustainability”
14 - 18 June 2009
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
From 14 to 18 June 2009, 600 participants from 57 countries gathered in the City of
Edmonton in Western Canada for the triennial World Congress of 'ICLEI - Local
Governments for Sustainabiltity', a global network of 1100 cities working on sustainable
development. The program touched upon many areas of urban environmental sustainability,
from Climate & Energy to Biodiversity and from Resilience & Adaptation to Water, in large
plenaries and small working groups.
ICLEI Deputy Secretary General, Gino Van Begin offers you a synthesis of the results from
Edmonton formulated into 5 strategic directions for future work.
More information: http://www.iclei.org/index.php?id=7756
19.
23rd Annual Meeting of the Society for Conservation Biology
11 - 16 July 2009
Beijing, China
More information: http://scb2009.ioz.ac.cn/
20.
European IALE Conference 2009: 70 years of Landscape Ecology in Europe
“European Landscapes in Transformation - Challenges for Landscape Ecology
and Management”
33
12 - 16 July 2009
Salzburg, Faculty of Natural Science, Austria
More information: http://www.iale.de/deutsch/Veranstaltungen.htm
21.
94th Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting
2 - 7 August 2009
Albuquerque, New Mexico
More information: http://eco.confex.com/eco/2009/techprogram/
6th European Dry Grassland Meeting: Dry grasslands – species interaction and
distribution
31 August - 2 September 2009
Halle / Saale, Germany
The sixth European Dry Grassland Meeting was held in the central German city of Halle upon
the invitation of Dr. Ute Jandt and Dr. Monika Partzsch during the first week of September.
The Halle meeting further continued the positive developments of the previous years. While
the number of participants was similar to that of the meetings in 2007 and 2008, the number
of contributions as well as the number of countries represented increased. With colleagues
from Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Poland, the Slovak Republic,
Sweden, and the United Kingdom, itwas a quite international conference.
Scientific Program:
A total of 15 talks, arranged in four sessions over the 1 ½ days of conference, and 17 posters,
presented in two guided poster sessions, gave rise to vivid discussions during the meeting.
The topics ranged from population biology and phylogeography of dry grassland species,
through regional studies on dry grassland and related vegetation types, diversity patterns,
pollination ecology, and simulation studies to conservation issues. Also the geographical
scope was extremely wide and even exceeded the number of nationalities represented among
the participants (Bulgaria, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Kazakhstan, Mongolia,
Poland, Romania, Slovak Republic, Sweden, Switzerland + several supranational studies).
Additionally, the local organisers provided the possibility of guided tours through the nice
Botanical Garden, in which the institute is situated, and through the city of Halle. A joint
dinner in a Mexican restaurant on Monday evening, and a “get together” with barbecue in a
greenhouse of the Botanical Garden completed the program and provided plenty of
opportunity for discussion and planning of new cooperation.
More information: http://www.edgg.org/past_meet.htm
22.
2nd European Congress of Conservation Biology “Conservation biology and
beyond: from science to practice”
Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
01 - 05 September 2009
More information: http://www.eccb2009.org/
23.
24.
BES Annual Meeting 2009
8 - 10 September 2009
University of Hertfordshire, UK
More information: http://www.britishecologicalsociety.org/
39th Annual conference of the ecological society of Germany, Switzerland and
Austria
14-18 September 2009
Bayreuth, Germany
25.
34
The conference took place at the University of Bayreuth. One week 600 participants attended
250 talk and visited 200 posters. We say thank you to all participants and hope that you will
remember the GfÖ 2009 in Bayreuth with fond memories.
Host of the conference was the Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research
(BayCEER) in cooperation with the Ecological Botanical Gardens (ÖBG).
More information: http://www.bayceer.uni-bayreuth.de/gfoe2009/
11th Annual BIOECON Conference on "Economic Instruments to Enhance the
Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biodiversity"
21 - 22 September 2009
Venice, Italy
More information: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/bioecon/04_11_ann-conf.htm
26.
27.
5th Intergovernmental Conference “Biodiversity in Europe”
22 - 24 September 2009
Liège, Belgium
The 5th Biodiversity in Europe Conference brought together over 120 representatives of
governments, intergovernmental organizations, NGOs, the private sector and scientists from
the pan-European region to exchange views and expertise and provide input to the post 2010
biodiversity framework under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). The conference
as organized in the framework of the Pan-European Biological and Landscape Diversity
Strategy (PEBLDS). The Conference underlined the economic and financial value of
Europe’s biodiversity, while also acknowledging its intrinsic, cultural and other values
especially in relation to human well-being. The Conference furthermore recognized that
biodiversity provides a security and insurance function for human well-being in relation to
climate change, including as a buffer for unforeseen events and for providing options for
future solutions, The Conference acknowledged that the target to halt the loss of biodiversity
by 2010 would not be reached in 2010 and that a strengthened and renewed effort is urgently
needed for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity in the pan-European region.
The Conference acknowledged that the target to halt the loss of biodiversity by 2010 would
not be reached in 2010 and that a strengthened and renewed effort is urgently needed for the
conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity in the pan-European region. For full
summary please visit the conference website.
More information: http://www.unep.ch/roe/Biodiv5Conf.htm
28.
2nd DIVERSITAS Open Science Conference / DIVERSITAS OSC2
“Biodiversity and society: understanding connections, adapting to change”
13 - 16 October 2009
Cape Town, South Africa
The second DIVERSITAS Open Science Conference attracted an international audience of
700 scientists and policy makers from about 70 countries representing many facets of
biodiversity science and policy. About 40 % of these participants came from developing
countries, and 30% were young scientists. This was made possible thanks to the generous
support of the conference sponsors and the DIVERSITAS core sponsors, which allowed
DIVERSITAS support 380 participants. The conference received an important exposure in the
media.
The main objectives of the DIVERSITAS OSC2 were to

