Ecology and conservation of saproxylic species and dead wood habitats in Europe
Course teachers:
- Keith Alexander
- Sylvie Barbalat
- Anders Dahlberg
- Panu Halme
- Jacob Heilmann-Clausen
- Bengt-Gunnar Jonsson
- Zydrunas Preiksa
- Dmitry Schigel
Abstract: the intensive course Ecology and conservation of saproxylic species and dead wood habitats in Europe, a.k.a. Dead Wood Course 2018 will take place as a satellite event to ECCB 2018 on 16–17 June (arrivals day 15 June), where guest teachers will present and discuss dead wood conservation issues in Europe. A compact and intensive programme will be comprised by lectures, discussions, two excursions, sauna and the movie night. This is a course, not a symposium, so no presentations are expected by the participants, but you can bring your posters to decorate the lecture hall. We will go through a broad range of topics, such as biodiversity in dead wood in Europe, will cover the dead wood conservation and management approaches of the East and the West. We will debate the species and habitat oriented conservation with the specific focus on dead wood and saproxylic organisms. This course is a compressed, Europe and conservation oriented version of the 2015 and 2016 courses.
Duration of the course: 2 days
Timing of the course: 16–17 June 2018 SAT–SUN. Note very late evening bus transportation on 15 June.
Minimum and maximum number of participants: minimum 12 participants and maximum of 40.
Location:
- Konnevesi Biological Station
- Station’s webpage: https://www.jyu.fi/science/en/konnevesi-research-station
- Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/zm1SH9G7so62
Student fee: the whole course costs 200 euro. The fee includes local bus transportation to and from the venue, shared accommodation, food, and sauna.
Prerequisites: interest in dead wood ecology and conservation of forests and woodland landscapes in Europe, dead wood research or conservation experience not required. It is expected that participant have ecology and conservation education, and knowledge of entomology and mycology is welcome.
Before you come:
- Weather and clothing: make sure to pack appropriate outdoor clothing, including rain gear. It is a good idea to have some mosquito repellent.
- Insurance: own
Recommended reading: to take place before you come to the course:
- The Afterlife of a Tree, especially chapters 2, 3 and 5.
- Biodiversity in Dead Wood, especially Introduction and chapters 3, 7, 8, 13 and 15. Your institution library might have a paper or an electronic copy.
- It is a good exercise to Google Scholar “dead wood conservation + your favourite keyword”, the keyword can be you favourite taxon, your region, your favourite tree species. Browse the search results and read 3–5 recent papers that grabs your attention - this will almost certainly make you an interesting participant of discussions, if you feel new to the topic.
Tentative program, subject to minor changes
Day 0: 15 June 2018, Friday
Bus transportation from Jyvaskyla to Konnevesi Biological Station, included in the course fee. Independent arrival with own / rented car possible, free parking space available at the station.
Day 1: 16 June 2018, Saturday
08:00–09:00 BREAKFAST
09:00–09:30 Dmitry Schigel: Welcome and introduction to the course
09:30–10:00 Panu Halme: Setting the stage Nordic lecture.
10:00–10:30 Keith Alexander (TBC): British lecture, beetles, woodlands, parks and cityscapes, IUCN experiences, insects
10:45–11:00 SHORT BREAK
11:00–11:30 Anders Dahlberg: Fungal conservation in Europe, IUCN experiences fungi
11:30-12:00 Jacob Heilmann-Claussen: Dead wood fungi, microhabitat restoration, veteranization, C Europe
12:00–13:00 LUNCH
13:00–16:00 Walk in the managed forest nearby
16:00–16:30 COFFEE
16:30–17:00 Sylvie Barbalat: Conservation and study of saproxylic insects in Central Europe
17:00–17:30 Dmitry Schigel: Restoration of dead wood fungi
17:30–18:00 TBA: IUCN, saproxylic species and dead wood habitats, present and future
18:00–19:30 COURSE DINNER
19:30–21:30 Sauna*, ladies
21:30–23:30 Sauna*, gentlemen
20:00, 22:00 Parallel to sauna: Dead Wood Movie night.
*NB! BYO beer. You can use towel from your room. Please explore sauna etiquette page, including useful tips in the end of the story
Day 2: 17 June Sunday
07:30–08:30 BREAKFAST
08:30–12:00 Walk in the old-growth forest
12:00–13:00 LUNCH, COFFEE and checkout
13:00–13:30 Zydrunas Preiksa: Dead wood conservation in Eastern Europe, transition from Soviet / Eastern bloc style conservation / management
13:30–14:00 TBA: Dead wood conservation in Mediterranean Europe
14:00–14:45 Bengt-Gunnar Jonsson (TBC): Wrap-up and big picture
14:45–15:00 Closing words and goodbye
Course certificates: course certificates will be e-mailed after the event to those in need. The course is roughly corresponding to 1 ECTS, but no formal credit registration is arranged – the course certificate can be presented to your student advisor in the home university for possible registration.