Colleagues,
We hope to compile information on orphaned data for tropical forests, including inventory and plot data, that are in danger of being lost. Many projects over the years have generated a lot of tropical forest data. But the information is scattered among different institutions and people, some still only on paper, some digitized but in older formats.
TROPIS and ATROFI-UK are two previous databases that compiled metadata on forest plots and inventories. The data for certain plots are available at www.forestplots.net and its associated networks. But other plots and inventories still need attention, re-discovery even. We would like to compile information on datasets that should be digitized or transformed to an up-to-date digital format. The goal is firstly to make metadata on these datasets available on a publicly accessible website, and then to try to secure the data itself by pushing for appropriate curation with open-access availability.
These legacy datasets are invaluable for understanding how tropical forests change through time, including the cumulative impacts of changes in land use and climate, and changes in patterns of biodiversity and carbon storage. The past can help inform the future.
If you know of any such orphaned databases for tropical forests, please send a message to: Gillian Petrokofsky gillian.petrokofsky(a)zoo.ox.ac.uk or Sheila Ward sheila.emily.ward(a)gmail.com. Please pass this message on to anyone who might be interested.
*********************************************************************
Regards,
Sheila Ward
Coordinator, IUFRO 1.02.04
Gillian Petrokovsky
Deputy Coordinator, IUFRO 9.01.01
Dear All,
We have become aware of the issue for registration by International
participants on the meeting website and have asked the web administrator
to modify the registration process to allow more than just people from
Canada and the USA to register. Please bear with us as we address
this. We will send notification as soon as the issue is fixed.
Meanwhile, abstract submission will occur through e-mail to this
account: iufro2017abstracts(a)gmail.com
<mailto:iufro2017abstracts@gmail.com>. Attached are the abstract
submission guidelines and we will be happy to receive your abstract
before your registration is completed.
Regards,
Tod Ramsfield, PhD ( on behalf of the local arrangements team )
Research Scientist Forest Pathology, Canadian Forest Service
Natural Resources Canada / Government of Canada
Tod.Ramsfield(a)canada.ca / Tel: 780-435-7394
Chercheur, Pathologie forestière, Service canadien des forêts
Ressources naturelles Canada / Gouvernement du Canada
Tod.Ramsfield(a)canada.ca / Tel : 780-435-7394
Dear IUFRO members,
We would like to invite you to the new EMPHASIS
<https://www.eventbrite.com/e/stakeholder-dialogue-to-foster-investment-in-a…>
webinar
‘In field moleculardiagnostics as an aid to disease management
<https://goo.gl/5mBCGI>’ will be held on the 1st of March 2017 (15:00 CET).
The session will be delivered by UK's National Institute of Agricultural
Botany (NIAB <http://www.niab.com/>) - one of EMPHASIS
<http://www.emphasisproject.eu/> partners - , to give more insights to the
audience about isothermal Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) assays and how
they can be used to diagnose the presence of latent diseases in the field,
including those which are especially difficult to identify. They will show
how assays are developed, and how they may be used to improve disease
management choices.
Speakers will be NIAB <http://www.niab.com/> researchers: Dr Jane Thomas,
Dr Tom Wood and Dr Rosa Caiazzo.
Target audience are research students, researchers, agri-business and
forestry experts, farmers and foresters and any other person interested in
being introduced to this portable molecular diagnostic tools on plant
diseases.
The webinar is *free of charge* and places are limited, therefore
registrations will be handled on a first-come, first-served basis. Ones you
register to the event you will receive by email additional information to
follow the online the webinar.
Link to register: https://goo.gl/5mBCGI
We would be very thankful if you would help us by sharing this webinar
among your contacts that might be interested.
We thank you in advance for your interest and cooperation with this project.
