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.uni-hamburg.de/i-geogr/

NEWSLETTER1/2008

Contents:

1. Message from the Chair2. Main Event Forthcoming: The International Geographical Congress 2008,

Tunis/Tunisia3. Biogeography and Biodiversity Related Meetings 20084. Reports on Past Meetings and Events5. Organizations6. Research Projects7. Current Publications

1 Message from the Chair

Dear Colleagues,

Welcome to the most recent newsletter of the Commission on Biogeography and Biodiversity. The main focus of this edition is on the programme of activities planned for the International Geographical Congress 2008 in Tunis/Tunisia (please note the call for papers on p. 7). Moreover, you will find detailed information on upcoming meetings and events. In 2007, the Commission held its annual meeting in the Indian Himalayas and conducted a Seminar on Biogeography and Biodiversity,

IGU International Geographical UnionUGI Union Géographique Internationale

locally organized and hosted by the Department of Geography, HNB Garhwal University Srinagar, and the Daliyon Ka Dagriya Research and Development Institute (The Friends of Trees), Srinagar (Garhwal), Uttarakhand, India. In India, biogeography is a thriving sub-discipline. Recently, numerous studies on patterns of biodiversity, implications of global climate change, remote sensing of ecosystem properties, nature conservation, and other biogeographical aspects have been published by Indian scientists. The Commission was pleased to get the opportunity to help foster this development with the 2007 meeting in India. Once again I express my sincere gratitude to Dr. R.B. Singh, Secretary General of the National Association of Geographers, India, and Steering Committee Member of our Commission, to Prof. S.P. Singh, Vice-Chancellor of HNB Garhwal University, to Prof. D.D. Maithani, Head of the Department of Geography, and to Dr. M.S. Panwar, Department of Geography, for supporting the Commission’s work to promote biogeographical teaching, research and scholarship, and for organizing the 2007 annual meeting. We will continue to hold joint meetings with biogeography groups in many 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 in collaboration with the Commission on Land Use and Land Cover Change at the Department of Geography, University of Lucknow, India, March 7-8, 2008. Please note the announcement on p. 8-9.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!

Members of the Steering Committee 2004 – 2008 of our commission are:

Prof. Dr. Udo SCHICKHOFF, University of Hamburg, Germany (Chair)Prof. Dr. Andrew MILLINGTON, Texas A&M University, College Station, USA (Outgoing Chair)Dr. Albert AWETO, University of Ibadan, NigeriaDr. Hugo BEKLE, Edith Cowan University, Perth, AustraliaDr. Mark BLUMLER, SUNY Binghamton, USAProf. Dr. Alvaro GONZALEZ, Universidad de la Republica, Montevideo, UruguayDr. Jennifer HILL, University of West England, Bristol, UKProf. Dr. Kiyoko MIYANISHI, University of Guelph, CanadaDr. R.B. SINGH, University of Delhi, IndiaProf. Dr. David TAYLOR, University of Dublin, IrelandDr. Alexander WEARING, University of Otago, New ZealandDr. Alejandro VELÁZQUEZ, UNAM, Mexico

The Commission continues to register all interested scholars in an e-mailing list.

2 Main Event Forthcoming: The International Geographical Congress 2008, Tunis/Tunisia

The website for online-application is now open for the 2008 Tunis International Geographical Congress. 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.igc-tunis2008.com

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Please see below the formal invitation by the national organizers:

Invitation     On behalf of the community of Tunisian geographers, it is my honour and privilege to invite you to take part in the proceedings of the XXXIst Geographical Congress that will be held in Tunis from August 12th to 15th 2008.

   The 2008 Tunis Congress will be held under the aegis of His Excellency Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, President of the Republic of Tunisia.

    It enjoys the support of the Ministry of Higher Education, Scientific Research and Technology, and is backed by various other ministerial departments and academic and research institutions. 

    The Congress will be held in a country rich of a three thousand years old heritage, and enjoying an exceptional geographical diversity. It is a country of openness and dialogue, offering its hospitality to, and providing all world geographers with the necessary means to grant the success of their congress.

    For this major geographical event, the National Organizing Committee of the 2008 Tunis Congress has planned a scientific agenda meant to further develop the reflection and debates of the past two decades, while highlighting new paradigms and promoting new stances to geographers.

    «Building together our territories» will be the major theme of the Congress. Three major issues will be discussed: the territory; the operational orientation of geography; and the role of the players. Going beyond the classical divides of the discipline, these issues make of geography a science that allows man to live intelligently with the others and his milieu.

    Other breaking-news topics themes are also scheduled for debate. The evolution of geographical thought; Cultures and Civilisations for Human Development; the Renaissance of the Mediterranean; the International Year of the Planet Earth, are, inter alia, some of the issues that will be raised, showing the ability of geographers to share their concerns with others.  Tunis 2008 will provide an ideal forum for geographers to express and confront their visions on the major issues of our time.

    The 2008 Tunis Congress will host 36 IGU committees and 4 working groups whose activities will be integrated in the Congress general agenda.  It will also offer the possibility of convening meetings for the different IGU regional networks (the Commonwealth network, Latin America network, South-East Asia network, Australia and the Pacific network) or for other nascent networks (Mediterranean, Africa, the Arab world, etc). The 2008 Tunis Congress will thus be a collective undertaking, aiming mainly at building and contributing to the renewal of Geography. 

    The excursion programme will be particularly rich. Owing to the diversity of its landscapes (from the Mediterranean forests to the desert, form the coast hills to the hinterland mountains, from the urban centres to the countryside), and because of the multiplicity of dynamics, constraints and the responses brought by society, the country does indeed offer

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limitless opportunities.

    The social programme is no less interesting. Other assets of the country will be made available to you and to those accompanying you, so as to make of the Congress an opportunity to share the charming facets of the life of geographers. Beaches, desert dunes, oases, archaeological sites, festivals, the medinas, etc., are yet other opportunities to extend the Congress into family vacations.

    Dear colleagues,

    We are looking forward to welcoming as many of you as possible so that we can build together this major event in the life of the community of world geographers, while enhancing and renewing the century-old tradition constituted by the International Congress of Geography.

    See you in Tunis 2008.

                                                                                                 The CNOC Chairman

Adnane Hayder   

Registration     The 31st Geographical Congress, Tunis2008, will be held during the tourism high season. The Organizing Committee calls into attention that the registration procedures as well as hotel reservations should be done as soon as possible in order to avoid facing any problem. The organizers will apply the rule “First-come, first-served”. Moreover, abiding by the deadline will allow the participants to benefit from registration and accommodation price fees reductions.

Registration Calendar & Fees

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Please note: The German National Committee of the IGU has been informed most recently, that the registration fees for senior and student participants were reduced and are now 100 EURO less!

 *  Please submit proof of student status

Note: The registration fee include the access to the academic works spaces, the participation in the opening and closing ceremonies, the supplies and the cocktail party.

Other Items

Field trip registration posted fees fort each excursion.Participation in training workshops………………….…posted fees for each workshop.Participation in the welcoming programCocktail Party………………………………….............. (Included in the registration fees)Farwell Diner-Gala………………………………………90 EurosParticipation in the social program…………………….Posted fees for each activity

Important : All reservations concerning these items will be stopped in May 31, 2008

Registration Method 

    To register, please fill out the application form with paying attention to the required sections. After confirmation, it will immediately reach us and will be transmitted to the Congress Secretariat which will, in its turn, send you your file number. Once you have paid

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the fees through the way you have chosen, the Secretariat will transmit your final identifier. For those who will not be able to finalize the registration process from the website of the Congress, it will be possible to download the registration form, fill it out and send it to the congress secretariat. Service contact via email, phone or fax is placed at their disposal by our partner:

Millesima TravelEmail : secretariat@igc-tunis2008.com Tel. : +216 71 28 23 24 / 71 28 23 21 / 71 28 23 30Fax. : +216 71 28 24 82Please feel free to contact Millessima Travel for any change of information or application for an additional allowance.

Payment details

Payments are to be made online using Credit Card or by bank wires to the following bank account:

Beneficiary:  I.G.C Tunis 2008

Bank:  Amen Bank 139 Bis, Boulevard 20 mars Le Bardo - 2000 Tunis

Account Numbers: 

Wires from abroad:

IBAN           : TN 59 0720 6004 1105 8108 6783

Code BIC    : CFCTTNTT 

Wires from Tunisia :

RIB             : 0720 6004 1105 8108 6783 

 Important : Amount indicated are net and must reach integrally the congress bank account, all bank charges are to be paid by sender.

Cancellation Policy 

    All cancellations must reach the congress secretariat by writing (by e-mail :  secretariat@igc-tunis2008.com  or by Fax.: +216 71 28 24 82) before May 31st 2008. Cancellations made before May 31st are subject to 90 Euros cancellation fees, after that date, no refund for cancellation will be possible.  

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Application Form 

Click on this link to get the registration form : APPLICATION FORM

Abstracts     The scientific Committee of the Congress Tunis 2008 is happy to invite you to participate in the workings of the 31st International Geographical Congress by presenting papers or posters that relate to one of the Congress topics. For more information concerning these topics, please go back to the Scientific Program section. Upon receiving your paper, the scientific Committee will send you its decision as soon as possible.

