3rd Biennial Conference of IBS:  9-13 January 2007

9 January 2007 - Pre-conference workshops and field trip

Option One: Spatial Analysis in Macroecology
Organizers: Richard Field & Lindsay Banin
Led by: José Alexandre Felizola Diniz-Filho and Thiago Fernando L. V. B. Rangel

Target audience: Academics, researchers or research students wishing to learn about spatial analysis.

Prior knowledge: A working knowledge of regression and correlation will be assumed. The workshop caters for varying levels of knowledge of spatial analysis but assumes none.

Introduction (30 Minutes)

   · History of spatial analysis in biogeography, ecology and macroecology.

   · Why we need to do spatial analysis? The limitations of classical statistical techniques when used on spatial data.

   · What can (& cannot) be achieved with spatial analysis: exploratory & confirmatory spatial analyses.

   · Alternatives for modelling spatial data: when to use each type of spatial analysis, and why.

Practical Sessions (Total 3 hours excluding break periods)

1. Introduction to the SAM (Spatial Analysis in Macroecology) computer package (1 hour)

Distribution of CD-ROM with material (see below). Brief guided ‘tour’ through SAM modules, including details of data format and handling, mapping and basic statistical description, exploratory spatial analysis and spatial regression techniques, based on a small didactic example. To cater for varying abilities and levels of prior knowledge, more advanced users can start working on exercises (see #2 below) if this part of the workshop is too basic for them.

2. Doing spatial analysis (2 hours)

In this part of the workshop, people have a choice, to suit their needs best. One option is to work through exercises that involve some of the more common analyses, with help on hand from Alexandre Diniz-Filho & Thiago Rangel (more experts will be drafted in if numbers of participants require this). Different datasets will be available, differing in terms of the modules within SAM required, the nature of the problems being addressed, difficulty, etc. Alternatively, workshop participants are welcome to bring their own spatial data/problems to the session, to work through (with help on hand) instead of or in addition to the pre-prepared exercises.

Debrief (1 hour)

   · Take-home messages and any issues that arise during the practical session.

   · Discussions around different techniques and applications developed during the workshop.

   · Suggestions for further information and follow-up.

   · Any planned developments of / upgrades to SAM.

CD-ROM

The CD-ROM to be distributed will contain all material relating to the workshop, including lecture slides (plus notes giving further explanation), the exercises with explanatory comments, a tutorial for using SAM, literature relevant to the topics, relevant URLs, etc.

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Option Two: Workshop on Popular Science Writing for Scientists
Organizers: Richard Ladle, George Stevens

How does popular science writing differ from academic writing? How can I get my research into the news? How do I get a book deal? Can I be a popular science writer and maintain my scientific credibility? Can I make lots of money?

These questions and others will be answered during this half-day interactive workshop on popular science writing. Participants will be introduced to the tools required for successfully translating the (often) dry and depersonalized language of academia into the more dynamic and colorful text of press-releases, magazines, newspapers, weblogs and popular science books.

Participants will also be given useful tips and practical advice for floating ideas past editors, writing submission letters and contacting potential sources for publication.

Topics to be covered include the stylistic and technical differences between preparing pieces for scholarly journals and preparing materials for a more general audience, identifying likely sources for publication, editing and preparation of manuscripts, tax consequences and likely income from publication, negotiating book contracts, and how to develop successful themes and outlines.

Participants will be broken into small groups to work closely with successful authors from a variety of backgrounds.

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Option Three: Field Trip to explore Anaga Rural Park and environs
Organizer: Jose-Maria Fernandez-Palacios

Route: Puerto de la Cruz – La Laguna – Pico del Inglés – El Bailadero – Taganana – San Andrés – Santa Cruz – Puerto de la Cruz.

As many members will be recovering from their flights to the Canaries, this pre-conference excursion is being provided as a general introduction to the landscapes of Tenerife, and an alternative to the workshops, which run the same day.

The Anaga massif is the northeast corner of the island, comprising some 130 sq. km and today constituting a Rural Park, where outstanding nature coexists with a stable population of about 3,000 humans.  It is slightly younger than Teno (7-8 My), and reaches 1,024 m elevation at its highest point, close to Pico del Inglés.  Anaga harbours three altitudinal ecosystems, the subdesert coastal scrub, the thermophilous woodland, today very scarce, and good reserves of laurel forest.

We will depart early from Puerto de la Cruz and head in the direction of La Laguna, a UNESCO world heritage city and centre of the La Laguna University, an institution founded over two centuries ago.  Our first stop will be the Jardina (c. 750 m elevation) viewpoint, located on the Anaga massif, where an impressive view of the city, the La Laguna Basin, and the central summit of the island is possible. From here we will go to the Pico del Inglés viewpoint (c. 1,000 m elevation), where we will explore the Monte de Aguirre laurel forest and get a nice view of the eastern part of the massif. Here we will have the opportunity to observe several laurel forest and thermophilous woodland species. Our next stop will be in El Bailadero (c. 800 m elevation), which has wonderful view of both the windward and leeward slopes of the Anaga massif, and where toilet facilities are available.

From El Bailadero we will descend to the spectacular coast of Taganana, where the windward sea waves erode the soft basaltic materials constructing the pretty, but dangerous, black-sand beaches; we also will be able to see impressive cliffs, such as the Roques the Anaga, a Natural Reserve. Here, while having lunch, we can discuss the processes involved in building and destroying volcanic islands, and their implication for their biogeography and ecology.

On our way home we will go through the San Andrés Valley, a huge erosional valley where the transition among the different zonal ecosystems of Anaga can be appreciated. Once in San Andrés, and after visiting its beach (Las Tereistas), we will drive through Santa Cruz de Tenerife, the capital of the island and together with Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, of the whole archipelago. Traveling from Santa Cruz to el Puerto de la Cruz will take approximately 45 minutes using the northern highway, which will allow us to arrive back in Puerto by 6:00 pm.