Second Circular
The international research community interested in Mediterranean-type ecosystems has met every 3-4 years since the first meeting held in Valdivia, Chile in March 1971. The topics have varied. The first meeting focused on the origin and structure of Mediterranean-type ecosystems. Other meetings have dealt with water relations, plant-animal relations, and landscape degradation (Vina del Mar, Chile, October 1994).
This international conference will bring together what is known about the impacts of global change on Mediterranean-type ecosystems (MTE) and make predictions concerning future effects. Through the information presented, and workshops, it will also strive to help organize and direct future research to better understand and predict the effects of elevated CO2 on MTEs. MEDECOS VIII entitled Global Change and Mediterranean Ecosystems, will be held in San Diego, California, October 18-26, 1997. Based on the previous MEDECOS meetings, and on the 1982 Conference on Management of Mediterranean-type ecosystems held in San Diego in 1982 (Conrad and Oechel 1982), we expect an attendance of approximately 350 persons from more than 15 countries. Scheduled and anticipated attendees include individuals from all traditional Mediterranean-type climate regions, including California, Chile, South Africa, Australia, and the Mediterranean Basin (Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Turkey and Israel) and including a strong north African representation (Egypt, Tunisia and Morocco). We generally have, and expect, significant numbers of attendees from non-MTE countries as well, including those individuals from Britain, Germany, and the Netherlands working in the Mediterranean Basin.
Mediterranean-type ecosystems are under extreme and increasing pressures from direct human intervention from intense land use and land use change, desertification, and global change. Mediterranean-type ecosystems are of extremely high diversity, and generally exhibit very high concentrations of rare and endangered species and ecosystems.
In the Mediterranean Basin, this pressure has existed for a millennia, in other regions, human pressures are of more recent origin but are intensive and rapidly increasing in severity. In arid portions of MTEs, desertification is a significant concern, and expected to expand with global climate change and increasing human pressures. Elevated atmospheric CO2 could increase fire frequency and intensity. Decreasing transpiration rates from increasing atmospheric CO2 could increase surface temperature and decrease relative humidity. Further, Mediterranean-type ecosystems are useful in predicting responses in arid and semi-arid ecosystems in general, which comprise almost 50% of the land area and 25% of the terrestrial above and below ground biomass. Arid and semi-arid regions are expected to be particularly affected by increases in atmospheric CO2 and changes in moisture availability. Many MTEs are in areas of intense nitrogen deposition, which could make them particularly responsive to elevated CO2.
The International Conference has several objectives. One is to review recent developments in areas of current research and management concern in Mediterranean Basins. In so doing, we hope to speed the development, quantity and quality of research in MTEs world wide, given the circum-global distribution MTEs, periodic international meeting have proven critical to aiding timely communications.
Presidential
Address: Gloria Montenegro - Challenges for the 21st Century
Plenary
Presentations are planned for each meeting day. Plenary
presentations include:
Symposia
are designed to concentrate on areas of recent
research developments and accomplishments. They are intended to summarize a
significant area of research, and to stimulate future research. Symposia planned
include:
Contributed
Papers:Contributed oral and poster presentations are
encouraged along the themes of the conference and in other areas concerning
MTEs.
Field
trips: Mediterranean-type climate regions of Baja California; Sky
Oaks Biological Field Station including (the FACE and CO2LT MedCO2RE
Facility); Santa Margarita & Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve.
Baja
A pre-conference field trip of two days is being planned to Catavina, Baja California, Mexico. Catavina is at the northern end of the Vizcaino desert region, about 500 km south of the Mexican border. The trip will include the transition from chaparral to the desert vegetation of central Baja California with giant cardon cacti (Pachycereus pringlei) and the cirio or boojum tree (Fouquieria columnaris). Transportation will be by bus and accommodations will be at the La Pinta hotel near Catavina. This is an opportunity to visit a very unusual vegetation; Fouquieria columnaris ranks very high in the list of strange plants of the world and the region includes many cacti, agaves, and the blue fan palm (Brahea armata).
Space at the hotel in Catavina is limited to about 50 participants. Registration will be on a "First come first served basis". Preference will be given to foreign and out of state participants.
Cost of the trip is $150.00 USD for the two days, which will include transportation, meals and accommodations.
Date of trip: 10/18-19/97
Payment due date: 08/01/97
Sky Oaks, Santa Margarita and Santa Rosa Plateau
Ecological Reserve
Field trips will be made to the Sky Oaks Biological Field Station on October 25 and to Santa Margarita Field Station and the Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve on October 26. Both trips will depart from the hotel at 8:00am, returning at 5:00pm.
1) The Sky Oaks Biological Field Station field trip will feature touring the CO2LT, null balance and FACE elevated CO2 experiments. The field station is located in the north central portion of San Diego County bordered by the Cleveland National Forest, Los Coyotes Indian Reservation and the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. Elevations ranges from 1500 to 2000 meters with a mean annual temperature of 12.2 degrees centigrade and annual precipitation of 532 millimeters. Most of the vegetation consists of Adenostoma fasciculatum, Adenostoma sparsifolium, and Ceanothus greggii. There are numerous oak woodlands (Quercus agrifolia), and at higher elevations, stands of Pinus coulteri and P. ponderosa.
