Ecology Across Borders: International conference brings together 1,500 ecologists

1,500 ecologists from around 60 countries gather in Ghent, Belgium next month for the Ecological Society of Germany, Austria and Switzerland's joint* annual meeting ‘Ecology Across Borders’. With around 600 talks and 550 posters presented over four days, delegates will showcase and discuss the latest advances in ecological research across the whole discipline.

Highlights include:

• Climate change and evolution – new insights into how plants and animals in cities are adapting more rapidly to climate change and how urban environments can be used to study contemporary evolution

• The first quantitative estimates and forecasts of changes in coral cover in unmonitored parts of the Great Barrier Reef due to coral bleaching, disease, cyclones and outbreaks of venomous starfish

• A number of citizen science studies, including a project where secondary school students use camera traps to monitor mammals in the UK, and a 150-year data set of ant populations and distributions drawn together from museum collections and public initiatives in Denmark

• A review of the challenges and opportunities for UK agricultural policy after Brexit

• New technologies to monitor human exploitation of natural resources in a forest inhabited by declining jaguar and puma populations, and a model to predict and prevent attacks on humans and livestock solely based on previous tiger sightings

*This year’s conference is organised in association with the British Ecological Society (BES), the Nederlands-Vlaamse Vereniging voor Ecologie (Dutch-Flemish ecological society, NecoV), and the European Ecological Federation (EEF).

– Ends –

Notes to Editors

Journalists are welcome to attend the conference. To request a press pass in advance, please contact:

Juliane Röder
GfÖ Press Officer
Email: presse@gfoe.org
Tel: +49 (0) 6421 28 23381

Follow the event on social media #EAB2017

About the Ecological Society of Germany, Austria and Switzerland (GfÖ)
The Gesellschaft für Ökologie e.V. (GfÖ) represents ecologists working on basic research, applied aspects and education, mostly from Germany, Austria and Switzerland. It was founded in 1970 to support exchange among ecologists working on a wide range of topics and positions. The diversity of the society’s over 1,150 members is reflected in the GfÖ’s specialist groups, publications and annual meetings. www.gfoe.org @GfOe_org

About the British Ecological Society (BES)
Founded in 1913, the British Ecological Society (BES) is the oldest ecological society in the world. The BES promotes the study of ecology through publishing a range of scientific literature, organising and sponsoring a wide variety of events, education initiatives and policy work. The society has over 6,000 members from nearly 130 different countries. For more information, visit www.britishecologicalsociety.org @BritishEcolSoc

About the Nederlands-Vlaamse Vereniging voor Ecologie (NecoV)
The Nederlands-Vlaamse Vereniging voor Ecologie (NecoV) was created by the merger of two ecological associations in the Dutch-Flemish language region, and aims to promote fundamental and applied ecology in the Netherlands and in Flanders, to promote national and international cooperation between ecologists, and to promote responsible management of the biosphere. NecoV organises meetings, symposia, seminars, courses, thematic working groups and other ecologically oriented activities. www.necov.org

About the European Ecological Federation (EEF)
The European Ecological Federation (EEF) is the umbrella organisation representing the ecological societies within Europe and associated members. Instead of an individual membership, application process membership is granted automatically to members of a national society already represented in the EEF. The European Ecological Federation enables cooperation between ecological societies in order to promote the science of ecology in Europe. www.europeanecology.org @EuropeanEcology

http://www.britishecologicalsociety.org/events/annual-meeting-2017/