WELCOME
It is with great pleasure that we welcome you at the 49th Annual Meeting of the Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation (ATBC) here in Bonito, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil.
This meeting’s theme is “Ecology, Evolution and Sustainable Use of Tropical Biodiversity.” The meeting will focus on the interface between ecology and evolution, stimulating discussion on ecological questions from an evolutionary standpoint, as well as potential applications of individual studies for the sustainable use of tropical biodiversity. Symposia will cover a large range of topics, including pollination biology, animal-plant interactions, dispersal ecology, community ecology, biogeography, macroevolution, macroecology, forest fragmentation, and conservation, among others.
The meeting’s program is organized around five main areas, as follows:
(1) Ecology and Evolution of Neotropical Organisms and Ecosystems
(2) Community Ecology & Function
(3) Species Interactions
(4) Conservation and Sustainable Development
(5) Capacity Building
Even though each day will focus in one particular area (with keynote talks and a higher number of sessions in that particular area), we will also have presentations in other topics running in parallel so that the contents of each day will include interesting topics to everyone.
Apart from a strong scientific program, Bonito is an ecological paradise that will provide participants with a great opportunity to explore one of the most stunning natural landscapes of Brazil. The region houses a very unique flora and fauna, including river otters, jaguars, armadillos, caimans, and a wide diversity of birds, as well as incredible landscapes ranging from dry forests to wetlands and crystalline water rivers.
ATBC2012 in Brazil will also represent a great opportunity for the international scientific community of Tropical Biologists to interact with Brazilians to foster scientific cooperation programs. Brazil houses a young and dynamic scientific community and a scientific program that is greatly increasing. In particular, the country produces half a million graduates and 10,000 PhDs a year, spends 1% of its GDP on research, and contributes with 2.7% of the world’s scientific papers, 30% of which are published with foreign co-authors.
On behalf of the Academic and Local Organizing Committee’s of ATBC2012, we welcome you to ATBC2012. We hope that you will have an extremely rich week scientifically, as well as will have fun enjoying Bonito’s natural landscapes.
All the very best,
Lúcia G. Lohmann
Pierre-Michel Forget
Erich Fischer