Best regards,
The EMPHASIS project team
Experiences with Adaptive Measures in Forestry and Forest Restoration under Global Change
The members of the IUFRO Task Force "Forest Adaptation and Restoration under Global Change" are conducting a survey to gain data and insights for developing best practice approaches for forest adaptation and restoration under global change. This survey relies on the knowledge of experts/professionals from forestry and related fields and their information about actual examples of Adaptive Measures in Forestry and Forest Restoration, thus we would like to kindly ask you for your participation.
The collected data will contribute valuable information to a study of the local and regional experiences with Adaptive Forest Management (AFM) and Forest Landscape Restoration (FLR) under climate- and societal change with the aim to increase the adaptive capacity of forests and forest landscapes with regards to those changes.
Please visit <http://gdi.thuenen.de/wo/limesurvey/index.php/883655?lang=en> http://gdi.thuenen.de/wo/limesurvey/index.php/883655?lang=en and fill in the questionnaire – the Task Force greatly appreciates your help in this matter!
(For details on the Task Force, please visit http://www.iufro.org/science/task-forces/forest-adaptation-restoration/).
---------------------------------------------------
posted by IUFRO Headquarters on behalf of:
Prof. Dr. Andreas Bolte
Institutsleiter / Head of Institute
Thünen-Institut für Waldökosysteme / Thünen Institute of Forest Ecosystems A.-Möller-Str. 1
D-16225 Eberswalde (Germany)
Tel: +49 3334 3820-344
Fax: +49 3334 3820-354
Mail:andreas.bolte@ti.bund.de
Web:www.ti.bund.de ResearcherID:www.researcherid.com/rid/A-3521-2009ResearchGate:http://www.researchgate.net/profile/Andreas_Bolte
Das Johann Heinrich von Thünen-Institut, Bundesforschungsinstitut für Ländliche Räume, Wald und Fischerei – kurz: Thünen-Institut – besteht aus 14 Fachinstituten, die in den Bereichen Ökonomie, Ökologie und Technologie forschen und die Politik beraten. / The Johann Heinrich von Thünen Institute, Federal Research Institute for Rural Areas, Forestry and Fisheries – Thünen Institute in brief – consists of 14 specialized institutes that carry out research and provide policy advice in the fields of economy, ecology and technology.
Von: Vlosky, Richard P. [mailto:RVlosky@agcenter.lsu.edu]
Gesendet: Mittwoch, 1. Februar 2017 00:07
An: Vlosky, Richard P.
Betreff: Trees engineered to grow faster could outrun insect blight and drought
Email Signature Logo(SENT TO THE LOUISIANA FOREST PRODUCTS DEVELOPMENT CENTER-FOREST SECTOR INTEREST GROUP) cid:image006.jpg@01D11D50.797B06B0
Trees engineered to grow faster could outrun insect blight and drought
By <http://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/users/billesler> Bill Esler January 24, 2017 | 9:52 pm EST
·
http://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/sites/woodworking/files/field/image/bugs-…
VANCOUVER, B.C.- With 400 million seedlings planted per year, spruce are Canada's most reforested trees. Now researchers have launched a $10.5 million research project to fund genetically improved tree breeding programs.
Spruce trees are Canada's most significant forest resource because they grow in almost every region of country and are the largest species by number. Spruce trees also produce high-quality wood and fiber.
Genome BC, a public-private agency that funds research in Western Canada, says climate change and unpredictable forest product markets require faster tree breeding programs to deliver reliable spruce stock for future seed and seedling production.
The organization announced a $10.5-million research project, Spruce-Up: Advanced spruce genomics for productive and resilient forests, which it says can more than double the net economic output value of spruce forests, increasing the value of new trees and reducing losses due to environmental disturbances.
The investment, made in part by Genome BC, is for a project being led by Dr. Joerg Bohlmann at the University of British Columbia and Dr. Jean Bousquet from l'Université Laval, in Quebec. The team will accelerate the development and deployment of genomics-improved spruce seedlings that could be more resistant to insects and drought, has enhanced nutrient use efficiency and results in improved wood quality and productivity.
