Cambridge Conservation Forum

The price of extinction: what losing biodiversity costs

Francis Rowland — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 22:27:51 +0000

Cambridge Science Festival 2010 panel discussion: The price of extinction: what losing biodiversity costs

March 10th (Wednesday), 7pm for 7.15pm

Panel members include: William Kendall (Green and Black’s); Professor Bill Adams (Department of Geography); Pamela Abbott (Cambridge Conservation Forum); Dr Hazell Thompson (BirdLife International); Dr Ruth Swetnam (Department of Zoology)

Chair: Tim Radford (The Guardian)

Followed by a drinks reception with displays of their work by conservationists from across the Cambridge Conservation Community, until 10pm

Judge Business School, Trumpington Street

RSVP and any questions in advance for the panel to: Sophie Smith sophie.smith [[ at ]] admin.ac [[ dot ]] uk

Find out more about this year’s Cambridge Science Festival.

Date change: CCF council meeting, now Feb 11th

Francis Rowland — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 16:00:18 +0000

The next CCF Council meeting will now be held on Thursday 11^th February (not the 4^th) at 1 PM at the offices of Flora and Fauna International, Jupiter House, Station Road. An agenda will be circulated nearer the time. Suggestions for items to include should be sent to Val Kapos.

Successful CCF Annual Symposium 2010

Francis Rowland — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 15:56:05 +0000

Attendance at this year’s very successful Annual Symposium on 8th January was full despite the snow. It gave CCF members and others the opportunity to share topical aspects of recent research and activities with the wider CCF membership, and to highlight important issues for the coming year (final programme). Many of the presentations from the Symposium will shortly be available here for download.

Many thanks to the organising committee. We look forward to next year’s Symposium!

CCF pub night

Valerie Kapos — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 12:37:01 +0000

The MarchPub Night will take place on Monday, 1st March, 7-9 PM at the Castle. Come along for a drink and a chat. If you can’t see anyone obviously CCF-ish, ask at the bar, and if you’re the first one there, tell them where you’re sitting.

Tree species effects on ecosystem processes in tropical reforested pastures

Francis Rowland — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:15:27 +0000

Speakers: Dr Ann Russell and Dr Jim Raich, Iowa State University

Where: UNEP-WCMC 219 Huntingdon Road, Cambridge CB3 0DL
When: Monday, Nov 9, 13h00 – 14h00

Abstract

In one of the earliest replicated experimental sites for investigating growth of native tropical trees in Central America, we examined traits of tree species in relation to their effects on forest C balances, mechanisms of influence, and consequences for C sequestration. The mono-dominant stands, established in abandoned pasture in 1988 at La Selva Biological Station, Costa Rica, contained five species in a complete randomized block design.

Native species were: Hieronyma alchorneoides; Pentaclethra macroloba; Virola koschnyi; and Vochysia guatemalensis. The exotic species was Pinus patula. In all species, LAI, biomass and SOC content were roughly equivalent to that of the mature forest by 16 years. The lack of differences among species in some attributes suggested strong abiotic control in this environment, where conditions are very favorable for growth.

These attributes included aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP), averaging 11.7 Mg C ha-1 yr-1 across species, and soil organic C (0-100 cm, 167 Mg C/ha). Other traits differed significantly however, indicating some degree of biological control. In Vochysia plots, both aboveground biomass of 99 Mg C/ha, and belowground biomass of 20 Mg C/ha were 1.8 times that of Virola (P = 0.02 and 0.03 respectively). Differences among species in overstory biomass were not compensated by understory vegetation. Belowground NPP of 4.6 Mg C ha-1 yr-1 in Hieronyma was 2.4 times that of Pinus (P < 0.01). Partitioning of NPP to belowground components in Hieronyma was more than double that of Pinus (P = 0.03). Carbon sequestration, highest in Vochysia (7.4 Mg C ha-1 yr-1, P = 0.02), averaged 5.2 Mg C ha-1 yr-1, close to the annual per capita fossil-fuel use in the U. S. of 5.3 Mg C. Our results indicated that differences in species effects on forest C balances were related primarily to differences in growth rates, partitioning of C among biomass components, tissue turnover rates, and tissue chemistry.

Inclusion of those biological attributes may be critical for robust modeling of C-cycling across the moist tropical forest biome.

International Day of Climate Change

Francis Rowland — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 13:55:05 +0000

International Day of Climate Action – Saturday 24th October 2009, noon-2pm, Museum of Zoology lawns and King’s Parade, Cambridge

As part of 350.org’s International Day of Climate Action, Cambridge is hosting several creative events to raise awareness and to demand that governments agree on a binding and fair climate treaty strong enough to bring atmospheric CO2 levels down to 350 parts per million.

Bring your banners, posters, props, fancy dress, musical instruments – we can bring a smile to faces while raising awareness of an important issue.

Sign the petition – Join the fun – Spread the word! For further details and to RSVP for this event please see http://www.350.org/node/9532

Pub Night and Newsletter deadline

Valerie Kapos — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 12:23:25 +0000

The October Pub Night will take place on Monday, 5th October, 7-9 PM at the Castle. Come along for a drink and a chat. If you can’t see anyone obviously CCF-ish, ask at the bar, and if you’re the first one there, tell them where you’re sitting.

The October newsletter is due out on Monday 5th October. Material for inclusion will need to be emailed to Val by the end of the day on Friday 2nd October.

Forestry Commission Survey

Valerie Kapos — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 11:00:59 +0000

The Forestry Commission (England) are asking what they should do with their entire public estate in the future, 258,000ha altogether, about the size of Dorset! The Forestry Commission had only had c.500 responses so far and the deadline for reply is 28 Sept 2009, so get your reply in soon:

http://www.forestry.gov.uk/pdf/PFEQuestionnaire.pdf/$FILE/PFEQuestionnaire.pdf

CCF Annual Symposium 2010

Valerie Kapos — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 12:46:52 +0000

The Annual Symposium provides an opportunity for CCF members and others to share topical aspects of recent research and activities with the wider CCF membership, and to highlight important issues for the coming year. The Symposium will be held on Friday 8th January, 2010 at Kaetsu Centre, Murray Edwards College (previously New Hall), Cambridge.

For draft programme and registration information please see the CCF Symposium 2010 flyer [Word doc]. We look forward to seeing you there!

UPDATE

Registration is now open for the CCF Annual Symposium to be held 8th January at Murray Edwards. Full details and booking instructions are attached. Registration costs £35 if you book by December 8th and will go up to £40 thereafter. There will be no registrations accepted after Jan 6th.