Technical Characteristics

    The abstracts (paper or poster) have to respect the following technical characteristics:- Language: English or French- - Maximum word number: 200 (Title is not included)- - Text: Word- - Font:  Arial- - Size: 12- Justification of the text from right to left- - Bold and centered title.- The name or the author at the centre,  below the title

- Institution and post & e-mail addresses at the centre below the author’s name - No figures, maps, or statistic tables.

Abstract Submission    

    You are kindly invited to fill out the " Abstract Submission form "   in the dynamic module, in order to download your abstract. Whenever you have validated your form, we will immediately receive it and send you a confirmation message. If you have not received this confirmation message, please feel free to contact us at the following email: abstracts@igc-tunis2008.com

Attention: The deadline for abstract submission is fixed to May 31st 2008

Remark : If you can not send us your abstract form electronically (through the dynamic module), for logistics reasons, you can just send it via Fax: +216 71 28 24 82 or by email: abstracts@igc-tunis2008.com . Please do not forget to mention your name and surname, your institution, country and contact.

Activities of the Commission during the main congress / Call for papers

At the Tunis Congress, our Commission intends to organize sessions within the scope of the International Year of Planet Earth (IYPE) special session series (www.yearofplanetearth.org) and within the technical session series. The IYPE special session will be organized in collaboration with Prof. Dr. Annick Douguédroit (Chair of the Commission on Climatology). All participants of the congress are invited to contribute to these sessions. Please send paper proposals to the organizing committee at Tunis or to my address (schickhoff@geowiss.uni-hamburg.de) at your

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earliest convenience. Deadline for submitting abstracts is May 31, 2008. Please follow the above abstract submission details and use the abstract submission form provided at the Tunis Congress website (http://www.igc-tunis2008.com).In addition, the Commission will hold a general meeting for the members of the steering committee and other interested congress participants to discuss and coordinate intended activities for 2009-2012 within the IGU network. The planned date for this meeting will be announced later on.

The Commission is actively planning the following sessions:

1) IYPE special session co-organized by the Commission on Climatology and the Commission on Biogeography and Biodiversity: "Climate Change and Vegetation Dynamics in the 21st Century".Papers in this session will examine biogeographic impacts of climate warming such as shifts in species ranges and biomes, shifts in ecotones such as treelines, changing growth rates of species, changing phenology, required conservation measures etc. Review papers on how organisms are responding to changing temperature or humidity conditions are also welcome.

2) Technical session organized by the Commission on Biogeography and Biodiversity: "Energy, Environment, Global Change".Papers in this session will deal with complex interactions between expanding energy needs and its environmental implications with a special focus on developing countries. Papers are welcome that cover aspects of environmental change and degradation caused by the current and future structure of energy utilization. Major topics include the effects of increasing emissions of greenhouse gases on the biosphere, and interrelationships between traditional fuelwood use and forest degradation/depletion and loss of biodiversity.

The Commission welcomes the other sessions pertaining to biogeographical topics that were already suggested by the Tunis 2008 Scientific Committee:

TST.A.14. Biogeography of Landscapes and MilieusTST.A.15. Analysis and Conservation of BiodiversityTST.A.16. Management and Redevelopment of Natural Reserves and Green Spaces TST.A.17. Degradation and Restoration of Vegetal Formations

Commission members will attend and actively participate in these sessions.

3 Biogeography and Biodiversity Related Meetings 2008

3.1 Second International Conference on Health and Biodiversity25-28 February, 2008Galway, Ireland The conference will aim to advance dialogue and collaboration across sectors on issues linking biodiversity with human health and well-being, and highlight practical cross-sectoral and holistic approaches to addressing the issues.COHAB 2 will review research and action on the links between health and biodiversity since the first COHAB conference in 2005, and highlight relevant developments in international and regional policies on biodiversity, public health and the MDGs. The outputs and impacts of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment will be discussed, while relationships with other multi-lateral projects on climate change, biodiversity conservation, human development and environmental sustainability will be examined. The conference will work to produce a series of evidence-based reports on key issues, for consideration at subsequent multilateral meetings on the environment, health and development. The conference will mix broad discussions with presentations of individual case studies, highlighting

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examples where ecosystem approaches have been taken to address community health and welfare needs.More information: http://www.cohabnet.org/cohab2008

3.2 Climate Change and Biodiversity in the Americas25-29 February, 2008Panama City, PanamaClimate Change and Biodiversity in the Americas brings together top researchers, industry representatives and managers of climate change and forest biodiversity research and monitoring activities from North, Central and South America and the Caribbean. It will provide an opportunity for researchers and decision makers from a wide range of disciplines to share results and information in a pan-American event. The symposium program includes invited keynote and plenary presentations, panel presentations, poster sessions, and study tours. The focus of the symposium will be structured to address regional themes on climate change and biodiversity as well as approaches, techniques and integrated studies. This symposium will allow participants to collaborate with other managers of climate and forest biodiversity monitoring networks, compare data from across the Americas, share local strategies, learn latest advances in adaptation and gain an understanding of threats and impacts to biodiversity as a result of a changing climate.More information: http://www.climatechangeandbiodiversity.ca

3.3 International Seminar on Land Use Land Cover Change and Agro-Biodiversity 7-8 March 2008Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, IndiaCo-organisers: IGU Commission on Land Use and Land Cover Change, IGU Commission on Biogeography and Biodiversity, Department of Geography, National Post Graduate College, University of Lucknow, IndiaContact person: Dr. P.K. Singh, Head, Department of Geography, National P.G. College, Lucknow-226001, U.P., India, Tel.: +91 522-6543659, E-mail: pksingh_geo@yahoo.co.inLand use changes are cumulatively transforming land cover and agro-biodiversity continuously at local to global level. In global spatial ecosystems, these changes are related to the issue of sustainability of socio-economic development, since they affect basic parts of our natural wealth such as climate, soils, vegetation, water resources and agro-biodiversity. In present era of globalization, it is established feet that land use change is a major driver of global change, through its interaction with climate, ecosystem processes, biogeochemical cycles, agro-biodiversity and human activities. There is great need of present world from local to global level to study the burning issue of land use land cover change and agro-biodiversity for understanding recent critical changes in earth’s environment.This seminar will focus on global change due to land use land cover change and agro-biodiversity and the medium through which many human responses to global change will occur. It is clearly an essential component in all considerations of sustainability. Land use land cover change is building bridge between all sciences. It is a pathfinder seminar for all researchers and scientists who are interested to study the role of land use land cover change as a central issue for global change and sustainable planning.Themes:

Role of remote sensing and GIS for monitoring land use and land cover change Historical development of land use change and biodiversity Agro-biodiversity: challenges and responses Development and plantation of medicinal and aromatic plants Land use and land cover changes in Uttar Pradesh and its environmental implication Dangerous spatial pattern of land use land cover in fringe areas of cities in Uttar Pradesh Land use and land cover changes impact on biodiversity Land use and land cover changes: international and national policies Biodiversity: international and national policies and planning framework Land resource management for sustainable agricultural growth with reference to U.P., India

and World Land care movements and youth Panchayati Raj institution and land resource development

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InvitationCommunity people, practitioners, technicians, academicians, NGOs, research and other institutions are invited to attend this seminar. The seminar will be a forum for national and international experts on the above subjects. The programme includes talks and discussions followed by deliberations for recommendations. Moreover, poster sessions will be organized during the seminar.Field Trip (March 9-11, 2008)Programme of the field trip includes visit to Taj Mahal, urban industrial development and LUCC, impact of LUCC on environment, biodiversity hot spots.Registrations at the organizing secretary: Dr. P.K. Singh, Head, Department of Geography, National P.G. College, Lucknow-226001, U.P., India, Tel.: +91 522-6543659, E-mail: pksingh_geo@yahoo.co.in

3.4 Workshop on advanced prediction of biome boundary shifts in regional and global dynamic vegetation models4-7 March, 2008Yokohama, JapanThe main objective of this workshop is to address the following question: how to simulate biome boundary shifts (BBS) in large scale dynamic vegetation models and how do such simulations influence Earth System Models?This workshop will provide a forum to discuss and develop improved methods for predicting future dynamics of vegetation patterns at large spatial scales as affected by climate change and land use, in particular at biome boundaries. The long-term goal is to improve existing vegetation models or to develop new models that are reliable, robust and can be included in earth system models for studying biosphere-atmosphere feedbacks. Participants will exchange knowledge and views of ecological processes, model requirements, the required theoretical background (e.g., upscaling) and computational methods (e.g., efficient implementations) required for model development and testing. For this workshop, the focus will be shifted from plant migration and dispersal alone to plant Biome Boundary Shifts (BBS) in general. Furthermore, biodiversity is one but not the only good to be safeguarded, the interaction with the entire Earth System, including human systems will be looked at.More information: http://www.glp.hokudai.ac.jp/link1/BiomeBoundaryWs.html