provide an overview of the latest biodiversity science,

inform scientists, biodiversity managers and policy makers and promote human wellbeing and sustainable development
35
strengthen biodiversity science by featuring a diversity of topics across countries and
disciplines

support the biodiversity science-policy interface

strengthen and expand DIVERSITAS networks and forge new
The conference was entirely dedicated to biodiversity science and its connections to policy. It
assembled many perspectives from the natural and social sciences to highlight the causes and
consequences of biodiversity loss. The conference featured a mix of plenary lectures,
symposium, oral and poster sessions, presented by invited speakers, as well as scientists
selected from a call for abstracts on the three following themes: strengthening biodiversity
science, supporting the science – policy interface, and focus on African issues.
New scientific knowledge was presented and a larger DIVERSITAS set of networks emerged
as a result of the conference. A stronger base in the Africa region is developing thanks to
initial contacts which were made in Cape Town.
More information: http://www.diversitas-osc.org/

GEOMED 2009 / 6th International, interdisciplinary conference on geomedical
systems.
November 14, 15 & 16th 2009
Charleston, SC, USA
More information: http://academicdepartments.musc.edu/dbe/geomed2009/index.html
29.
30.
International Forestry and Environment Symposium 2009
18 - 19 December 2009
Nugegoda, Sri Lanka
More information: http://www.environmentlanka.com/sympo/
6
Organizations
The International Biogeography Society
An international and interdisciplinary society contributing to the advancement of all studies of the
geography of nature
IBS Mission Statement 2000:
Biogeography, the study of the geography of life, has a long and distinguished history, and one
interwoven with that of ecology and evolutionary biology. Traditionally viewed as the study of
geographic distributions, modern biogeography now explores a great diversity of patterns in the
geographic variation of nature — from physiological, morphological and genetic variation among
individuals and populations to differences in the diversity and composition of biotas along geographic
gradients. Given its interdisciplinary and integrative nature, biogeography is now broadly recognized
as a unifying field that provides a holistic understanding of the relationships between the earth and its
biota. Our abilities to develop more general theories of the diversity of life, and to conserve biological
diversity may well rest on insights from the field of biogeography. Therefore, the International
Biogeography Society (IBS) was founded as a non-profit organization in 2000 with the following
mission:

Foster communication and collaboration between biogeographers in disparate
academic fields - scientists who would otherwise have little opportunity for substantive
interaction and collaboration.

