*Registration for the 9th **International Conferences on Serpentine
Ecology now open!*
4-9 June 2017, Tirana + Pogradec, Albania
Since 1991, scientists from 45 nations have participated in seven
International Conferences on Serpentine Ecology (ICSE) and the latest
was the 8th conference in Malaysia in June 2014. The conferences are
always highlighting a region with intriguing serpentine soil-biota
relations and previous conferences have been held in the US, New
Caledonia, South Africa, Cuba, Italy and Portugal. The conferences have
become an international forum to discuss and synthesize international
multidisciplinary research, and have offered opportunities for
scientists in different fields and from different regions of the world
to conduct joint research. Conference delegates have come from all
corners of the world.
*9th International Conference on Serpentine Ecology*
The 9th ICSE is estimated to attract between 120-170 researchers from
all over the world. After the last conference in the wonderful heart of
Borneo (Sabah, Malaysia), the ISES members voted to select Albania as
the next venue for the 9th ICSE in June 2017.
Although a small country situated in the Balkans (28,750 km2), Albania
has more than 10 % of ultramafic territory in its surface, being the
highest percentage of all european countries. Albania, as part of the
Balkan Peninsula, is a biodiversity hotspot with astonishing wild
landscapes that host more than 2300 plant species and many animal
species such as large mammals (such as wolfs, bears). Climatic
conditions range from coastal typical mediterranean zones up to alpine
environments in extremely short gradients. Among albanian plants, there
is a lot of endemic species and ultramafic areas drive a significant
part of this heritage. Albania is also rich in aquatic diversity
(including endemic fish species).
Agromining in Europe was born in Albania on the shores of Lake Ohrid
with the continuous work of the Agricultural University of Tirana.
Additionally to the large ecological richness of the country, it is a
must to visit the cradle of phytomining in Europe.
*Conference venue*
The conference will take place at the Faculty of Economy, situated in
the Agricultural University of Tirana.
*Programme*
The full programme is now online on the website, see: Programme
*Sessions*
1. Lithosphere to rhizosphere
2. Ecophysiology and genetics
3. Ecology and ecosystem functioning
4. Conservations, traits and management (rehabilitation)
5. Copper-cobalt mini-symposium
6. Biogeochemistry of contaminants
7. Metal hyperaccumulation
8. Taxonomy and systematics
*Workshops and symposia*
1.Ultramafic Aquatic Ecology and Ecotoxicology
2. Agromining from agronomy to metal refining
**
*Proceedings*
The conference proceedings will be peer-reviewed and are to be published
in the Springer journal Ecological Research under the auspices of the
Ecological Society of Japan.
*Registration*
Conference registration is now open! Please visit the dedicated website:
http://www.serpentine-conference.com/
On behalf of the Organizing and Scientific Committees,
Aida Bani, Agricultural University of Tirana
--
Nishanta Rajakaruna <http://nrajakaruna.wordpress.com/>
Visiting Researcher (Sep. 2016-June 2017), National Institute of
Fundamental Studies <http://nifs.ac.lk/>, Kandy, Sri Lanka
Phone: +94 77 234 5650 <tel:+94%2077%20234%205650>
Associate Professor <http://bio.calpoly.edu/content/Rajakaruna>in Plant
Biology, Biological Sciences Department <http://bio.calpoly.edu/>,
California Polytechnic State University (Fall 2017-)
Editor-in-Chief, /Rhodora/
<http://www.rhodora.org/rhodora/aboutrhodora.html>