3.5 2nd Annual Meeting of the Specialist Group of Macroecology - Ecological Society of Germany, Austria and Switzerland (GfÖ)10-11 March, 2008Bonn, GermanyThe annual meeting of the Specialist Group on Macroecology aims to give the opportunity for fruitful discussions to everybody interested in macroecology. As decided at our last meeting at the GfÖ 2007 in Marburg, the conference language will be English to allow participation of foreign scientists. Presentations not only by senior researchers but as well by young scientist are welcomed. To stimulate the discussion we invited Prof. Carsten Rahbek (Copenhagen) as plenary speaker.More information: http://www.nees.uni-bonn.de/macroecology08/index.html

3.5 Mountain Forests in a Changing World02-04 April, 2008Vienna, AustriaThe conference aims at presenting advances in mountain forest research in the broad context of sustainable management of mountain areas as well as highlighting and discussing the role of academic education for sustainable resource management. The outcome will help us to integrate new ideas and results in our curricula and also serve as a contribution to stimulate collaborative action on mountain forest research and education in the context of the Mountain Partnership.More information: http://mountainforestry.boku.ac.at

3.6 International DanBIF Conference “Biodiversity Informatics and ClimateChange Impacts on Life”05-06 April, 2008

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Aarhus, DenmarkThe conference will address one of the most pressing scientific questions related to 21st century global warming: To what extent will global warming affect Earth's biodiversity including the natural systems that sustain human societies? The large-scale and long-term nature of this issue makes it exceedingly difficult to address by the traditional experimental approach. As evidenced by many studies, a biodiversity approach, capitalizing on recent gains in computing power, statistics, and data availability (as spear-headed by the Global Biodiversity information Facility, GBIF), is needed for broad synthetic assessments of the risks associated with the ongoing and predicted global warming. At the conference a suite of the World's leading scientists in biodiversity informatics and climate change biology will come together to provide a cutting-edge overview of the likely biodiversity consequences of 21st century global warming. Hereby the conference will provide an invaluable basis for the crucial further scientific progress on this issue and for policy makers and the climate change research community in general. The conference will cover the key issues that needs to be addressed by a biodiversity informatics approach to climate change biology. More information: http://www.danbif.dk/conference2008

3.7 Impact Assessment of Land Use Changes06-09 April, 2008Berlin, GermanyThe conference will bring together the scientific expertise on impact assessment, land use and landscape research, environmental economics, agriculture, forestry, rural sociology, urbanisation and the science policy interface.Innovative results on impact assessment related to land use and policy making will be shared within an interdisciplinary forum to promote sustainable development.The conference is meant for researchers with an interest in land use and impact assessment, landscape research, environmental economics, agriculture, forestry, rural sociology, urbanization and science policy interface for political decision makers at national and super-national levels and professionalsMore information: http://www.sensor-conference2008.eu/

3.8 23rd Annual Meeting of the USIALE “Landscape Patterns and Ecosystem Processes”06-10 April, 2008Madison, WI, USAContemporary landscape ecology continues to explore the causes and consequences of landscape heterogeneity across a range of scales, and demand for the scientific underpinnings of landscape planning and management remains high. The 23rd annual symposium will focus on one of the current frontiers in landscape ecology: understanding the patterns, causes, and consequences of spatial heterogeneity for ecosystem function. Spatial fluxes of matter, energy and information influence the functioning of individual ecosystems and heterogeneous landscapes, but progress at the interface of ecosystem and landscape ecology has been relatively slow compared to other areas. Integrating the understanding gained from ecosystem and landscape ecology will enhance progress in both disciplines while generating new insights into how landscapes function.More information: http://www.cof.orst.edu/org/usiale/madison2008/

3.9 Symposium and Workshop: Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services in Agricultural Landscapes07-11 April, 2008Davis, CA, USAA symposium and workshop to be held at UC Davis in April, 2008, on integrative approaches for studying biodiversity and ecosystem services in agricultural landscapes. The symposium would be for a half-day and open to the campus community. A three and a half-day workshop of the DIVERSITASagroBIODIVERSITY network would follow to design a set of interdisciplinary research proposals and a produce review paper. There will also be a one-day field trip. Integrative approaches and tools for quantifying biodiversity, ecosystem services, and social contexts for adoption is the main theme. The goal is to combine „top-down“ and „bottom up“ approaches, so that research on landscape processes is combined with mechanistic understanding of localized ecosystem functions. Conceptual models on productivity/biodiversity/livelihoods relationships will be developed within a set of international sites

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where scientists have joined local stakeholders in innovation toward biodiversity-friendly sustainable agriculture, based on concerns about current trends toward agricultural intensification and degradation of environmental quality. This involves an ecosystem approach (CBD, 2004) in which biophysical (e.g., ecology, soil science) and social sciences (e.g., economics, anthropology) together provide understanding of the spectrum of patterns and processes that define certain kinds of systems, including their ecological and economic functions and services. A set of guidelines, indicators, and simple models will be developed for determining how research can show the value of the use and conservation of biodiversity in agricultural landscapes, in a way that takes an integrated perspective across the landscape mosaic.More information: http://www.diversitas-international.org/uploads/File/agroBIODIVERSITY_workshop.pdf

3.10 Systematics 200807-11 April, 2008Goettingen, GermanyIt is a pleasure to invite you to the international conference "Systematics 2008" to be held in Göttingen, Germany, 7-11 April 2008. Systematics 2008 is the first joint meeting of the Gesellschaft für Biologische Systematik (GfBS) and the German Botanical Society, section Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology (DBG), being the 10th Annual Meeting of the GfBS and the 18th International Symposium "Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology" of the DBG.The congress will take place in the Central Lecture Hall Building ("Zentrales Hörsaalgebäude", ZHG) of the University of Göttingen, conveniently located near the city centre at 5-10 minutes walking distance from the train station. The conference programme will be very broad, covering biological systematics in the widest sense and providing ample opportunities for oral and poster presentations on new advances in plant, animal and microbial systematics. Three plenary morning sessions with invited speakers will focus on "Progress in Deep Phylogeny", "Speciation and Phylogeography", and "New Trends in Biological Systematics". Afternoon sessions will feature contributed talks and poster sessions. Sessions topics include fields such as Biodiversity and Conservation, Biogeography, Coevolution,  Lateral Gene Transfer, Molecular Clocks, Molecular Evolution, Molecular Phylogeny, Morphology, Nomenclature, Palaeontology, Phylogeny, Phylogeography, Radiation, Reticulate Evolution, Speciation, Structure and Function, Taxonomy, etc. In addition, there will be ample room for workshops, business meetings, social gatherings, excursions, etc.More information: http://www.systematics2008.com/

3.11 104th Annual Association of American Geographers Meeting15-19 April, 2008Boston, MA, USAThe Annual Meeting of the Association of American Geographers attracts geographers and related professionals from around the world. Our meeting forum stimulates discussion about research, education, accomplishments, and developments in geography.Join 7,000 geographers and friends at the 2008 Annual Meeting of the Association of American Geographers for:

The Latest ResearchFeatured panels of distinguished researchers, and over 4,000 papers and presentations.

Special Guest Speakers Including Noam Chomsky and Jeffrey Sachs.

Boston Welcome CelebrationLive music, dancing, good food and fun for all!

Exposition HallGeographic technologies, books, posters, special displays, and more.

Field TripsExplore the rich cultural and physical geographies of Boston and the New England region!

Many Other EventsJobs in Geography, International Reception, AAG Banquet, World Geography Bowl, Boston Film Series, and more.

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More information: http://aag.org/annualmeetings/2008/index.htm

3.12 17th International Workshop "European Vegetation Survey"01-04 May, 2008Brno, Czech RepublicPhytosociological relevés have been traditionally used for description of plant communities across landscapes. Although this focus remains central in most current projects of vegetation survey, the wealth of data contained in phytosociological databases has an unrivalled potential for addressing various research questions spanning from population ecology through community ecology to macroecology. The aim of this workshop is exploring how phytosociological data can be used for asking and answering ecological questions, and what are the potential pitfalls of such studies. This broad topic can be divided into the following partial topics:

Macroecological analyses Vegetation change as a part of the processes of global change Problems of quality of phytosociological data

Besides the main workshop topic, there will be room for presentations of progress in vegetation survey in different countries and new developments in vegetation survey. Presentations not falling in the main workshop topic will be preferably given in the poster sessions.The workshop will include the following optional activities:

Pre-workshop course „Analysis of phytosociological data using the JUICE program“ organized by Lubomír Tichý and Milan Chytrý

Post-workshop excursion to the Podyjí/Thayatal National Park More information: http://botzool.sci.muni.cz/EVS/index.php

3.13 4th IGBP Congress: Sustainable Livelihood in a Changing Earth System05-08 May, 2008Cape Town, South AfricaIGBP Congresses are major events occurring every four years. They bring together the leadership of the IGBP community to discuss forward-looking scientific issues that cut across the programme and aid integration and synthesis. By 2008, IGBP will be well into its second phase of research and the 4th Congress is designed to aid the development of the scientific agenda for the period 2008-2013.The agenda will include a mixture of plenary presentations and working group discussions. It emphasises integration across traditional boundaries and disciplines, and on interaction with the Joint Projects of the Earth System Science Partnership (ESSP). Furthermore, the Congress will allow direct contact between the IGBP Scientific Steering Committees and IGBP National Committee representatives. Guests will be invited from ICSU, DIVERSITAS, IHDP, WCRP, SCOR and other partner organisations operating at the regional level (such as IAI, APN and AfricanNESS) and local stakeholders (the public, the private sector and the policy community).More information: http://igbp2008.co.za/index.php?id=22

