Conference 'Sustainable Developomet, a challenge for European Research', May 2009

Dear blogreaders,

The EC is preparing a big meeting on the future of the European research focused on the crossed topic of Climate Change and Sustainable Development. Please read below the message sent from the EUROBI Google Group, recommending to visit the conference website. Some awards are foreseen for the best papers¡¡¡

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Conference and call for papers: "Sustainable Development a challenge for European Research"

The European Commission is preparing a major conference on "Sustainable Development: a challenge for European research" that will take place 26-28 May 2009, in Brussels. The Scientific Committee for the conference, chaired by Prof. Jaeger from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research and the European Climate Forum, is pleased to invite submissions of papers for this conference with a deadline for submission on 15 January 2009.

On this occasion, the European Climate Forum, upon recommendation of the Scientific Committee, will award prizes for the best submissions. For details see http://ec.europa.eu/research/sd/conference/The conference aims at assessing the current contribution of research to sustainable development and - by linking R&D to societal challenges - providing a framework for putting European research at the service of sustainable development. The event will be an opportunity for researchers, policy makers and stakeholders of different backgrounds and with different areas of interest to exchange their views and experiences. Next to combining plenary sessions with high-level key note speakers on the one hand, and a number of parallel sessions on the other, the conference will also provide for an exhibition area for stands where relevant organisations can present their work, as well as for a number of side events.

More information on the event -application for exhibition stands, programme, registration, etc. -will be posted soon.

Workshop of the Spanish Committees WCRP-DIVERSITAS

The Spanish Committees of theWorld Climate Research Programme (WCRP) and the international programme DIVERSITAS will celebrate a joint workshop in Valencia (Spain), 27th and 28th November 2008. The introductory conference will be given by Dr. Phil Jones (Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia, UK). Other invited speakers are Drs. M.A. Gaertner, J. Martín Vide, F. López Bermúdez, A. Mestre, M. Ribas and F. Lloret. The Scientific Secretariat is driven by Dr. María J. Estrela (estrela@ceam.es) researcher of the CEAM (Centro de Estudios Ambientales del Mediterráneo and Department of Thermodynamics, Faculty of Physics of the University of Valencia). For more information please contact Dr. Estrela.

Climate change and the World Conservation Congress

Climate Change is one of the main topics centring motions and discussions of the World Conservation Congress, cellebrated by the IUCN these days in Barcelona, Spain. You can access the information on the congress via the link http://www.iucn.org/news_events/events/congress/index.cfm

The congress attendants can join one of the 3 big topics ('streams'), one of them being the issue 'A new climate for change' whose information is available at http://www.iucn.org/news_events/events/congress/forum/issues/climate/index.cfm

Therein you will find several framework documents. Additional papers can be found at the agenda (http://208.112.69.59/agenda/?st=1), as well as the proposed motions to the plenary (http://www.iucn.org/news_events/events/congress/assembly/policy/index.cfm)

Current events from the Council of Europe

By 11-12 September 2008, the Council of Europe's headquarters in Strasbourg hold the 2nd meeting of the Bern Convention's Group of Experts on Biodiversity and Climate Change. The information, including the draft agenda, 3 final reports (revised drafts for documents, below indicated with links) and 2 draft reports for discussion are available at the webpage http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/cultureheritage/Conventions/Bern/StrasbourgCC_2008_en.asp#TopOfPage

On the available revised drafts (their future publication will not enclose significant variation on the current text) are the followings (only available in English):

T-PVS/Inf (2008) 1 Climatic change and the conservation of migratory birds in Europe : identifing effects and conservation priorities
T-PVS/Inf (2008) 5 A perspective on climate change and invasive alien species
T-PVS/Inf (2008) 6 Climate change and the vulnerability of Bern Convention species and habitats

SEMCLIMED plantations goes on in Valencia

A specimen of Limonium mansanetianum planted in Villanueva de Castellon (Valencia), flowering by june 2008. © Emilio Laguna, 20.06.2008

The CIEF officers ongoes with the regular monitoring of plantations of several endemic and threatened species in gypsic steppes, made along the autumn of 2007. First results -still to be analized in deep during the next weeks- show that the endemic Limonium mansanetianum (CR-UICN, absolute endemic of gypsic areas in a reduced sector of the central counties of the province of Valencia, UTM quadrat 10x10 km 30S YJ 12) only survive on pure gypsum substrates -Triasic pink/grey marnes of the facies Keuper-; conparative plots made on edge habitats -contacting gypsum and calcic soils- failed severely. The effect of pot sizes, greenhouse substrata and plantlets age will be studied afterwords.

