UF Hosts Tropical Forest Conference Feb. 25-26

Source(s):
Daniel Zarin zarin@ufl.edu, (352) 846-1247
Sharon Borneman spborneman@mail.ifas.ufl.edu, (352) 392-5930

GAINESVILLE, Fla.—An interdisciplinary conference, “Working Forests in the Tropics: Conservation through Sustainable Management,” will be held at the University of Florida’s Reitz Union Feb. 25-26, 2002.

Hosted by UF’s School of Forest Resources and Conservation and the Forest Management Trust, the conference will provide a forum for the sharing and synthesis of scientific, management and policy information about tropical forests, said Daniel Zarin, associate professor of tropical forestry. The school is part of UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.

“The conference is designed to bring together scientists from national and international agencies, non-government organizations and the private sector as well as students interested in tropical forest ecology, conservation, management and policy,” he said.

Sessions have been organized around four primary topics: Chainsaw Conservation: Sacrificing Trees for the Sake of the Forest, moderated by Francis “Jack” Putz, professor of botany; Linking Communities and Markets: Critical Issues, moderated by Marianne Schmink, professor of Latin American studies; Paying for Carbon: Internalizing an Ecosystem Service in Tropical Forestry, moderated by Janaki Alavalapati, assistant professor of forestry; and Certification of Tropical Forest Products and Management Systems, moderated by Joshua Dickinson, senior associate of the Forest Management Trust.

In addition to the oral sessions, there will be a poster session on tropical forest conservation, ecology, management or policy. Keynote addresses will be given by Ariel Lugo, director of the USDA Forest Service, International Institute of Tropical Forestry, and David Kaimowitz, director general of the Center for International Forestry Research. A panel discussion will address the question “Is sustainable forest management an effective strategy for conservation and development in the tropics?”

Prior to the conference, there will be a Feb. 24 field trip to the Ocala National Forest, where participants will visit a well-maintained longleaf pine savanna and a series of managed and natural stands of sand pine scrub. The field trip is limited to 40 people so pre-registration is recommended.

Registration fee is $100; for full-time students, $50.00. Accommodations are available at The Holiday Inn University Center, 1250 West University Ave. (352) 376-1661.

For registration Information, contact Sharon Borneman, conference coordinator, phone: (352) 392-5930 FAX: (352) 392-9734; email: spborneman@mail.ifas.ufl.edu, or Daniel Zarin, conference chair: (352) 846-1247; email: zarin@ufl.edu.

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Posted: February 14, 2002


Category: UF/IFAS



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