4 July, 2002

Ant Ecol Studies / Sevsk Mammoth Herd / Boreal Forests Conf / Polar Mar Sci Conf

SPRINGER has recently published a new issue of the Series "Ecological Studies Analysis and Synthesis", Vol. 154: "Geoecology of Antarctic Ice-Free Coastal Landscapes", edited by L. Beyer and M. Boelter.

(ISBN 3-540-42268-4, approx. 400 pp., 54 figs., 59 tabs.) You may have a look on it at www.springer.de

The book has 20 chapters covering descriptions of the environments of King George Island (Maritime Antarctic), Syowa Station (Dronning

Maud Land), and Casey Station (Wilkes Land). More than 20 authors contribute to climate, glacier and habitat changes, soil properties and soil formation processes, soil microbes, plants and soil fauna as well as impacts of men on the environment.

Kind regards, Manfed Boelter

######################################################

Werkgroep Pleistocene Zoogdieren has been released. This special volume (19-1) is in English, and dedicated to the description of the mammoth herd of Sevsk. The author, Dr. Evgeny Mashenko, works at the Palaeontological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences,

Moscow, and wrote this work as his PhD thesis.

Individual development, biology and evolution of the woolly mammoth by Evgeny N. Maschenko

No. Pages: 120 including 41 figures, 26 tables, and 36 photos (black-white) Price of Cranium 19-1: 20 Euro including postage

To order, please contact: avandergeer@wanadoo.nl (editor) or w.m.s.van.logchem@freeler.nl

For thousands of years the woolly mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius) has attracted much attention from humans. Not only because the woolly mammoth and man once both belonged to the same Late Pleistocene fauna and ecosystem, but also because the woolly mammoth may be considered the most popular of all extinct Ice Age mammals. It is also the most intensively studied extinct mammal of the Northern Hemisphere, the larger part of which constitutes its former range. The causes of the extinction of the mammoth and many other large mammals of the

'mammoth fauna' at the end of the Pleistocene and the beginning of the Holocene have long been debated and still give rise to a flow of scientific and popular publications world-wide.

Russia is parcticularly rich in mammalian fossils and harbours a comparatively large number of professional paleontologists whose research focuses on the fauna of the Late Pleistocene. The woolly mammoth has been made study of for more than 200 years here, and a multitude of texts on the subject - mostly in Russian - have

appeared. In 1998, Evgeny Nikolaevich Maschenko (*1961) got his PhD from the University of Moscow on a dissertation entitled: "Individual development, biology, and evolution of the woolly mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius (BLUMENBACH, 1799)." Dr. Maschenko is researcher and keeper of the Mammalia collection at the Moscow Institute of Paleontology and has specialized in fossil primates, mammoths, Siberia, and Mesozoic mammals. He has authored over sixty scientific publications so far, thirty of which deal with fossil primates. He started his research into the mammoth's individual development under the guidance of Prof. Dr. V. Reshetov.

In the summer of 1988, bones of woolly mammoths were unearthed in a sand and gravel pit at Sevsk in the Bryansk region, 485 km SW of Moscow, and from September of that year Maschenko frequently visited the pit to direct the ensuing field work, which was completed in

1991. Over 4,000 mammoth bones that belong to at least 33 individuals were recovered. Among the finds are five complete skeletons of baby mammoths and two complete skeletons of adult individuals. They soon became known as 'the Sevsk mammoth herd' and were exhibited in

various European countries in the early nineties.

######################################################

Forests of the Northern Lights Academic Mini-Conference Winnipeg, Manitoba 20-22 September 2002

This conference is timely and necessary as policy analysts and decision makers reshape legislation to deal with the effects of climate change and the environmental degradation of the boreal. Forests of the Northern Lights conference will bring researchers and managers from around the world who are concerned about the future of this important ecosystem. The discussion will include, but is not limited to, ethical practices and the environment, Indigenous

People's traditional knowledge, forestry management policies and practices, environmental sciences, climate change, mapping practices and a new vision for the boreal forest in the future.

