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The aim of this conference is to bring together the principal experts (from Academia and Industry) whose research, or corporate work, is either directed to generating palaeogeographies, or for whom palaeogeographies are a critical boundary condition.

i. Plate modelling and the role of tectonics in driving large-scale palaeogeographic evolution;

iv.Defining the uncertainties associated with generating palaeogeography and their implications for explorationists and climate modellers.

We intend that this meeting will provide practical examples of how palaeogeography has been applied in frontier oil, gas and minerals exploration and Earth System modelling, facilitate discussion and the exchange of ideas, and give rise to a comprehensive publication.

Sponsorship is requested to help defray general meeting and venue costs, support key participation by key researchers, and facilitate student involvement. Sponsors will have their logo included on subsequent mailings, the abstract volume and in the conference hall. Any level of sponsorship will be gratefully appreciated and acknowledged, but sponsors providing 3000 or more will also be assured of one free conference registration (1500 or more guarantees one reserved place at the conference). The conference will be restricted to a maximum of 150 attendees in order to facilitate discussion and the exchange of ideas.

This short research conference is coincident with the timing of the 2 week long IGC meeting in Norway, which for those participants travelling from outside the region, will help facilitate attendance at both during one trip to Europe.

Registration details, forms, and further information about this conference can be found on the Geological Society website:http://www.geolsoc.org.uk/gsl/events/listings/page2856.html

3rd Conference of the Competence Network Urban Ecology
“Urban Biodiversity and Design - Implementing the Convention of Biological Diversity in towns and cities”
21-24 May 2008 in Erfurt, Germany

The international conference “Urban Biodiversity and Design” will summarise for the first time in a global context current scientific and practical approaches of implementing the Convention on Biological Diversity in urban areas. The 2nd announcement – call for papers - is now online: www.urbio2008.com. Abstracts can be submitted until 15 November 2007. The main topics are:

Our conference will support the Curitiba Initiative “Cities and Biodiversity” and contribute to the discussions on taking forward “Local Action for Biodiversity” in urban areas. Together with the international meeting of local government representatives in May 2008 the conference will promote greater awareness of the important role of our towns and cities at the 9th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 9) in Bonn. It will be attractive to all disciplines involved in research, planning, design and management of the green urban environment including landscape architects and planners, biologists, ecologists, horticulturists, urban designers and local government administrators.

On behalf of our patrons - the Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity Dr. Ahmed Djoghlaf and the Honorary President of the Competence Network Urban Ecology Prof. Dr. Dr. Herbert Sukopp - we look forward to enjoy your accompany in the friendly atmosphere of Erfurt’s medieval centre as well as sharing thoughts on working together to make all our cities green pleasant and prosperous places.
The organisers: Norbert Müller (D-Erfurt), David Knight (UK-Wakefield) & Peter Werner (D-Darmstadt)

The International Society of Biogeography is pleased to announce the recipient of the 2007 Alfred Russel Wallace award is Dr. John C. Avise!

The Institute of Ecosystem Studies seeks two individuals at the level of Assistant or Associate Scientist. The successful candidates will have a proven track record of research funding and publication in top scientific journals. We are particularly interested in research interests that relate to:

1) The impacts of global change on forest and associated ecosystems. Ecologists studying the future composition, biogeochemical function, and/or management of forested ecosystems in the face of climate change, ex-urban development, invasive species, or potential large-scale biofuel production are particularly encouraged to apply.

2) The ecology of infectious diseases. Ecologists studying zoonoses, wildlife diseases, and plant diseases caused by viral, bacterial, fungal, protozoan, or metazoan parasites are welcome to apply.

The Institute, a privately-endowed research and education organization located on a 2000-acre arboretum in the Hudson River Valley of New York, currently hosts a staff of 16 scientists, who investigate human impacts on forest, freshwater and urban ecosystems. We seek individuals who can join this team and establish interdisciplinary collaborations that extend the Institute's work to consider human interactions with ecosystems, especially in light of global change.

We will begin to review applications on 1 October 2007, with the anticipation of filling these positions in early 2008. Apply by sending curriculum vitae, statement of research interests and goals, and the names and addresses of three potential references to: Human Resources, The Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Job Ref. # 07029-I, PO Box AB, Millbrook, NY 12545; jobs@ecostudies.org. The Institute of Ecosystem Studies is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. Women and minorities are encouraged to apply.

TENURE TRACK POSITION: Biogeographer / landscape ecologist / spatial ecologist / environmental geographer

Geography Department, Cal State Northridge
Effective Date: August 2008 (Subject to Budgetary Approval)
Rank: Tenure-Track Assistant Professor
Salary: $53,772 - $59,000

Responsibilities:
Teaching responsibilities will include lower division general education courses in physical and/or human geography, upper division courses in environmental geography, world ecosystems, environmental hazards, field studies, conservation, environmental impact studies, plus advanced and graduate courses in area of specialization. We look for a geographer who will involve students in field-based research and data analysis, and who will mentor students undertaking senior thesis and master’s research. The successful candidate will also contribute to department, college, and university committees, participate in professional conferences, publish in peer-reviewed journals, and seek external grants. The successful candidate will join faculty and staff in a commitment to active learning, to the assessment of learning outcomes, and to multiple pathways that enable students to graduate.

Qualifications:
Ph.D. in Geography is required at time of appointment. ABD applicants will be considered, but would be appointed as a one-year lecturer, converted to tenure track at completion of the doctorate.