3.14 Biodiversity Research - Safeguarding the Future: A pre-COP 9 scientific event13-16 May, 2008Bonn, GermanyThe governing body of the Convention on Biological Diversity will have its ninth meeting (“COP 9”) in Bonn/Germany in May 19-30, 2008. To channel results and needs of biodiversity research into the political discussion, the associated scientific meeting “Biodiversity Research – Safeguarding the Future“ will take place May 12 – 16 in Bonn (see www.precop9.org). The meeting is being organized by IUBS, DIVERSITAS, the host institutions in Bonn (Museum Koenig, NEES Institute, University Bonn), the German Science Foundation (DFG), the German Federal Foundation for the Environment (DBU),and Solar World. As in the past, the COP meeting will negotiate predominantly biodiversity-related political issues, and there is increasing complaint about ignoring the importance of biodiversityresearch in the discussions and the resulting hindrance of basic and applied research into biodiversity by political regulations. Following up on the successful event organised in the margins of COP8 entitled “Biodiversity: the Megascience in focus” (Curitiba, Brazil, March 15-19, 2006), this event will feature prominent biodiversity scientists on three key themes for CBD-COP delegates:Symposium I: Acceleration of Biodiversity Assessment and Inventorying

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Symposium II: Biodiversity: Functions and usesSymposium III: Biodiversity Change – The 2010 Target and BeyondMore information: http://www.diversitas-international.org/uploads/File/CBD_COP9_Description_Conference.pdf

3.15 10th Annual Meeting of AK Biogeographie15-18 May, 2008Isle of Vilm, GermanyMore information: http://www.biogeographie.org/events.htm

3.16 Ninth Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 9) – Convention on Biological Diversity19-30 May, 2008Bonn, GermanyCOP 9 will include a high-level ministerial segment organized by the host country in consultation with the Secretariat and the Bureau. The high-level segment will take place from 28 to 30 May 2008 at the World Conference Center Bonn. COP 9 will also coincide with the International Biodiversity Day, on 22 May 2008. The Conference of the Parties will be invited to hold a special plenary session to celebrate this event.More information: http://www.cbd.int/cop9/

3.17 3rd Conference of the Competence Network Urban Ecology “Urban Biodiversity and Design — Implementing the Convention of Biological Diversity in towns and cities”21-24 May, 2008Erfurt, GermanyWe would like to warmly invite you to the cultural heart of Germany for the 3rd Conference of the Competence Network Urban Ecology. Our international conference “Urban Biodiversity and Design” will summarise for the first time in a global context current scientific and practical approaches of implementing the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in urban areas. Our conference based in the neighbouring historic cities of Erfurt and Weimar will draw upon the legacy heritage of over 1000 years of urban settlement as well as considering the challenges of the worlds more recent and faster growing cities. The conference will be attractive to all disciplines involved in research, planning, design and management of the green urban environment including biologists, ecologists, landscape architects and planners, horticulturists, urban designers and local government administrators. Our conference will support the Curitiba Declaration 2007 “Cities and Biodiversity” and contribute to the discussions on taking forward “Local Action for Biodiversity” in urban areas. Together with the "Mayors Conference-Local Action for Biodiversity " in Bonn 26. - 28. May 2008   the conference will promote greater awareness of the important role of our towns and cities at the 9th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 9) in Bonn. More information: http://www.urbio2008.com/

3.18 22nd Annual Meeting of the Society for Conservation Biology “From the Mountain to the Sea”13-18 July, 2008Chattanooga, TN, USAThe Society for Conservation Biology Annual Meeting is recognized to be the most important international meeting for conservation professionals and students. Annual Meetings are a forum for addressing conservation challenges. They are the global venue for presenting and discussing new research and developments in conservation science and practice. Most importantly, they connect our global community of conservation professionals and serve as the major networking outlet for anyone interested in conservation. Our attendees are concerned with the science and practice of conserving biological diversity. SCB Global Meeting brings together conservation professionals and students from every sector of the field including the biological and social sciences, management, policy, and planning. Attendees work for universities, government agencies, non-governmental organizations, private foundations and organizations, and publications. They are scientists, students, managers, decision-makers, writers, and

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other conservation professionals from throughout the world. Some come to present, others come for the incredible networking opportunities of the meetings, so do not hesitate to come! More information: http://www.conbio.org/2008/

3.19 8th INTECOL Wetland Conference “Big Wetlands, Big Concerns”20-25 July, 2008Cuiabá, BrazilWetlands belong to the most threatened ecosystems worldwide, as clearly demonstrated by the tremendous deterioration and loss of small and medium-sized wetlands all over the globe. At the first glance, large wetlands seem to be better protected against human impact by their large extension, and, certainly, they have a greater buffer capacity against many human activities that threaten small wetlands. However, they suffer additional different types of threats because human populations inside the wetlands and mainly in their vast catchments are much larger and their activities more diversified. Therefore, efficient protection requires complex, long term management plans not only for the wetlands but for the entire catchment areas. The elaboration of such management strategies often requires agreements between states or countries. These agreements should include not only a wide range of activities that may affect the wetlands directly and indirectly, such as the use of water and soils, the development of industries and infrastructure, waste treatment and disposal, but also harmonization of environmental legislation for an efficient protection of the biota. The 8th INTECOL Congress in Cuiabá is a proper forum to call, among other aspects of wetland ecology, special attention to these problems, because the Pantanal and its catchment are shared by three countries (Brazil, Bolivia and Paraguay) while two countries (Uruguay and Argentina) participate downstream on the middle and lower Parana/Paraguay River, thus to be affected by any major modifications within the Pantanal upstream.More information: http://www.cppantanal.org.br/intecol/

3.20 93rd Ecological Society of America Annual Meeting “Enhancing Ecological Thought byLinking Research and Education”03-08 August, 2008Milwaukee, WI, USAModern biology has become highly interdisciplinary, with new insights arising from consideration of connections within and between biotic systems at multiple scales. Ecologists regularly consider processes from the genomic level to those at planetary scales in order to elucidate interactions within natural systems. The educational challenges arising from the diverse scales and disciplines impinging on ecology provide a theme for this meeting. These challenges vary from those focused on public understanding of complex issues such as global-change, to one-on-one mentoring of students who may feel overwhelmed by the volume of material in even sub-fields of ecology.How do we transmit our enhanced understanding while acknowledging the inherent complexities of the biota and associated limitations on our ability to provide precise predictions? This gathering will illustrate instances in which research endeavors benefited from careful attention to public policy concerns, outreach and educational activities.This highlights our continuing attempts to relate research to policy and management and to communicate effectively the implications of our research. Opportunities exist for enterprising students at all levels to carry out fascinating ecological research. Incorporating interdisciplinary concepts is central to both public understanding of ecology and our ability to educate the ecologists of the future. This gathering will illustrate how effective collaborations are developed amongst the numerous disciplines related to ecology. Milwaukee, Wisconsin, located on the shores of Lake Michigan, offers many opportunities to explore this theme. Milwaukee is a hub of both academic research institutions and public environmental science and outreach centers, including the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, the Milwaukee Public Museum, the Urban Ecology Center, the Milwaukee County Zoo, and the new Discovery World and Pier Wisconsin. There is a strong tradition of public-private partnerships, and the need for interdisciplinary research and outreach is exemplified in Great Lakes management. Research on large lake systems requires linkages between the physical, chemical and biological sciences, spanning processes from the molecular to the ecosystem, with impacts at several scales of human activity. The public is acutely

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aware of ecological issues related to Lake Michigan, providing opportunities for this gathering to enhance public education and outreach.More information: http://www.esa.org/milwaukee/

3.21 31st International Geographical Congress “Building Together Our Territories!”12-15 August, 2008Tunis, TunisiaSee pp. 3-8 in this newsletter.More information: http://www.homeofgeography.org

3.22 12th International Palynological Congress and 8th International Organisation of Palaeobotany Conference30 August-05 September, 2008Bonn, GermanyThe next major international conferences in paleobotany and palynology, the 12 th International Palynological Congress (IPC-XII 2008) and the 8th International Organisation of Palaeobotany Conference (IOPC-VIII 2008), will be held in Bonn, Germany, from August 30 to September 5, 2008. The joint congress is hosted by the German paleobotanists and palynologists, under the auspices of the Arbeitskreis für Palaeobotanik und Palynologie.This promises to be a historical event, as both professional associations will not only be meeting in the same city, but at the same time and at the same place. To further interaction and integration between paleobotanists and palynologists, there will be joint symposia and sessions, as well as plenary lectures of interest to both fields. Moreover, the single registration fee for both conferences will encourage participants to move freely between the sessions of both disciplines.The opening ceremony will be held on the afternoon of Saturday, August 30, and will be followed by two keynote presentations and the icebreaker party. On the Mid-Congress Break on Tuesday, September 2, several all-day field trips will be offered, including tours to the Neogene lignite deposits of the Lower Rhine Embayment, Tertiary and Quaternary volcanic and fossil deposits in the Eifel Mountains, the famous Messel quarry, and the Permian of the Saar-Nahe Basin. For those who prefer to take in the local culture during the Mid-Congress Break, there will be sightseeing tours in Cologne and Bonn. The Congress Dinner is scheduled for Wednesday evening, September 3, and will take place on a Rhine cruiser on the beautiful Rhine River. This part of the Rhine Valley, with its steep vineyards, and many romantic castles and ruins, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The closing ceremony of the congress will be held on the afternoon of Friday, September 5.A great diversity of paleobotanical and palynological topics will be offered in the over 50 symposium and poster sessions at the congress. Most symposia will feature a keynote speaker, and poster sessions will be held in a centrally located area. A daily series of plenary lectures on paleobotany, palynology, and especially on interdisciplinary areas will be offered as well.More information: http://www.paleontology.uni-bonn.de/congress08/index.htm

