GLIN==> 2 weeks left: submit an abstract for 2006 Wetland Science Forum

The deadline for submitting your abstract is just 2 weeks from today…

Call for Presentations: Wisconsin’s Wetlands: Biodiversity & Threats

Wisconsin Wetlands Association’s 11th Annual Wetland Science Forum

February 2-3, 2006, Monona Terrace Convention Center, Madison, WI

Abstract Submission Deadline: Monday, November 7, 2005

Conference webpage: www.wiscwetlands.org/2006forum.htm

Wisconsin’s wetlands shelter an extraordinary diversity of plants and animals. More than a third of Wisconsin’s endangered and threatened species depend on marshes, swamps, bogs, fens, and other wetland habitats. Wisconsin’s wetlands are numerous and diverse, but so are threats to the biodiversity, health and continued existence of the 5 million acres of wetlands that remain on our landscapes. Conservation and protection of wetland biodiversity and functional values will require collaboration among wetland researchers, professionals, and conservationists.

Wisconsin Wetlands Association has thus chosen Biodiversity and Threats as the theme of our 11th annual Wetland Science Forum. This two-day conference will convene members of the wetland community in Wisconsin and the Great Lakes region to discuss a variety of issues related to wetland biodiversity and threats. Following the Wetland Science Forum tradition, we anticipate that this conference will contribute to a growing collaboration for protecting and conserving our state’s wetland heritage.

Wisconsin Wetlands Association invites you to submit an abstract for presentation. The conference program will begin with an overview of wetland biodiversity and threats to various wetland community types by geographic region in Wisconsin. The program will also include a keynote address, several topical oral sessions, a poster session (new this year), working groups and field trips, all related to the conference theme, Wisconsin’s Wetlands: Biodiversity & Threats. We welcome presentations from other states in the Great Lakes region, as long as the content of the presentation applies to Wisconsin's wetlands. We also encourage graduate and undergraduate students to submit abstracts for presentation in either the poster session or oral sessions. A limited number of scholarships are available to help students attend the conference; email programs@wiscwetlands.org to request a scholarship application.

We welcome presentations on these and other topics related to the Biodiversity & Threats theme:

· Wetland Species: Research or management projects focused on specific wetland species including plants, birds, amphibians, reptiles, mammals, invertebrates, and fish (particularly rare, threatened and endangered species)

· Wetland Communities: Research or management projects focused on specific wetland community types including marsh, swamp, fen, bog, coastal, etc.

· Wetland Wildlife: Research or management projects focused on wildlife and waterfowl

· Wetland Threats: Research or management projects on wetland alterations including degraded water quality, altered hydrology, altered species composition, habitat fragmentation, outright destruction, etc.

· Sources of Wetland Threats: Research or management projects on sources of wetland alteration, including poorly planned development/transportation/utility projects; point and nonpoint source pollution; invasive species; draining and filling; global climate change; poor agricultural and forestry practices; groundwater withdrawal, etc.

· Wetland Monitoring: Projects aimed at monitoring wetland biodiversity and/or threats to wetlands

· Wetland Policy: Research findings that could shape current or future wetland policy, as well as science-based evaluations of how well existing policies and programs (at local, state or federal levels) protect wetland resources

Instructions for Submitting Abstracts

Abstract Submission Forms available online at: www.wiscwetlands.org/2006CFP.htm

The deadline for submitting abstracts is Monday, November 7, 2005. To have your wetlands work considered for inclusion in this conference, please complete an Abstract Submission Form with a title, short abstract (limit 250 words), and A/V requirements. Electronic copies of abstracts are required – submit your abstract by emailing it to programs@wiscwetlands.org. Presenters will be notified of acceptance by December 1, 2005.

Note: We ask that presenters register and pay the appropriate registration fees in order to help cover conference costs. We encourage presenters to register by December 20, 2005 in order to receive the early registration rate. Registration information is now available online at www.wiscwetlands.org/2006forum.htm.

For more information, visit our conference webpage, www.wiscwetlands.org/2006forum.htm, or contact Laura England at 608-250-9971 or programs@wiscwetlands.org.

Laura England

Outreach Programs Director

Wisconsin Wetlands Association

222 S. Hamilton St. #1

Madison, WI 53703

phone: 608-250-9971

fax: 608-287-1179

laura@wiscwetlands.org

www.wiscwetlands.org

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