Some images of the plantation -made by early november 2007- and excellent images of L. mansanetianum are available at the webpages maintained by the enthusiastic, local naturalist and nature photographer José Mena: http://www.menanat.com/noticia.php?id=46 and http://www.menanat.com/noticia.php?id=47,

CIEF officers Inma Ferrando and Daniel Corral monitor the plantations of Limonium mansanetianum in Villanueva de Castellon (Valencia). © Emilio Laguna, 20.06.2008

Announcement of Eurograd V, June 2009

The 5th European congress of Botanic Gardens, Eurogard V 'Botanic Gardens in tha Age of Climate Change' will develop by8th-12th June 2009 at Helsinki. Information and call for papers is already available at the website http://www.luomus.fi/eurogardv/

Important dates can be consulted at http://www.luomus.fi/eurogardv/papers.html

'Environment for Europeans' focused on CC

The issue nº 30 of the EU Directorate General for Environment's magazine 'Environment for Europeans', recently published, encloses the article 'The Bali Roadmap. First steps to a new global climate change agreement', where the groundlines of the European policy on this topic is explained. The magazine issue is going to be available in a few weeks at the website http://ec.europa.eu/environment/news/efe/index_en.htm *
*Expected URL to download the issue is http://ec.europa.eu/environment/news/efe/docs/efe29_en.pdf

Generalitat Valenciana and UNKA-MAICh's projects on PMRs in a LIFE brochure

The recent brochure (PDF format, 52 p.) edited by the European Commission about the LIFE projects focused on plant conservation include extended articles on the Valencian Plant Microreserves project (leaded by the Generalitat Valenciana) and the CRETAPLANT project (managed by UNKA and MAICh); in addition, the foreward drafted by Mr Patrick Murphy, head of EC's Unit on Nature and Biodiversity, made a special mention on PMRs, and both projects are specifically labelled with a new logo 'LIFE PMR projects'. To download the brochure please visit
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/life/publications/lifepublications/lifefocus/documents/plants.pdf

Climate Change congress in Copenhagen 2009, registration is opened

The IARU -International Alliance of Research Universities- announces the cellebration of the next conference 'Climate Change - Risks, Challenges and Decissions', to be held in Copenhagen (Denmark) by 10-12 March 2009. This conference will prepare information for the COP 15 ouf the United Nations Conference on Climate Change. Key speakers will include Drs. R. K. Pachauri (Chairman of the IPCC) and J.M. Barroso (President of the European Commission). One of the central topics will be the adaptation of land use worldwide to the effects of global warming. You'll find more information at the website http://climatecongress.ku.dk/ Please note that the deadline for abstract submissions is opened till 1st September 2008. Lower price for registration will be maintained until 10th November 2008.

The Interreg SEMCLIMED is finishing

Seedlings of the Canarian endemic Echium wildprettii, one of the most threatened Spanish species. ©E. Laguna, 2008.

The project SEMCLIMED is formally finished since the end of May 2008, but the cooperation to draft the final results will continue during the next weeks, as well as the preparation of bussiness and economic reports. During the next months, please consult www.semclimed.org to obtain more accurated information on the results. Currently, a recent article is available at the webpage http://www.semclimed.org/allegati/24.pdf

Final meeting of SEMCLIMED in Athens 16-19.04.2008

Between 16th and 19th April 2008, the Exhibition Hall of the Muesum of University History at Athens (Greece) will hold the final meeting of the Interreg project SEMCLIMED. For a few days, you have a notice posted 10/04/2008 at http://www.interreg-medocc.info/fr/news.php You'll find there the meeting agenda, directly available from http://www.interreg-medocc.info/Download/Programme_Athenes_en.doc

Join the DIVERSEEDS' e-conference

The European-Asian platform for conservation of plant genetic resources DIVERSEEDS, funded by the Euopean Union's 6th Framework Programme (FP6), launched a few days ago its electronic conference, open till 25th March. The e-conference structure is an open forum, available at http://www.diverseeds.eu/forum/. You can register and log-in at the same webpage. Please notice that DIVERSEEDS is an excellent oportunity to contact Asian groups researching on seed conservation (both wild as CWRs, neglected crops, etc.).