3.23 Climate Change and Systematics01-03 September, 2008Dublin, IrelandThis conference will be held in Trinity College Dublin from 1-3 September 2008. The conference is being organised by the Department of Botany, School of Natural Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland on behalf of the Systematics Association and the Linnean Society.The conference will provide a forum for systematists to present and discuss their research as it relates to the critical issue of Global Climate Change. The conference is open to everyone, whatever their chosen discipline within systematics.The meeting will examine the problems posed by Global Climate Change and will centre on three themes: 1. Climate change and speciation/extinction; 2. Climate change and biogeography; 3. Climate change: documenting and conserving biodiversity.More information: http://www.tcd.ie/Botany/Conference.php

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3.24 XIIIth World Water Congress “Global Changes and Water Resources”01-04 September, 2008Montpellier, FranceFollowing the successful congresses in Melbourne (2000), Madrid (2003) and Delhi (2005), we are greatly honoured to organise in Montpellier (France) the XIIIth World Water Congress in September 2008, under the auspices of the International Water Resources Association (IWRA). Located in the south of France, Montpellier has always been a gateway between Northern countries and Mediterranean and tropical countries. Its significance grows as one considers the criticality of improved water resources for sustainable development. We wish this Congress to be a place of opportunity for wide and open debate between all the key players in the water domain: scientists, local and national authorities, private companies, users and decision makers, representatives from the North and from the South. To achieve this purpose and to increase the impact of the Congress on non-specialists, we plan to organise numerous parallel events open to the wider public. We are very happy to share with you our enthusiasm to improve water management throughout the world, for the benefi t of human development in harmony with the environment.More information: http://wwc2008.msem.univ-montp2.fr/

3.25 51st Annual Symposium of the International Association for Vegetation Science “Frontiers in Vegetation Science – An Evolutionary Angle”07-12 September, 2008Stellenbosch University, South AfricaThe International Association for Vegetation Science (IAVS; www.iavs.org) is a bona fide scientific society supporting research in the field of vegetation science, one of the core scientific ecological disciplines. The IAVS is a very active scientific body, organizing usually one (rarely two) general annual meetings, publishing two international journals – Journal of Vegetation Science and Applied Vegetation Science (www.opuluspress.se). IAVS also supports several sub-units which pursue the aims of the IAVS on regional level and in specialised working groups. After having held most of the past meetings in the Northern Hemisphere, the IAVS will hold its annual meeting for the first time in Africa. The main focus of the symposium will be the link between vegetation science and evolutionary biology. The title of our meeting - “Frontiers of Vegetation Science – An Evolutionary Angle”- alludes symbolically to the challenges that vegetation science as a discipline is currently facing. Technologically driven progress in evolutionary research is changing the face of many traditional biological sciences. Vegetation science, should (and to some extent already does) react to this new phase of evolutionary research by reaching out to ecological disciplines traditionally closer to evolutionary biology (population biology, palaeo-ecology) and implementing tools of evolutionary research in explaining structure and dynamics of vegetation. The field of interaction and cooperation is enormous and is ripe for exploration and discovery. The major aim of our meeting is to extend the interface and to deepen the cooperation between the evolutionary research and vegetation science.More information: http://academic.sun.ac.za/iavs2008/index.htm

3.26 6th European Conference on Ecological Restoration “Towards a sustainable future forEuropean ecosystems. Providing restoration guidelines for Natura 2000 habitats and species“08-12 September, 2008Ghent, BelgiumThe protection and improvement of biodiversity is essential if Europe is to enjoy a prosperous and sustainable future. If we are to maintain, protect and improve our biodiversity then restoration and upgrading of the ecological function of degraded habitats will play a key part in any future policy. Within the European Union, The Natura 2000 network is the cornerstone of biodiversity policy. To restore, maintain and improve the status of the species and habitats in the network is a major challenge, particularly in the face of the increasing pressures, including climate change.The aim of the conference is to present the state of the art in ecological restoration and to bring together scientists, policy makers, practitioners and stakeholders. Through lectures, workshops, poster sessions and excursions the conference offers a unique opportunity for transboundary contacts and exchange of knowledge, experiences and good practices in ecological restoration and conservation with particular reference to the Natura 2000 network.

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More information: http://www.ser2008.be/

3.27 EURECO-GFOE 2008 “Biodiversity in an Ecosystem Context”15-19 September, 2008Leipzig, GermanyThe EURECO-GFOE 2008 is a joint meeting of the EEF - European Ecological Federation, the umbrella organisation of the national ecological societies in Europe, and the GFOE - the Ecological Society of Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The conference will take place at the Congress Center Leipzig (CCL) in the area of the New Fair Leipzig. It is organised by the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ and the Universities of Halle and Leipzig. The organisation is supported by F&U confirm (Leipzig). This international conference addresses issues of international relevance and interest. Additionally, it offers the opportunity for EU-funded projects and initiatives (ALARM, ALTER-Net, BIOSCORE, COCONUT, DAISIE, MACIS, ESF etc.) to present their results to the wider scientific community. The EURECO-GFOE 2008 explicitly addresses scientists from all European nations and from a broad range of scientific areas in ecology. It is of particular importance for students and young scientists and offers them the opportunity to meet leading researchers in the field of ecology. Moreover, the meeting will also provide an opportunity to foster cooperation between scientists from different countries and should lead to closer integration between researchers working on specific aspects of ecology. The presentation of ongoing projects financed by the EU should encourage people to develop integrative scientific networks and partnerships which enhance their chances to join future EU-funded projects.More information: http://www.eureco-gfoe2008.ufz.de/

3.28 International Scientific Conference on Tropical Rainforests and Agroforests under Global Change05-09 October, 2008Kuta, Bali, IndonesiaTropical rainforests disappear at an alarming rate causing unprecedented losses in biodiversity and ecosystem services. Despite an increased recognition of the value of these goods at national and international levels, rainforests continue to be seriously threatened by human-induced global change such as agricultural intensification and climate change. Understanding these processes needs an integrated scientific approach linking ecological, economic and social approaches at different scales, from the household and village level to landscapes and regions.The global human population is expected to increase further in the near future with the probable consequence of an expansion and intensification of agriculture and the associated destructive impacts on the natural environment. These impacts will particularly happen in regions where agricultural intensification is a relatively recent process such as frontier zones in the humid tropics. Currently, too little is known how to control this process and to identify ecological-socioeconomic trade-offs or synergies of land use and conservation. Land-use systems need management decisions based on the assessment of environmental costs and benefits and a thorough knowledge of ecosystem properties.Human-induced climate change is already causing changes in extremes of temperatures and precipitation and is likely to continue for many centuries affecting tropical forest growth and carbon stocks. Climate scenarios predict a warming trend and more frequent occurrence of droughts of increasing severity. Such scenarios are of serious concern for the future of the rainforest and agroforestry that depend on irrigation or regular rainfall. Assessments of land-use practices need to be linked to sustainable alternatives with concepts and data-driven models of large-scale land-use change in tropical, human-dominated landscapes.More information: http://www.globalchange-2008.org

3.29 World Conservation Congress05-14 October, 2008Barcelona, SpainIUCN is pleased to invite its members and partners to attend the next IUCN World Conservation Congress, to be hosted by the Ministry of Environment of Spain and the Ministry of Environment and Housing of Catalonia in Barcelona (5 to 14 October 2008). The Provisional Agenda for the Congress can be found here [PDF]. The registration system for the Congress will open online in February 2008

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under this website. In order to ensure that our Congress is as ‘green’ as possible, the IUCN Council, at its recent meeting, decided that all Congress related information and documentation shall be sent in electronic format, unless a member organization specifically requires printed copies. If you require printed copies of the documentation or if you would like to communicate any changes in your above email address please let us know by sending an email to congress-members@iucn.org. As in the past and as a matter of priority, IUCN will make every effort to raise funds to ensure maximum participation of IUCN member organizations from countries in need. Please contact your nearest IUCN Regional Office if you require such financial assistance. We also ask members from countries or organizations that are able, to think about sponsoring members to attend the Congress. The Congress, one of the world’s most important environmental events, consists of a 4-day Forum run by our members and partners discussing cutting edge ideas, thinking and practice. The Forum leads into the 4-day IUCN Members’ Assembly, a unique global environmental parliament of governments and NGOs. This Congress will be particularly special. Sixty years ago in Fontainebleau, France, on 5 October 1948, a handful of true visionaries created our Union. Barcelona, on 5 October 2008, will welcome more than 8,000 people celebrating IUCN’s birthday, looking back on 60 years of achievement, and forward to the future.More information: http://www.iucn.org/congress/2008