2) The Santa Margarita Field Station lies in the chaparral/coastal sage scrub/oak woodland vegetation zone of southern California, 80 km north of San Diego. Elevation ranges from 150 to 700 meters. The climate is Mediterranean with cool wet winters and warm summers moderated by the marine influence of the Pacific Ocean which lies 30 km to the West. Mean annual precipitation is approximately 400 millimeters and the mean annual temperature of about 16.4 degrees centigrade. The topography is complex, consisting of low hills and intervening drainage. The northern portion of the station is dominated by the deep gorge of the Santa Margarita River, the last free-flowing stream in southern California.
The Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve, managed by the Nature Conservancy and numerous local agencies is 20 km north of the Santa Margarita Field Station. It is located at the southern end of the Santa Ana Mountains, the Santa Rosa Plateau's rolling topography ranges to over 700 meters. The 7,000 acres support a diversity of communities including oak woodlands, bunchgrass prairie (nearly 3,000 acres of native grasslands), coastal sage scrub and large areas of chaparral.
The cost will be $30.00 USD per person per trip, which will include transportation and lunch.
| Date of trip(s) | |
| Sky Oaks | 10/25/97 |
| Santa Margarita & Santa Rosa | 10/26/97 |
| Payment due date: | 08/01/97 |
Registration will be on a "first come first served basis". Preference will be given to foreign and out of state participants.
Reception:
Sunday, October 19, 1997 no host bar 8-9:30pm
Wine
tasting: There will be non-blind wine tasting on Monday, Tuesday,
Wednesday evenings associated with the poster presentations. Entry is free,
but requires donation of one bottle of wine from individuals' home MTE
country. Wine tastings will be in four price categories: <$7, $7-15,
>20 (or <5 USD). Individuals are therefore requested to bring with them
up to four bottles of wine to attend all wine tastings in the appropriate
price categories.
Farewell
Dinner: Thursday, October 23, 1997
Abstracts of oral and poster presentations will be available at the conference in a printed bound version.
All abstracts must be received by the deadline.
Deadline for abstracts will be . Please use the following format for submission:
The official language of the Conference will be English.
To receive future meeting fliers and information, all persons including invited speakers must return the following information ASAP so an adequate number of rooms are assured.
You could either pre-register by filling in the pre-registration form, or by printing a printable copy of the form and faxing it to the MEDECOS office at (619) 594-7831.
Fees for full members and students include: Conference material, refreshments, and coffee during the Conference, and participation in social events.
The registration fee and field trip(s) should be paid in US dollars, in a check payable to MEDECOS VIII, and sent by registered mail to:
MEDECOS VIII will be held in San Diego, California. San Diego is approximately 120 miles south of Los Angeles and approximately 30 miles north of the Mexican border. San Diego is known for its beaches and tourist attractions. Local climate in October features warm sunny days and cool nights.
The meeting and rooms will be at the Princess Resort in San Diego on Mission Bay. Current cost for rooms with bed, Single or Double Rooms per night, $135.00, ($67.50pp USD plus room tax, based on occupancy) and Student Rooms per night, $105.00, ($26-35pp USD plus room tax, based on occupancy, with either triple or quadruple in a room).
The San Diego Princess is a full-service conference resort located in the heart of Mission Bay on a 44-acre tropical island. Minutes from the San Diego Airport and across the street from Sea World. The Princess features 462 guest room and suites. Amenities include 6 lighted tennis courts, 6 pools (two heated year-round) with lap lanes, a swim-up bar, fitness center, full service marina, putting golf course, and one mile of beach. Dining opportunities include the Dockside featuring contemporary cuisine, and a spectacular view of Mission Bay. The bright and airy Village Cafe offers casual dining, and the legendary Barefoot Bar & Grill features live entertainment in a casual yacht club atmosphere. An experienced and professional staff can service events for up to 1,100 people with 32,000 square feet of flexible meeting and banquet space, including spectacular outdoor settings for receptions and theme parties.
Hotel reservations must be reserved by July 18,1997 through the official travel agency for the meeting: Fargo Travel. This is absolutely required to guarantee room availability . A deposit is required to hold the room. Discounted meeting air fares will also be available for the meeting. For hotel and travel arrangements contact:
Miss Sherri Drehobl or Miss Mary McKeig
Fargo Travel
5090 College Avenue
San Diego, California, 92115 USA
Phone: (619) 286-0503
Fax: (619) 286-6135
Shuttle service will be provided by the hotel to and from the San Diego International Airport for nominal charge.
Scientific Organizing Committee
SDSU College
of Sciences
SDSU Foundation
European Union DGXII
Hansen Foundation
ISOMED
Please send any comments to MEDECOS@sonofsun.sdsu.edu
If there are any problems with this home page please send comments
to Rommel C. Zulueta.
Created by: Rommel
C. Zulueta