We are looking for an environmental geographer with a demonstrated field component of research. Other desirable areas of expertise include GIS, field/laboratory techniques, historical environmental studies, resource and environmental management, and habitat restoration.

Application screening begins November 9, 2007 and priority is given applications received by that date. Position will remain open until filled.

TENURE-TRACK POSITION IN ECOLOGICAL FORECASTING

University of South Carolina at Columbia

The University of South Carolina at Columbia invites applications for a tenure-track position at the rank of Assistant Professor in the area of Ecological Forecasting. This position is part of the University’s Faculty Excellence Initiative (FEI) program, and will enhance an interdisciplinary research group developing forecasts of ecological responses to climate change in coastal regions. The faculty member will be expected to form strong research collaborations with other hires in this cluster and with existing faculty having strengths in this area. We seek candidates in the following areas (i) conservation biogeography, with an emphasis on issues of habitat fragmentation, connectivity, and changes in community composition across biogeographic scales; (ii) microclimatology, with focus on moisture and energy fluxes in the boundary layer; and (iii) signal analysis, with experience in environmental science and capacity to “translate” large scale environmental signals to the scale of an individual organism. Tenure-home departments may include Biological Sciences, Geography, and Computer Science and Engineering, and a joint appointment with the School of the Environment may be possible. Successful applicants are expected to hold a PhD, to have a strong publication record, to establish and maintain an extramurally funded research program, and to teach undergraduate and graduate courses.

Applicants should submit a letter of application, statements of teaching and research interests, a curriculum vitae and arrange to have three letters of recommendation sent directly to the chair of the search committee: Prof. B. Helmuth, Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208.

General inquiries may be made via e-mail to helmuth@biol.sc.edu; Ph 803-777-2100; Fax: 803-777-4002. To receive full consideration applications must be received by November 1, 2007.

The University of South Carolina is an affirmative action, equal opportunity employer. Women and minorities are encouraged to apply. The University of
South Carolina does not discriminate in educational or employment opportunities or decisions for qualified persons on the basis of race, color, religion, sex,
national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation or veteran status.

Field Ornithologist

The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute seeks a short-term field ornithologist to assist on several ongoing projects concerning the ecology
and evolutionary biology of the birds of Panama. This position requires that the applicant be willing to collect (e.g. sacrifice) birds under existing
permits from the Republic of Panama, and the applicant should have previous mistnetting experience; experience with firearms is a plus. This is a great
opportunity to learn field techniques for museum ornithology in diverse and often remote habitats throughout Panama, and become familiar with patterns
of avian diversity in the Neoptropics. The position is for six months starting in September. The assistant will receive 1000 USD per month, which
is sufficient to cover all in-country expenses as well as to reimburse airfare to Panama. Applications are accepted until the position is filled.
Please send a CV along with a statement of interest to Matthew Miller,
millerma@si.edu.

CASE Studentship
Sustainable conservation of Africa's tropical montane cloud forest megafauna

details at : http://www.kcl.ac.uk/schools/sspp/geography/events/phdscholarship.html

Tropical Montane Cloud forests (TMCFs) are biologically and hydrologically important yet restricted in their distribution and thus highly threatened by both land use and climate change. Previous research has indicated that some of the most important remaining areas of cloud forest which are also some of the most threatened by climate and land use change ( www.ambiotek.com/cloudforests <http://www.ambiotek.com/cloudforests>) are those in central Africa. The cloudforests of the eastern Congo are relatively unaffected by land use change whereas those in Western Rwanda and Uganda are rapidly disappearing, threatening with extinction the remaining population of <700 Mountain Gorillas. All of these forests have - and are expected to continue to - experience significant regional warming (of between 2 and 5°C between 1990 and 2050). Such change threatens even those forests protected against land use change if conservation strategies do not take climate change into account. This project will combine previous analyses of the climatic controls on cloud forest presence with future scenarios for climate and land use change in a spatial context to test various configurations for cloud forest protection in central Africa. A scenario modelling approach will be used to identify the optimal spatial configurations of forest protection in order to protect cloud forests in the face of climate change as well as land use change. Such an analysis will help inform conservation policy so that the important species that occupy cloud forests in central Africa - in particular the mountain Gorilla - are protected against the worst impacts of climate change. The research is important to ensure the effective use of significant funds being focused on conservation in this region by building climate-sustainable protected areas.

The CASE partner, the Gorilla Organization (formerly the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund) is well placed to take advantage of this research since they have a background of pioneering geospatial analyses for conservation and invest significant effort and funds in the designation and management of protected cloud forests in central Africa. As well as science-based strategies for conservation, the project will produce the most detailed databases for the region yet available, in a form that can be used by the GO offices in the UK, Uganda and throughout the Virunga region.

Dr. Mark Mulligan, Environmental Monitoring and Modelling Research Group, Department of Geography, King's College London, Strand, LONDON, WC2R 2LS. Tel 44 20 7848 2280. Mobile 44 77 9626 5616 Fax 44 20 7848 2287 mark.mulligan@kcl.ac.uk
http://www.kcl.ac.uk/geography
Research projects and databases : http://www.kcl.ac.uk/geodata
community peer reviewed free ejournal : Advances in Environmental Monitoring and Modelling ( http://www.kcl.ac.uk/advances)
Masters Programmes: http://www.kcl.ac.uk/schools/sspp/geography/masters