3.30 Tropentag 2008: Competition for Resources in a Changing World. New Drive for Rural Development07-09 October, 2008Stuttgart-Hohenheim, GermanyThe annual Conference on Tropical and Subtropical Agricultural and Natural Resource Management (TROPENTAG) is jointly organised by the universities of Bonn, Göttingen, Hohenheim, Kassel-Witzenhausen, Hamburg (2009), Zürich (2010) as well as by the Council for Tropical and Subtropical Research (ATSAF e.V) in co-operation with the GTZ Advisory Service on Agricultural Research for Development (BEAF).Tropentag 2008 will be held in Hohenheim. All students, Ph.D. students, scientists, extensionists, decision makers, politicians and practical farmers, interested and engaged in Agricultural Research and Rural Development in the Tropics and Subtropics are invited to participate and to contribute.Target of the conferenceThe 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.Plenary sessionThe growing demand for food for a still rapidly increasing population in the South, an alarming decrease in available arable land, increasing impact of climate change and the emergence of bioenergy production as a new powerful and competitive player enhance the competition for resources in a changing World. Invited international speakers will present their view on these recent trends and analyse who will actually benefit from the new drive for rural development.Eiselen award plenary sessionOn the occasion of this conference a special plenary session will be devoted to the presentation of the"Hans H. Ruthenberg-Graduate-Award" and the "Josef G. Knoll European Science Award 2008" by the "Eiselen Foundation", Ulm.Oral and poster presentationsThe Tropentag 2008 entitled "Competition for Resources in a Changing World - New Drive for Rural Development" particularly welcomes contributions pertaining to rural development, hunger and poverty alleviation, climate change issues, the conflicting field of food vs. bioenergy production, and their environmental repercussions and influences of globalisation on these topics. The Tropentag will be organised in four sessions of five parallel thematic groups. Each session will be opened by an invited keynote lecture, to be followed by four original papers. Posters contributing to the different topics will be introduced during a plenary session on the first day at early evening time. On the second day there will be two parallel guided poster sessions around lunch time.

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More information: http://www.tropentag.de/

3.31 Social Challenges of Global Change - IHDP Open Meeting 200815-19 October, 2008New Delhi, IndiaWhile still reaching out to the large and diverse international human dimensions community, it is expected that this Open Meeting will be highly applicable to the South Asian region generally and India in particular. Together with the local host and co-organizer, a unique developing-country institution with a main focus on energy, environment and sustainable development on a global perception and a local focus, the IHDP will follow up on outcomes from the last Open Meeting in Bonn in 2005, which tried to outline the need for a more specific and selective scientific approach. With the theme of the 7th Open Meeting, “Social Challenges of Global Change,” IHDP wants to indicate the need to incorporate not only the general discussion about climate change, but also many other environmental changes which happen in our society: resource shortages, the destruction of ecosystem services, new threats to human health. At the first planning meeting of the ISPC, which took place in Bonn at the end of June 2007, the planning committee agreed on four core questions, which should cover the widespread aspects of Social Challenges of Global Change:

How do we deal with demographic challenges? How do we deal with limitations of resources and ecosystem services? How do we maintain social cohesion while increasing (global) equity? How do we adapt institutions to address global change?

Contributions to this conference will need to relate to one of the questions mentioned above and the numerous cross-cutting issues and topics that intersect them, as laid out in the 7th Open Meeting concept note.More information: http://www.ihdp.org/

3.32 IALE-D Annual Meeting 2008 “Global Change and Landscape Response – Die Rückkopplungen von Landschaften auf den Globalen Wandel“30 October - 02 November, 2008Bonn, GermanyMore information: http://www.giub.uni-bonn.de/loeffler/IALE08/basis_iale08.htm

3.33 World Conference on Marine Biodiversity11-15 November, 2008Valencia, SpainAims

To review the current understanding of marine biodiversity, its role in marine ecosystem functioning and its socio-economic context

To assess current and future threats and potential mitigation strategies for conservation and regulation of marine resources

To identify future research priorities Please consider attending this meeting to report your results and encourage your colleagues to attend. There is a maximum number of 500 attendees, which will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Do not wait to the last minute to register or you may find registration closed once 500 attendees have registered. The final programme will be communicated in May 2008.More information: http://www.marbef.org/worldconference

3.34 4th International Conference of the International Biogeography Society08-12 January, 2009Mérida, MéxicoYour IBS Board and specifically Ella Vázquez-Domínguez and the Local Committee at the Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Autónoma de México, México D.F. invite you to plan ahead now to attend the 2009 biennial meetings of the IBS in Mérida, Yucatán, México from 8 to 12 January 2009.We’re looking for symposium topics that will continue and enhance our success of involving biogeographers from diverse disciplines, intrigue those underrepresented sciences (e.g., paleo,

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geography, and geology) and the general public, and also be most pertinent to the regional setting. We’re currently considering the following topics for four symposia:− Environmental Change and Ecological Collapse;− K-T Boundary extinctions;− Diversification Across the Neotropical-Nearctic Transition Zone;− Biogeography of Paleoboundaries and Paleo Hotspots;− Caribbean Biogeography—Integrating Marine & Terrestrial Biogeography;− the Great American Biotic Exchange;− Human Biogeography and the Biogeography of Infectious Diseases;− Asian American Disjuncts.More information: http://www.biogeography.org/meetings.htm

4 Reports on Past Meetings and Events4.1 3rd Biennial Conference of the International Biogeography Society09-13 January, 2007Tenerife, SpainList of Workshops & Panel discussions:Option One: Workshop on Spatial Analysis in MacroecologyOrganizers: Richard Field & Lindsay Banin; led by José Alexandre Felizola Diniz-Filho & Thiago Fernando L. V. B. Rangel Option Two: Workshop on Popular Science Writing for ScientistsOrganizers: Robert Whittaker, George StevensPanel Discussion: Biogeography in the Public EyeOrganizers: Robert Whittaker, George StevensList of Symposia:1) An integrative view of ecogeographic "rules"organizers: Lomolino, Sax Plenary speakers were: Kevin Gaston, Brian McNab, Maria Rita Palombo, R. (Bob) McDowall, Dawn Kaufman2) Quaternary Impacts on Holarctic Biogeographyorganizers: Douglas, DouglasPlenary speakers were: Kathy Willis, Pierre Taberlet, Donatella Magri, Michael Douglas, Marlis Douglas, Godfrey Hewitt3) Island Biogeography:organizers: Fernandez-Palacios, Whittaker Plenary speakers were: Vicki Funk, Robert Ricklefs, Isabel Sanmartin, Brent Emerson, Jacques Blondel4) Maritime connectivity: reconciling models of dispersal and vicariance with evidence of biogeographic structure in a continuous environmentorganizers: Wares, Faucci, DawsonPlenary speakers were: Michael Dawson, Kate Darling, Chris Meyer, Jonathan Waters, Christine Maggs, David Bellwood5) Separating historical from environmental effects on species distributionsorganizers: Jetz, Rahbek Plenary speakers were: Jens-Christian Svenning, Miguel Araujo, Carsten Rahbek, Walter Jetz, Catherine Graham, Mike DonoghueABSTRACTS of the conference are available to download as Adobe Acrobat pdf files: You may download the ENTIRE PROGRAM as one large file (11 MB) here:IBS Abstracts 2007 combined.pdfor you may download it in 4 smaller pieces (2.25 - 3.58 MB) here:IBS Abstracts 2007 (1).pdfIBS Abstracts 2007 (2).pdf

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IBS Abstracts 2007 (3).pdfIBS Abstracts 2007 (4).pdf

4.2 49th Annual Symposium of the International Association for Vegetation Science “New Zealand: New Home; New Habitat! New Ideas?”12-16 February, 2007Palmerston North, New ZealandOver 100 papers were presented in 25 sessions on New Zealand in the context of vegetation science, islands and forests, herbivory-driven ecosystems, invasions, global change, urban vegetation, bioinformatics, forest dynamics, agricultural land use changes, population ecology, plant diversity patterns, and New Zealand and new ideas. Excursions included a pre-conference excursion to the North Island, a post-conference excursion to the South Island, and numerous mid-symposium excursions.More information: http://www.iavs.org/meet.htm

4.3 103th Annual Association of American Geographers Meeting17-21 April, 2007San Francisco, CA, USAThe Annual Meeting of the Association of American Geographers attracted over 5,000 geographers and related professionals from the United States, Canada, and abroad. Our Meeting forum stimulated discussion about research, education, accomplishments, and developments in geography.More information: http://www.aag.org/annualmeetings/SF2007/index.cfm

