Dear IUFRO List Holders:
I am hoping you will be able to distribute this announcement to your IUFRO
group on sessions at IUFRO 2019 linked to the International Society of
Tropical Foresters.
Thanks,
Sheila Ward
*&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&*
*The **International Society of Tropical Foresters* is organizing or
co-organizing seven sessions for th*e **XXV World Congress of the
International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO2019)** to be
held 29 Sept – 5 Oct 2019 at Curitiba, Brazil. *Please consider submitting
an oral or poster presentation for one of these sessions or another
IUFRO2019 session (see below). *Abstracts for presentations can be
submitted until 31 Dec 2018 at* http://iufro2019.com/* You* will need to be
registered for IUFRO2019 to submit an abstract, but you do not need to pay
until later. See https://iufro2019.com/abstracts-submission/ for details on
abstract submission. Information on all IUFRO 2019 sessions can be found at
http://iufro2019.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/sessions-english-portuguese…
. IUFRO will have financial assistance available for certain participants
(see https://iufro2019.com/scientist-assistance-program-sap/)
*ISTF-linked technical sessions at IUFRO2019*
*SESSION A2a: Sustaining iconic and high-value species in natural forests
and plantations*
ISTF CONTACT: Erich Schaitza, EMBRAPA, Brazil (erich.schaitza(a)embrapa.br )
SESSION SUMMARY: VERSION IN BOOK: Araucaria and Swietenia are threatened by
habitat loss; overharvesting; insufficient regeneration and genetic
variation, failings in forest policy, governance, or regulations; and
devaluation of products. The session will cover possible solutions,
including: harvest policies, regulations, and planning; regeneration and
genetic variation; silvicultural practices; modelling to balance
extraction, regeneration, and genetic diversity; and market demand to
create value.
*SESSION A4c: **Monitoring and Assessing Urban Forest Services and Values
at the National to Local Scale*
ISTF CONTACT: Vindhya P. Tewari, Himalayan Forest Research Institute, India
(*vptewari(a)yahoo.com <vptewari(a)yahoo.com>*)
SESSION SUMMARY: Trees and forests within urban areas provide numerous
benefits to city residents, but relatively little is known about their
structure, the services provided by these forests, and how these forests
are changing. The purpose of this session is to discuss approaches to
inventory urban forests, so that Nations can learn how to monitor these
important forests that directly affect human health and well-being.
*SESSION B5b: **Small-scale sustainable energy alternatives for developing
countries*
ISTF CONTACT: Lamfu Fabrice Yengong, University of Buea, Cameroon, (
lamfu2035yengong(a)gmail.com)
SESSION SUMMARY: In developing countries, wood accounts for 50-90% of the
fuel used, and increased efficiency or replacements for wood are needed.
This session explores sustainable energy alternatives. Presentations might
include: utilizing waste through “3R” (reduce, reuse, and recycle); more
efficient technologies for cooking with wood fuel; social costs of
increasing scarcity of fuel wood; characteristics related to fuel wood
energy content; solar cooking as an alternative; potential for material and
energy recovery from waste; appropriate technologies for developing
countries; integrated renewable energy production and utilization from
biomass combustion and waste gasification, among other topics.
*SESSION C1b: Advances in management and science for the high-value
Meliaceae*
ISTF CONTACT: Liu Jun, Research Institute of subtropical forest, Chinese
Academy of forestry, China, (ywliu2005(a)163.com)
SESSION SUMMARY: Tropical timber species of the Meliaceae (including
Cedrela, Entandrophragma, Khaya, Swietenia, and Toona) are among the
world’s finest woods, and many species have other uses. Their sustainable
management faces similar issues around the world. This session will share
the latest in research and applications for a global perspective on these
species. Topics could cover conservation of genetic resources, genetic
improvement, advances in shoot borer control, natural forest management,
and development and products useful for human health, among others.