Results of the IUCN workshop 'Species Vulnerability Traits'

The results of the IUCN workshop on effects of Climate Change 'Species Vulnerability Traits' (22-25 October 2007, Berkshire, UK) are available at the address:
http://www.iucn.org/themes/ssc/news/2007_articles/Climate%20Change%20workshop.pdf
To consult documents, background and position papers of the IUCN on this topic, please visitthe IUCN's Climate Change Initiative webpage, http://www.iucn.org/themes/climate/

Success of the 4th phase workshop in Valencia

The CIEF officer for SEMCLIMED project Pablo Ferrer explain to the attendants the projected activities for the temporary ponds of the plant micro-reserves (PMR) 'Lavajos de Sinarcas'. It deals with 2 PMRs holding the unique Valencian populations of several species of Isoeto-Nanojuncetea communities like Marsilea strigosa, Littorella uniflora, Mentha cervina, Isoetes velatum, etc. @CIEF, 2008

Between 19th and 21st February 2008, Valencia held the workshop of the phase 4th of SEMCLIMED, joining representatives of the 7 institutions working in this phase: 1) Conservatoire Botanique National Méditerranéen de Porquerolles, 2) Conservatoire Etudes des Ecosystèmes de Provences-Alpes du Sud, 3) Conservatoire des Espaces Naturels du Languedoc-Roussillon, 4) Università ta’ Malta -Argotti Herbarium and University Botanic Gardens, 5) Dirección General del Medio Natural de la Región de Murcia, 6) Jardín Botánico de la Universidad de Valencia (JBUV), and 7) Centro para la Investigación y Experimentación Forestal (CIEF) - Generalitat Valenciana. The meeting was hosted by the CIEF team, mainly involving the SEMCLIMED coordinator Antoni Marzo, Pablo Ferrer, Gloria Ortiz and Inma Ferrando, as well as several collaborators from the Servicio de Biodiversidad (=Wildlife Service of the Generalitat, SBGV).

The attendants to the second field session of the workshop, visiting the aquatic plant nursery of the SBGV, where the plant officers Carlos Peña and Aruca Sebastian explained the procedures to germinate and grow close to 100 species of helophytes and hidrophytes. @CIEF, 2008

The attendants had 2 field sessions, including excursions to comprobate the results of ‘in situ’ activities made by the CIEF in the Plant Micro-reserve (PMR) ‘Castillo de Jalance’ -plant reinforcements to restore gypsic ecosystems using endemic species like Gypsophila struthium, Limonium sucronicum/cofrentanum- and the preparatory actions to be developed by the CIEF, SBGV and JBUV in the PMRs ‘Lavajos de Sinarcas’ -restoration of a Mediterranean temporary pond, in fine collaboration with officers of the LIFE-Nature project on conservation of Valencian amphibians, also developed by the SBGV-. A second field session was devoted to know the plant recovery actions developed near Valencia city thanks to several LIFE-Nature projects carried out by the Municipality of Valencia -‘Duna’ and ‘Enebro’ projects, on the restoration of degraded dunes in El Saler- and the SBGV -aquatic plant nursery in El Palmar, and plant restoration of the PMR ‘Llacuna del Samaruc’ in Algemesí, both developed in the framework of the LIFE projects ‘Creation of a network of Plant Micro-reserves in the Valencian Community’ (1994-1998), and ‘Conservation of Priority Habitats in the Valencian Community’ (1999-2003)-.

The Director General Ms Maria A. Centeno and the coordinator of SEMCLIMED Mr Antoni Marzo, introduced the technical session on activities developed by each team in the phase 4. @CIEF, 2008

Finally an open-door technical session, introduced by the Generalitat’s Director General of Natural Environment Ms. Maria A. Centeno, included presentations of the works made by each team of the phase 4. To close this session, the most cellebrated Spanish specialist in plant conservation biology, Dr. José M. Iriondo (Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Madrid), made a presentation on the principles in plant conservation practices.

The ESPC final draft is already available

The final draft of the European Strategy on Plant Conservation (ESPC), made by the Planta Europa members and the Council of Europe (towards the secretariat of the Bern Convention) can be downloaded from the website http://www.plantaeuropa.org/assets/publications/final%20consultation.pdf. The new ESPC 2008-2013 works started by mid 2007, and most targets were established and discussed by the plenarium and working groups of the 5th European Conference on the Conservation of European Wild Plants (Planta Europa V) in Cluj-Napoca (Rumania, september 2007) . The ESPC follows the groundlines of the CBD's Global Strategy (GSPC) , but enlarges the activity period till 2013 (so beyond 2010), and concretises sub-targets and actions for the Planta Europa members and any other collaborator organisation.

Our blog is 1 year old

Young plantets of the endemic Limonium sucronicum, produced in the CIEF nurseries (Quart de Poblet, Valencia, Spain) to furnish plantations of the SEMCLIMED's phase 4. @E. Laguna, 2007

Wellcome again to the SEMCLIMED's blog. Since mid January 2008 we are 1 year old!. During 2007, up to 32 news were posted. A time started this new year, the SEMCLIMED members are sending each other messages and ideas to go on with new initiatives for the network GENMEDA, preferently in the framework of the initiative INTERREG, funded by the European Commission. The SEMCLIMED project will run on till April 2008, but its spirit and experiencies will continue for months. Let's go!!.