<http://www.genomebc.ca/files/5314/0968/6689/Forest_Sector_Strategy_for_web.…> http://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/sites/woodworking/files/GenomeBC-bugs.jpg
<http://www.genomebc.ca/files/5314/0968/6689/Forest_Sector_Strategy_for_web.…> Annual report for GenomeBC
"Spruce-Up capitalizes on our long-standing successful collaborations with industry and government," says Dr. Joerg Bohlmann, Professor and Distinguished University Scholar, Michael Smith Laboratories, UBC. "We are building on over a decade of ground breaking forest genomics research enabled by Genome Canada, Genome BC and other partners."
A similar project funded at $5.7 million and set in Alberta, was announced earlier this month. It will look at how changing climates and climate-induced insect outbreaks are on the rise, leading to drought and forest destruction. That project is co-led by the University of British Columbia’s Dr. Yousry El-Kassaby, and aims to shorten the time, by about 20 years, for tree-breeding cycles, in an effort to alleviate side effects from climate conditions and insects.
Overall, says Genome Canada, the pace of change in climate and climate-induced insect outbreaks is outstripping the ability for trees to adjust to these threats. Likewise, traditional tree improvement methodologies are too slow to provide well-adapted seedlings for reforestation to ultimately achieve healthy forests for the future.
Dr. El-Kassaby, in collaboration with Drs. Barb Thomas and Nadir Erbilgin of the University of Alberta, are working to integrate rapidly emerging technologies, including genomics and mathematical models, into existing tree breeding programs to generate pest resistant and drought tolerant trees.
Another research project, Synbiomics, valued at $9.5-million, is being co-led by UBC's Dr. Harry Brumer and led by Dr. Emma Master of the University of Toronto. They are focused on harnessing the genetic potential of microorganisms to identify and develop new biocatalysts that can be used to create materials from trees, such as resins, coatings, bioplastics and adhesives.
That project hopes to also foster small and medium-sized enterprises that will work together with nearby pulp mills, creating economic opportunities for Canada's forest sector and rural communities.
"The application of genomics technology to forestry challenges is a direct link from laboratory to product support," says Dr. Catalina Lopez-Correa, Chief Scientific Officer and Vice President, Sector Development, at Genome BC. "We are investing in this innovative work because there is a real opportunity to ensure the continuing success of a major Canadian economic sector and find cost efficiencies in the process."
These projects were awarded through Genome Canada's 2015 Large-Scale Applied Research Project Competition Natural Resources and the Environment: Sector Challenges - Genomic Solutions. Funders of this work include Genome Canada, Genome BC, Genome Quebec, Ontario Genomics, the BC Ministry of Forests, Land and Natural Resource Operations, Ministère des Forêts, de la Faune et des Parcs du Québec, Natural Resources Canada, Forest Products Innovations, and the Canadian Wood Fibre Centre and other partners.
Genome British Columbia leads genomics innovation on Canada's West Coast and facilitates the integration of genomics into society. A recognized catalyst for government and industry, Genome BC invests in research, entrepreneurship and commercialization in life sciences to address challenges in key sectors such as health, forestry, fisheries, aquaculture, agri-food, energy, mining and environment. Genome BC partners with many national and international public and private funding organizations to drive BC's bioeconomy. In addition to research, entrepreneurship and commercialization programs, Genome BC is committed to fostering an understanding and appreciation of the life sciences among teachers, students and the general public. <http://www.genomebc.ca/> www.genomebc.ca
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Richard P. Vlosky, Ph.D.
Director, Louisiana Forest Products Development Center
Crosby Land & Resources Endowed Professor of Forest Sector Business Development
Room 227, School of Renewable Natural Resources
Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803
Phone (office): (225) 578-4527; Fax: (225) 578-4251; Mobile Phone: (225) 223-1931
E-mail: vlosky(a)lsu.edu
Web Site: www.LFPDC.lsu.edu <http://www.lfpdc.lsu.edu/>
LFPDC-AgCenter Combined Logo
President, Forest Products Society; President, WoodEMA i.a.