4.4 IGU Commission on Biogeography and Biodiversity Seminar on Biogeography and Biodiversity 03-04 May, 2007Srinagar (Garhwal), IndiaThe IGU Commission on Biogeography and Biodiversity organizes fora for presentation and discussion (i) within the IGU structures (Regional Meetings, General Assemblies), (ii) by group meetings with national geographical bodies, and (iii) to promote biogeographical research and scholarship by geographers within other ICSU organizations, the International Association for Vegetation Science and the International Biogeography Association. Joint meetings with national biogeography groups take place regularly with help of commission’s full members. One of the prime objectives of the commission’s work is to promote biogeographical teaching, research and scholarship and to contribute to the development of biogeography as an important sub-discipline. Commission meetings address various aspects of spatial, ecological and historical biogeography, and emphasize the societal relevance of biogeography.The commission organized the 2007 joint meeting in Srinagar, Garhwal (Uttaranchal, India) in collaboration with the Department of Geography, HNB Garhwal University at Srinagar, and Daliyon ka Dagriya (The Friends of Trees), Srinagar.The seminar was organized around the following themes:

1. Status of biogeography and biodiversity in developing and developed countries2. Biodiversity hot-spots in the Himalaya3. Medicinal plants and their potential for livelihood enhancement in the Himalaya4. Land use and land cover change impacts on biogeography and biodiversity5. Impacts of climate change and natural hazards on biodiversity6. Biodiversity conservation, indigenous knowledge and community participation in the

Himalaya7. Political ecology of resource use conflicts in the Himalaya8. Culture and civilization for environmental conservation and human development

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Fig. 1: Prof. R.K. Sai and Prof. A.C. Saklani chairing the technical session on ‘Land Use/Cover Change and Its Impact on Biodiversity’

Community people, technicians, academicians, NGOs, research and other institutions were invited to attend this seminar. The seminar was a forum for national and international experts on the above subjects. The programme included talks and discussions followed by deliberations for recommendations. More than 70 papers were presented in the technical sessions (Fig. 1).More information: Dr. R.B. Singh (rbsgeo1@yahoo.com), Prof. Dr. U. Schickhoff (schickhoff@geowiss.uni-hamburg.de)

4.5 Evolutionary Biology in the 21st Century – Tracing Patterns of Evolution through the Tree of Life 03-07 June, 2007Beijing, ChinaOn June 3-7, 2007, the symposium “Evolutionary Biology in the 21st Century – Tracing Patterns of Evolution through the Tree of life” was held in Beijing, China. It was sponsored by National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), the bioGENESIS program of DIVERSITAS, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Jiangsu Institute of Botany (of Jiangsu Province and CAS), Institute of Zoology (of CAS), Institute of Botany (of CAS), and Beijing Botanical Garden. Two field excursions to Tibet and Tianmu Mountains in Zhejiang Province were made after the symposium, which were sponsored by School of Life Sciences, Fudan University and College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University. There were nearly 40 speakers (about 20 international) and a total of more than 200 participants. All the speakers presented exciting research on biodiversity, phylogeny, biogeography, and molecular evolution of all major lineages of life. Further, the meeting also generated a huge interest and enthusiasm among all participants and more importantly in National Natural Science Foundation of China. Michael Donoghue, David Hillis, Axel Meyer, and several other Chinese and international scientists participated a half-day meeting with key administrators from NSFC to discuss the future of biodiversity research in China. It is hoped that major research projects focusing on study of phylogeny

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and evolution of important groups of organisms will be launched in China soon. About 20 speakers are also publishing their presentation in a special issue of Journal of Systematics and Evolution (formerly Acta Phytotaxonomica Sinica) in spring or summer of 2008.

4.6 Workshop on A Global Change Research Network in African Mountains23-25 July, 2007Kampala, UgandaThe workshop report can be downloaded from the MRI website: http://mri.scnatweb.ch/content/view/170/80/

4.7 50th Annual Symposium of the International Association for Vegetation Science “Cultural Landscapes – Changing Landscapes”23-27 July, 2007Swansea University, Wales, UKMore information: http://www.iavswales07.org/index.htm

4.8 Plant Functional Types Fast Track Initiative Meeting07 September, 2007Paris, FranceThe meeting was on “a joint IGBP-DIVERSITAS Fast Track Initiative called “Refining plant functional classifications for earth system modeling”.Coord: S Lavorel, C Prentice, S Diaz and P LeadleyMore information: http://www.diversitas-international.org/uploads/File/PFT-FTI%20proposal.pdf

4.9 DIVERSITAS bioDISCOVERY Scientific Committee Meeting14-15 September, 2007Cambridge, UKParticipants concentrated on shaping and writing the bioDISCOVERY Science Plan, especially in the light of the planning stages of a global biodiversity observation system, the continuation of international assessment needs (such as the MA) and the need for improved global biodiversity model scenarios. After agreeing on the overall outline, participants divided into three writing teams that focused on biodiversity assessments, monitoring and modelling. Contact: bruno_AT_diversitas-international.org

4.10 9th Annual BIOECON Conference on "Economics and Institutions for Biodiversity Conservation"19-21 September, 2007Kings College, Cambridge, UKThe University College London (UCL) and REFGOV in association with UK-DEFRA, FAO, IUCN and UNEP-WCMC organized the Ninth International BIOECON conference on Economics and Institutions for Biodiversity Conservation. The conference was of interest to both researchers and policy makers interested in or working in the management and conservation of biodiversity.The conference had sessions examining institutional frameworks, the use of social capital and the management of knowledge for biodiversity conservation, as well as the economic analysis of policies for managing biodiversity in a context of high uncertainty. Papers were specifically invited on the themes of:- Different institutional frameworks for conservation (property rights, contracts, markets, trust funds, public institutions, etc.) - Role of informal rules such as social capital, trust and reputation in biodiversity conservation- Efficient knowledge management for the sustainable use of biodiversity- Foundations for providing for global public goods- Development of international institutions for biodiversity conservation- Institutions for payments for environmental services (and especially for international payments) and applied methodologies for valuation of ecosystem services (marine and terrestrial)The conference took place over two days, with sessions consisting of papers on the above themes. In addition, there was a policy forum chaired by DEFRA, FAO, IUCN and UNEP-WCMC, leading a

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discussion on the issue of the development of mechanisms for making payments for environmental se More information: http://www.bioecon.ucl.ac.uk/index.html

4.11 Managing Alpine Future15-17 October, 2007Innsbruck, AustriaNotes from the conference can be downloaded from the MRI website:  http://mri.scnatweb.ch/content/view/199/27/

4.12 Fifth Trondheim Conference on Biodiversity: Safeguarding Ecosystems29 October-02 November, 2007Trondheim, NorwayThe 5th Trondheim Conference on Biodiversity was held under the banner of "Ecosystems and People - Biodiversity for Development - The road to 2010 and beyond". The conference brought together some 250 people from 75 countries, to explore further the relationship between biodiversity, ecosystem services and people, to understand the synergies and tradeoffs in development paths, and to consider how to make best use of time remaining before 2010 to make progress towards reducing the rate of loss of biodiversity as a contribution to poverty alleviation and the broader set of MDGs. The conference expressed the need for urgent action in order to make progress towards the 2010 target, reaffirmed the negative consequences for people if biodiversity loss continues at current rates, and supported the establishment of longer-term targets and action to ensure that biodiversity loss is halted in the first half of the 21st Century. The conference also issued a "Call for Interaction" to the UNFCCC meetings in Bali in December, noting that realising the multiple benefits of climate change adaptation, reduced emissions from deforestation, and ecosystem management for carbon sequestration will require further consideration of biodiversity and ecosystem structure and functioning, further interdisciplinary research, increased cooperation at the national level for the implementation of the CBD and UNFCCC, and the development of new mechanisms to fully realise these synergies.The Chairman’s report can be downloaded from the following website: http://www.diversitas-international.org/uploads/File/Chairmans_report_2007-master2%201%20.doc

4.13 International Mechanism of Scientific Expertise on Biodiversity (IMoSEB)15-17 November, 2007Montpellier, FranceParticipants in the final International Steering Committee of the consultation on an IMoseb met in Montpellier (15-17 November 2007). In a final consensus statement, the IMoSEB consultation called on UNEP to convene an intergovernmental meeting with interested parties to consider the establishment of an intergovernmental science-policy interface with multi-stakeholder involvement that will provide scientific information in an independent way to support biodiversity governance. Please read the final statement and go to http://www.imoseb.net/ for additional information.

4.14 Global Warming and Ecosystem/ Biodiversity Changes: Facing the Challenge of Changing Ecosystems02 December, 2007Kobe, JapanAn international seminar on 'Global Warming and Ecosystem/Biodiversity Changes' was organised by the Asia-Pacific Network (APN) for Global Change Research in Kobe, Japan in December 2007. ICIMOD, through Mr Basanta Shrestha, presented a paper on the 'Impact of Climate Change on Himalayan Glaciers and Glacial Lakes', which generated considerable interest from an audience of mostly international experts studying global warming. The participants also spoke on the latest scientific results and pointed out the importance of adaptation. The participated looked into such questions as: How does global warming affect ecosystems? How do we face the challenges of changing ecosystems? It is believed that temperature rise and precipitation change will not stop even if we moderately reduce greenhouse gases. We need to begin raising societal adaptability for changing ecosystems in addition to efforts to mitigate global warming.

