One-day workshop, 31 March 2008, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK.

THE ROLE OF MANAGED FIRE IN ECOSYSTEM SERVICES OF UK MOORLANDS AND
HEATHLANDS

Sponsored by (UK) Economic and Social Science Research Council (ESRC),
Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), the Game and Wildlife
Conservation Trust, and Scottish Natural Heritage.

This event is the first of four transdisciplinary seminars, 'Fire
Interdisciplinary Research on Ecosystem Services; fire and climate
change in UK moorlands and heaths (FIRES)'. The series is funded by ERSC
and NERC under their ecosystem services programme, with additional
sponsorship from Scottish Natural Heritage and the Game and Wildlife
Conservation Trust. The series will examine the inter-relationships
between managed fire, wildfire and ecosystem services for moorland and
heathland ecosystems in the UK, much of which is peatland, and discuss
the implications of climate change. The first seminar focuses on the
link between managed fire and ecosystem services, the other three on
wildfire and its management.

Day one of this first event is open to anyone with an interest in the
relationship between managed fire and ecosystem services of moorlands
and heaths. It will identify the ecosystem services provided by UK
moorlands and heathlands, including: biodiversity; carbon capture and
storage; water provision; rural livelihoods; landscape quality and
recreational use. The focus for debate will be the extent to which
managed fires contribute to the maintenance of ecosystem services or
pose threats to them. Day two is a discussion seminar for invited
participants.

Programme: see: http://www.fires-seminars.org.uk/downloads 

Posters are particularly welcome. See booking form for details.

Early-career participants submitting a poster may be eligible for one
of a limited number of sponsored places at the day-one conference and
the discussion seminar for invited participants that follows on Tuesday
1st April. We regret that we cannot accept other applications for day
two.

Registration fee is £25 and will include conference abstracts and
coffee/tea and sandwich lunch.

The booking form for day one is downloadable from:
http://www.fires-seminars.org.uk/downloads/ Please return the booking
form with a cheque for the registration fee of £25 made payable to
‘The University of Edinburgh’ as soon as possible to:
       FIRES c/o Shiela Wilson,
       University of Edinburgh School of GeoSciences,
       Geography Building,
       Drummond Street,
       Edinburgh, EH8 9XP
       UK  


For Edinburgh queries, please contact Shiela Wilson +44 (0)131 650
9847), [log in to unmask] or [log in to unmask]

For further information on the FIRES seminar series, please visit the
website: http://www.fires-seminars.org.uk.



INTECOL International Wetlands Conference in Cuiaba, Brazil, 20-25 July
2008 

Abstract deadline 1st May

Theme 'Big Wetlands Big Concerns' website
http://www.cppantanal.org.br/intecol

I'll be going  and have submitted one talk abstract and two poster
abstracts, I think it is a good oppertunity to promote the importance of
Uk peatlands and also in general as well as raise the sepcific issues
facing them. Also a chance to promote BES and MRG

There is still time to submit workshop proposals to, so if anybody is
going and is interested in hosting a workshop let me know as I would be
happy to be involved

Sarah

Dr Sarah Crowe
Postdoctoral Research Associate
Peatland Ecological Processes
Environmental Research Institute
UHI Millenium Institute
Castle Street
Thurso
KW14 7JD
Scotland

Tel: +44(0)1847 889579
Fax: +44(0)1847 890014
email: [log in to unmask]

http://www.intecol.net/pages/002_personal.php?id=SKC01
http://www.erionline.co.uk/staff.htm