Conference proceedings available now
The 16th Annual Meeting of the UK chapter of the International Association for Landscape Ecology was ‘Ecological Networks: Science and Practice’. The conference was held between 1st – 3rd September 2009, in Edinburgh.
Field excursions
3rd September 2009
Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park – Edinburgh and the Lothians
The theme of the conference reflects the unique links that this organisation has between science and practice.
The integrative nature of landscape ecology makes it highly relevant to conservation and land use planning in the 21st century. Although ecological networks have been a long-established aspect of European land use planning and conservation, they are a relatively new concept in the UK which has traditionally focussed on site-based activities. In the face of rapid environmental change, there is a growing consensus that complementary approaches are needed. Scotland was chosen because this need has been widely embraced at both policy and practical levels.
The aim of this international meeting was twofold: to review the empirical foundations for the design and implementation of ecological networks and to consider how this evidence has been used in practice in different countries. Field trips to the Loch Lomond & Trossachs Nationahas been l Park and the Edinburgh & Lothians area demonstrated implementation strategies that are in progress providing a focus for discussion. The meeting also included three short, informal workshops on: the use of spatial data and decision support systems; a SNH land use planning tool; and the use of stakeholder engagement and policy influencing techniques.
Conference Plenary Themes
Day 1 (Science): Measuring Connectivity, Landscape Genetics
Day 2 (Practice): Spatial Planning, Ecosystem Services, Network Implementation
Several key plenary speakers spoke at the conference.