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4.15 Workshop 'Climate Change and Vulnerability of Mountain Ecosystems in the Eastern Himalayan Region: Nepal Stakeholders'12-13 December, 2007Kathmandu, NepalICIMOD organised a two-day national stakeholders' workshop for Nepal on 'Climate Change and Vulnerability of Mountain Ecosystems in the Eastern Himalayan Region'. This was held from 12-13 December 2007 at the ICIMOD Headquarters in Kathmandu, Nepal. The workshop is a part of activities under the MacArthur Foundation project on Assessment of Climate Change Impacts on Vulnerable Mountain Ecosystems in the Eastern Himalayan region. The objectives of the workshop were to assess the impacts of climate change on the vulnerable mountain ecosystems of Nepal in particular, and to identify adaptation and coping strategies, gap areas, and the research questions for climate change research. The introductory session included presentations on four thematic topics, namely: (a) climate change scenarios in the eastern Himalayan region: regional trends and projections, (b) biodiversity resources of the eastern Himalayan region: challenges to climate change, and (c) water, wetlands, and hazards: responses to climate change, and (d) climate change and human well being. About 50 participants representing government and non-government organisations, academia, research institutions, and civil society actively participated and provided valuable inputs while working in thematic work groups. Climate change has become the critical global challenge of our times. The participants also agreed that this stakeholder workshop takes place at the right time when many problems are anticipated in such areas of concern as the freshwater resources, water-induced hazards, human health and biodiversity as a result of changing climate scenarios, which could have wide ranging impacts on livelihoods and human wellbeing. The priority action is to initiate sound scientific research and knowledge sharing mechanisms while identifying gap areas for future research and proper climate change adaptation strategies for the region.

5 Organizations

The International Biogeography SocietyAn international and interdisciplinary society contributing to the advancement of all studies of the geography of natureIBS 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.

The next IBS biennial meeting will take place in Mérida, México, in January 2009 (see p. 20-21 of this newletter).

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For more information and the latest IBS newsletter check the IBS website: http://www.biogeography.org/index.htm

6 Research Projects

6.1 GMBA project on Georeferenced　Biological Databases as a tool for Understanding Mountain Biodiversity.A recent MRI newsletter, in collaboration with EUROMONT, shows the　potential of　biological databases linked to geophysical data (e.g. altitude, temperature) for the analysis of mountain biodiversity patterns. In cooperation with the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), the Global Mountain Biodiversity Assessment (GMBA) encourages a global effort to mine georeferenced archive databases on mountain organisms. The EUROMONT initiative is one example of such a data analysis. It assesses climate threat to alpine plant diversity and focuses on European mountain ranges.Ref: Guisan A, EM Spehn and C Körner. 2007. MRI Newsletter 8: Georeferenced Biological Databases - A tool for Understanding Mountain Biodiversity. Mountain Research and Development, 27(1):80-81.To download article: http://gmba.unibas.ch/research/datamining.htm If you would like to contribute or know more about this project please contact GMBA(at)unibas.ch.

6.2 Global Carbon ProjectThe growing realization that anthropogenic climate change is a reality has focused the attention of the scientific community, policymakers and the general public on the rising concentration of greenhouse gases, especially carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere, and on the carbon cycle in general. Initial attempts, through the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and its Kyoto Protocol, are underway to slow the rate of increase of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. These societal actions require a scientific understanding of the carbon cycle, and are placing increasing demands on the international science community to establish a common, mutually agreed knowledge base to support policy debate and action.In recognition of the enormous scientific challenge and fundamental critical nature of the issue for Earth sustainability, the Global Carbon Project (GCP) was established in 2001. The scientific goal of GCP is to develop a complete picture of the global carbon cycle, including both its biophysical and human dimensions together with the interactions and feedbacks between them.Further information can be found on the GCP web site: http://www.globalcarbonproject.org/about_gcp.htm

6.3 Global Invasive Species ProgrammeThe Global Invasive Species Programme (GISP) was founded in 1997 as a small, mainly voluntary partnership programme, by three international organizations: IUCN - The World Conservation Union, CAB International, and the Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment (SCOPE). In early 2005, GISP was constituted as a legal entity with Founding Members IUCN, CAB International, The Nature Conservancy, and the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI).The GISP Secretariat was established in 2003 at Kirstenbosch to facilitate and coordinate the implementation of the Global Strategy on Invasive Alien Species. Start-up funding to meet core costs were provided by The World Bank though the Bank-Nederlands Partnership Programme and Development Grant Facility, allowing the employment of a small team of professionals and the delivery of several priority projects.The GISP mission is to conserve biodiversity and sustain human livelihoods by minimizing the spread and impact of invasive alien species. To this end, GISP seeks to

improve the scientific basis for decision-making on invasive species develop capacities to employ early warning and rapid assessment and response systems enhance the ability to manage invasive species reduce the economic impacts of invasive species and control methods

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develop better risk assessment methods, and  strengthen international agreements.

In addition, GISP strives to  develop public education about invasive species improve understanding of the ecology of invasive species examine legal and institutional frameworks for controlling invasive species develop new codes of conduct for the movement of species, and  design new tools for quantifying the impact of invasive species

GISP Constitutional ObjectivesThe primary objective of GISP is to facilitate and assist with the prevention, control and management of invasive species throughout the world.To achieve this, it will:

1. raise global awareness of the ecological and socio-economic impacts of invasive species 2. contribute to the development of a global information system on invasive species and

maintaining a website to facilitate information exchange 3. gather, assess and disseminate information on the impacts of invasive species, the resources

and methods available for preventing incursions and for the control and management thereof once they have been introduced

4. improve the technical basis for assessing the impacts of invasive species and for their prevention, control and management

5. build capacity to deal with invasive species by providing information, advice and training to entities and officials who have been tasked with the management of invasive species  inform policy development, both on a multilateral and on a national level

6. build international partnerships and networks to achieve the various objects set out aboveFor further information: http://www.gisp.org/index.asp

7 Current Publications

Mark V. Lomolino, Dov F. Sax and James H. Brown (eds.)(2004): Foundations of Biogeography. Classic Papers with Commentaries. The University of Chicago Press, Chicago-London. 1291 pp.

In the Foundations of Biogeography, an international and interdisciplinary team of distinguished biogeographers have compiled the foundational publications in this field from the 1700s to 1975, and through original commentary provide a context for the continued relevance of this research.  

Mark V. Lomolino and Lawrence R. Heaney (eds.)(2004): Frontiers of Biogeography: New Directions in the Geography of Nature. Sinauer, Sunderland, MA. 436 pp.

Frontiers of Biogeography is a new series of integrative and interdisciplinary volumes published and developed in association with the International Biogeography Society.  Each book in the series will focus on an emerging area of research, and will either present new syntheses, or review and summarize the state of the art, the most significant advances and most promising directions for future research on the geographic variation of nature.  Volumes will be either integrative collections on emerging themes in biogeography, or insightful and synthetic contributions from individual, distinguished biographers. The series is aimed at a broad readership of graduate students, biogeographers and other researchers who study the geography of nature, including ecologists, evolutionary biologists, paleontologists and conservation biologists. The first volume in this series, Frontiers of Biogeography: New Directions in the Geography of Nature, was published by Sinauer Associates, Inc., (http://www.sinauer.com/) and is comprised of five sections plus a general introduction to the volume and a preface to the series by the editors. The five sections focus on the themes of the five symposia presented at the inaugural IBS meetings in January of 2003:

Dynamics of Species Diversity Phylogeography & Diversification

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Paleo-Biogeography Biogeography of the Sea Biogeography Theory and Conservation Practice

The period between 1975 and 2000 was one of fundamental change in historical biogeography, island biogeography, and marine biogeography, and saw the emergence of new fields, including phylogeography and macroecology, as well as applications of biogeography for conserving biological diversity. This book concentrates explicitly on these advances and on the most promising and most insightful lines of future research on the geography of nature.

Robert J. Whittaker and Jose M. Fernandez-Palacios (2006): Island Biogeography: Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation. Second Edition. Oxford University Press, Oxford. 416 pp.

Island biogeography is the study of the distribution and dynamics of species in island environments. Due to their isolation from more widespread continental species, islands are ideal places for unique species to evolve, but they are also places of concentrated extinction. Not surprisingly, they are widely studied by ecologists, conservationists and evolutionary biologists alike. There is no other recent textbook devoted solely to island biogeography, and a synthesis of the many recent advances is now overdue. This second edition builds on the success and reputation of the first, documenting the recent advances in this exciting field and explaining how islands have been used as natural laboratories in developing and testing ecological and evolutionary theories. In addition, the book describes the main processes of island formation, development and eventual demise, and explains the relevance of island environmental history to island biogeography. The authors demonstrate the huge significance of islands as hotspots of biodiversity, and as places from which disproportionate numbers of species have been extinguished by human action in historical time. Many island species are today threatened with extinction, and this work examines both the chief threats to their persistence and some of the mitigation measures that can be put in play with conservation strategies tailored to islands.

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Please send your informations for further issues of this newsletter and any comment to: schickhoff@geowiss.uni-hamburg.de

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