Averting Biodiversity Meltdown in the Asian Tropics

On the lectern : Priya Davidar ; Table : first on the left : Jean-Pierre Muller

The Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation (ATBC) and its regional chapters aim to promote research and to foster the exchange of ideas among biologists working in tropical environments. Elements relating to human interaction with ecosystems and to biodiversity management and conservation policies have become a prominent interest of the association. In July 2006 at its annual conference, in Kunming, China, the ATBC decided to establish an Asian chapter, which is inaugurated at the occasion of the present conference.

Tropical Asian forests are among the most fabulous treasure-houses of biodiversity in the world, but massive deforestation and other types of degradation are severely endangering these ecosystems. The protection of the priceless surviving forests will depend on effective conservation strategies developed through well-coordinated efforts by biologists, policy makers and forest managers. This inaugural conference aimed at founding a much-needed network of biologists working on biology and conservation in the Asian tropics and at allowing scientific exchanges through 10 thematic symposia (see below) and a policy forum.

About 120 to 130 participants are expected, mostly from Asian countries (80%) and specifically India (40%). Sixty oral presentations will be delivered during the symposia.

Programme

Consult detailed programme schedule.

Participants

See the list of participants.

List of symposia, with respective chairmen

• The Asian environmental crisis : What’s to be done, Dr. W. Laurance
• Population and species dynamics : methods and observations, Dr. Pierre Couteron
• Endangered Ecosystem Services, Dr. Renee Borges
• Livelihoods and Biodiversity conservation, Dr. Gladwin Joseph & Dr. Nitin Rai
• Role of botanical gardens in species conservation, Dr. Jin Chen
• The survival of wild species in human-dominated landscapes, Dr. R. Corlett
• Importance of long-term ecological studies, Dr. Rhett Harrison
• The Western Ghats /Sri Lanka biodiversity hotspot, Dr. Ranjit Daniels
• Networking across plots in Asia, Dr. Peter Ashton
• Species and their habitats, Dr. Shoko Sakai

Venue

• March 6-8th 2007, GRT Temple Bay Hotel, Mahabalipuram, Tamilnadu, India
• March 9th 2007, Visit to Pondicherry