TOPICS: Identifying and Protecting: This theme attempts to go beyond ecological definitions employed in current mapping projects of the boreal forest. Subjects that could be explored include: what other values should be included when mapping; should gateway communities have a place in the process, what stakeholders are the monitors of

the process and should other be included.

Climate Change: Under current scientific modeling the boreal forests will experience disproportionately high levels of climate-associated change. This could result in diverse and sweeping impacts on boreal forest ecosystems and the livelihoods of people who live in the boreal. This theme explores the value of boreal forests in the regulation of the global climate and carbon storage, examines current stresses from human impacts, and explores strategies that will help

to mitigate climate change and at the same time conserve ecosystem integrity in the boreal.

Traditional Knowledge: Indigenous People in the boreal are facing substantial environmental destruction within their territories, stemming from a lack of jurisdiction over their lands. The resulting industrial deforestation, climate change, mining and hydroelectric development are occurring within their territories without their consent. This theme investigates the relationship between the boreal forest and Indigenous People - past, present and future including protecting cultural and biological diversity to create healthy sustainable Aboriginal Nations.

Competing to Coexisting: Current practice and industry values present all forest ecosystems as an exploitable, renewable resource in competition with other values and uses. This theme will explore an alternative vision that illustrates coexistence and includes the spiritual, economic, traditional and environmental values of boreal forests.

IMPORTANT DATES: ORAL OR POSTER ABSTRACTS DUE: 15 July 2002 NOTICE OF SELECTION: 31 July 2002 PAPER DEADLINE: 15 September 2002

Poster specifications will be provided with notice of acceptance. Poster presenters will be asked to submit a revised abstract for publication in the conference proceedings.

SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS: An abstract of no more than 300 words describing research objectives, methods and results and how the new knowledge (information or tools) is used or could be used in policy, planning and/or operations.

Submit your abstract as a Word or WordPerfect document by email to: michelle.forrest@shawbiz.ca

Be sure to include: 1. The Title of your presentation 2. List of authors. Underline the name of the author(s) that will present.

If you have any questions or require assistance in the development of your abstract, please contact Michelle Forrest at: email: michelle.forrest@shawbiz.ca phone: 204/947-3081

For information on the conference or BFN please visit our website at: http://www.borealnet.org

######################################################

4th Gordon Research Conference on Polar Marine Science Sheraton Harbortown, Ventura, CA 16-21 March 2003

The Changing Polar Oceans: Impacts of a Changing Climate on Physical, Chemical, Biological and Coupled Systems

An unprecedented amount of new information has been collected from the high latitude oceans over the past few decades. This information has documented the recent large-scale, interannual changes that have impacted many if not all aspects of the northern and southern polar ocean systems. The 4th Gordon Research Conference on Polar Marine Science will endeavor to assess these changes, their physical bases, and their impacts on physical, chemical, biological and coupled systems.

Generalized characterization of changes as oscillations, abrupt shifts or long-terms trends will be central to subsequent

discussions. Impacts of the physical changes on upper ocean biogeochemical systems, such as those involving dissolved oxygen uptake and the pCO2 balance, will be addressed, as will impacts on benthic-pelagic coupling and the carbon budget. Use of biological markers, such as diatoms and phaeocystis, will be discussed within an interannual change context. Impacts of the changing climate on the

sea ice cover, and likely associated changes in ice biota and in exchange of such substances as CO2 and DMS, will be considered. An attempt will be made to assess some aspects of concurrent interannual changes in broader food web variability. Coming full-circle, there will be discussion concerning use of biological marker species for paleoceanographic reconstruction of past conditions.

Ocean scientists working in the north or south polar oceans are encouraged to attend this conference, present posters and contribute to the stimulating discussion sessions that are the heart of the Gordon Conferences. Attendance is by invitation following

application, and will be limited to 135 persons on a first come-first served basis.

Additional information can be obtained from the Gordon Research Conference web site: http://www.grc.org

A complete conference program will be posted on this site in September 2002.