*SESSION C1c: **Improving high-value Meliaceae yields in plantations*
ISTF CONTACT: Antonio Ferraz, Universidade Federal do Piauí, Brazil (
acferrazfilho(a)gmail.com)
SESSION SUMMARY: This session will focus on better production of Meliaceae
species grown in plantations. Many species (e.g. mahogany, African
mahogany, Australian red cedar, Melia) have recently been grown as
plantations around the world and research is needed over a wide range of
topics. The main objectives are to share experiences and to find common
research themes to build possible collaborations among researchers working
with Meliaceae species in plantations around the world.
*SESSION C9a: Discovery, curation, and uses of legacy tropical forest data
sets*
ISTF CONTACT: Sheila Ward, Mahogany for the Future, Inc., Puerto Rico (
tropfordata(a)gmail.com)
SESSION SUMMARY: Legacy tropical forest datasets have been generated by
various projects over time, and many are in danger of being lost. These
datasets are valuable for understanding how tropical forests change through
time, and many of the forests they characterize no longer exist. To
safeguard these data, standardized metadata and electronic archiving
schemes need to be developed. The purpose of the session is to share
information on the potential uses of such datasets, their current status,
and appropriate curation and metadata strategies.
*SESSION F6b: Effective educational strategies for the next generation of
forest professionals *
ISTF CONTACT: Ruth Metzel, Azuero Earth Project, Panama, (
ruth(a)proecoazuero.org)
SESSION SUMMARY: University-based programs on forest related fields are
evolving and inherently need to change towards multidisciplinary programs.
Some major drivers of these changes are globalization of the economy,
climate change, and new technologies and informatics. In a similar vein,
solutions for real life, resource management problems around forest key
issues, like health, bioenergy, climate change are consistently calling for
more holistic and cross-sectoral approaches. Universities curricula need to
meet diverse higher demands, and new ways to approach these challenges
involving various disciplines in a multicultural environment. This session
will highlight findings on research aiming to understand those challenges
and also research that addresses innovative strategies that allow forestry
students and professors and providers of non-formal education to keep
abreast with the time, such online classes, field practices, case studies
among others.
With its focus on being a communication network, ISTF can help you connect
with others interested in tropical forests and forestry. To join, please
visit this link please fill out the membership form at GoogleForms
<https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdy9FqCZ5Yj3TTA-mDJkgwm8n1jbCkEGlF…>
or
send a message to tropicalforesters(a)gmail.com.
<http://www.iufro.org/>
International Union
of Forest Research
Organizations
IUFRO - Call for Task Force Proposals
IUFRO Task Forces are established on a temporary basis to advance inter‐disciplinary forest science cooperation in fields spanning IUFRO Divisional interests. They focus on emerging key issues that are of strong interest to policy makers and groups inside and outside the forest sector, and contribute to international processes and activities. Since 1991, over 30 IUFRO Task Forces have brought together scientists, policy-makers and other stakeholders to conduct innovative work across a broad range of topics.
The activities of Task Forces are varied, but commonly involve: development of expanded global collaboration and information-sharing networks on their focal topics, the organization of meetings or workshops, publication of interdisciplinary scientific syntheses as books or in special issues of peer-reviewed journals, and presentations in major regional or global science-policy platforms. Task Force coordinators are non-voting members of the IUFRO Board, and are invited and expected to attend IUFRO's annual Board meetings. For more information on the activities and accomplishments of current and earlier Task Forces please visit: https://www.iufro.org/science/task-forces/)
During the current (2014-2019) Board term, Task Forces were established for an initial 2-year period with the possibility of an additional two-year extension. In order to encourage activities across the full spectrum of IUFRO's disciplinary expertise, we will continue this practice. This will enable IUFRO to establish new Task Forces on a periodic basis throughout the 2019‐2024 Term to take advantage of emerging needs and opportunities.