Increase both the awareness and interests of the scientific community and the lay
public in the contributions of biogeographers.

Promote the training and education of biogeographers so that they may develop sound
strategies for studying and conserving the world’s biota.
36
The next IBS biennial meeting will take place in Crete, Greece, in January 2011 (see p. 23 of this
newletter).
For more information and the latest IBS newsletter check the IBS website:
http://www.biogeography.org/index.htm
7
Current Publications of Commission Members
Singh, R.B. & Suraj Mal (2009): Environmental Change and Biodiversity. Uttarakhand
Experiences. Rawat Publ., Jaipur. 246 pp.
Unprecedented loss and changes in biodiversity are taking palce at the genetic, species and ecosystem
levels, in both terrestrial and marine groups of organisms. One of the major concerns of biodiversity
loss is the reduction in the capacity of natural and managed ecosystems to render quality ecological
services, such as production of food and fibre, carbon storage, nutrient cycling and resistance to
climate and other environmental changes. The extraction of biomass resources such as fuel wood,
fodder, timber etc., which was once within the carrying capacity of forests, has now crossed this limit
in most of the resource-rich areas. Presently, habitat conversion and destruction are eliminating species
at such a rapid pace that extinction of contemporary species is leading to imbalance of ecosystem. The
problem of biodiversity loss needs to be minimized in order to keep the ecosystem functional.
Therefore, assessing the causes and consequences of biodiversity loss and environmental changes, and
establishing the bases for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, are major scientific
challenges of our time.
It is against this backdrop the present study was carried out with multidisciplinary approach to answer
the following questions:
What are the spatial patterns of environmental change and biodiversity loss and their driving forces
across the world in general and the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand in particular?
What are the linkages between land use/cover change, landslides and biodiversity loss?
To what extent community participation can help for conservation of biodiversity?
The book will contribute to India’s efforts in fulfilling the goals of the International Year of Planet
Earth (IYPE), Kyoto Protocol and UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC). It will
be useful for geographers, environmentalists, life scientists, mountain experts and policy makers.
Singh, R.B. (ed.)(2009): Biogeography and Biodiversity. Rawat Publ., Jaipur. 340 pp.
The present volume aims at focusing on biogeographic dimensions, biodiversity conservation and
sustainable use of its components into socio-economic development. A holistic perspective of
biodiversity conservation includes biogeomonitoring and indicators, climate change, tourism, invasive
and alien species. Special attention has been given on mountain, coastal and marine biodiversity,
ecodevelopment in protected areas, local knowledge, technology transfer, education and public
awareness.
The present book comprises 26 chapters relating to conceptual and empirical case studies from the
developed and developing countries. The book also combines science and policy perspectives to the
biogeography and biodiversity. It is useful for students, researchers and teachers coming from
Geography, Environmental Studies, Biosciences, Ecology and Policy Science.
Singh, R.B., Roy, S.D.D., Deva Kumar Samuel, H.G., Dhanabal Singh, V. & G.D. Biji
(eds.)(2009): Geoinformatics for Monitoring and Modelling Land-Use, Biodiversity and
Climate Change. Contribution Towards International Year of Planet Earth. 2 Vols.,
NMC College, Marthandam, Tamil Nadu, India. 275 + 266 pp.
37
The contents of this book indicate distinct interdisciplinary topics such as land use change, climate
change, biodiversity and sustainable development of local people. The book fully integrates these
efforts into a holistic view of emerging research problems. The book tries to bridge the gap between
natural and social sciences by combining approaches from both sides.
The book combines 27 chapters relating to monitoring and modelling using geoinformatics
encompassing land use, biodiversity and climate change. The results of this book will be of help to all
researchers, scientific organizations, NGO’s, practitioners, technicians, and other institutions in their
efforts to make this country and the world a better place to live in.
*****
Please send your information for further issues of this newsletter and any comment to:
schickhoff@geowiss.uni-hamburg.de