SELECTION CRITERIA
Proposals for new Task Forces will be evaluated on the following criteria:
* Potential to strengthen inter‐Divisional collaboration on specific topics of global relevance related to one or more Emphasis Areas and/or Institutional Goals of the IUFRO Strategy (1);
* Specific contribution of the proposed Task Force to addressing broader policy processes or interdisciplinary science‐policy initiatives;
* Engagement of two or more Divisions by involving relevant Divisional units (Research Groups and/or Working Parties). Proposal should be jointly developed with the relevant IUFRO Divisions and their units, but may involve additional experts currently outside of the IUFRO network and partner institutions, as required.
* Task Force activities should not duplicate current work within IUFRO Divisions, but rather complement and expand their activities;
* Rationale for their involvement of (non-IUFRO) partner institutions (if relevant);
* Task Force membership reflecting required spectrum of scientific expertise (including both natural and social sciences), as well as geographical, cultural and gender diversity, and providing opportunities for early-career scientists;
* Clarity of timelines for proposed Task Force activities and their deliverables; while Task Forces can be proposed for up to the full length of the upcoming IUFRO term (until the July 2024 World Congress), it is highly recommended that proposed Task Forces consider more focused activities to be undertaken in the first two year period;
* Clarity of operational aspects (roles and responsibilities of Task Force coordinator and members, roles and responsibilities of partners involved, if any), budget for activities and funding sources.
(1) Please refer to the IUFRO Strategy at https://www.iufro.org/discover/strategy/ <http://www.iufro.org/discover/strategy/> for details.
PROCEDURE FOR ESTABLISHMENT OF NEW TASK FORCES FOR THE 2019-2024 TERM
In order to proceed with the development of new Task Forces prior to the start of the new Board term in October 2019, we invite IUFRO officeholders and members to prepare, by 31 December 2018, a short 1-2 page Concept Note that provides a brief statement of the objectives/aims and proposed activities of the Task Force within the 2-year time frame. This will be reviewed by IUFRO Board members in January 2019, who will provide comments as well as suggestions regarding scientists from the Divisions who may be particularly interested in joining the proposed Task Force.
If the Task Force concept note is viewed favorably by the Board, then a full proposal will be requested, with a due date for full proposals of 31 March for 2019. All proposals will be reviewed (in early April 2019) by the Vice‐President for Task Forces in consultation with the IUFRO Management Committee and other members of the IUFRO Board. If revisions are required following proposal review, prospective Task Force coordinators will be asked to prepare a final revised proposal by late May 2019, after which a final decision on the establishment of new Task Forces within the 2-year time frame will be made by the IUFRO Board in early June 2019.
FORMAT FOR FULL PROPOSALS FOR NEW TASK FORCES
* Name of proposed Task Force
* Name of proposed Task Force coordinator, affiliation (including IUFRO position) and contact information
* Names of proposed Task Force members, their affiliations (including IUFRO positions), experience, proposed roles in the Task Force, and contact information
* Brief overview of the rationale, goals, and objectives of the proposed Task Force (1 paragraph)
* Description of specific proposed Task Force activities, deliverables and timelines. This should include planned focused meetings with tangible outputs such as ‘state‐of‐knowledge' reviews, journal papers, dedicated volumes, etc.
* Budget table listing major activities and funding sources, if known – indicate if these funds are already secured.
* Narrative addressing the following:
* Contribution to implementation of the IUFRO Strategy;
* How the proposed Task Force will strengthen cross‐Divisional interaction on specified topics related to IUFRO 2019‐2024 Strategy's Emphasis Areas and/or Institutional Goals, and how the Task Force will complement and/or expand activities of existing IUFRO Divisional units;
* Specific contribution of the proposed Task Force to addressing broader policy processes or interdisciplinary science-policy initiatives.
Concept Notes and full proposals should be sent to John Parrotta, jparrotta(a)fs.fed.us, with a copy to Renate Prüller, prueller(a)iufro.org.
______________________________________________
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