Symposium - Foundations of Biodiversity: saving the world's non-vertebrates

Foundations of Biodiversity: saving the world's non-vertebrates - A two-day ZSL symposium.

While species coverage of vertebrates in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species has increased in number each year since the inception of the Red Data Book in the 1960s, coverage of non-vertebrate groups, which represent the majority of the world's biodiversity, has been very poor indeed. This is in stark contrast to the important role non-vertebrates play in the functioning of our ecosystems, thereby providing the very foundations for the existence of more charismatic megafauna and humans alike.

Increasing our knowledge of the conservation status and needs of non-vertebrate groups is one of the major conservation challenges we face today.

The importance of non-vertebrate biodiversity from ecological, social and economic perspectives will be highlighted and a first preliminary overview of the conservation status of selected non-vertebrate taxa will be given. Ways in which we can fill the gaps in our current knowledge will be addressed with regard to taxonomy, conservation strategies and policies, and the prioritisation of research. Most importantly, promoting invertebrate, fungi, plant and ecosystem conservation without the need to focus on charismatic megafauna requires us to build more capacity in the field and raise the profile of non-vertebrate biodiversity with the general public.

After all, without the 'Foundations of Biodiversity', life on Earth as we know it would be impossible.

Organised by Jonathan Baillie (ZSL), Ben Collen (ZSL), Michael Samways (Stellenbosch University) and Monika Böhm (ZSL)

Foundations of biodiversity: saving the world's non-vertebrates symposium - abstracts of spoken presentations (635 KB)
Foundations of biodiversity: saving the world's non-vertebrates symposium - abstracts of poster presentations (204 KB)

Please note that this event has already taken place.

Registration fees
Full rate: two days or part days £130; one day or part day £80.
Student/ZSL Friends and Fellows rate: two days or part days £65; one day or part day £40.
Lunch and refreshments are included in the registration fee and a three-course dinner with the speakers will be held on the Thursday evening; places at the dinner will cost an additional £40 per person.
Please note that the registration deadline is 11 February 2010. Bookings received after this date will incur an additional £10 charge.

Present a poster of your research or work in this area: posters relating to the symposium topic will be displayed throughout the meeting and attendees will have plenty of time to study posters during tea/coffee breaks and dedicated Thursday evening poster session. Posters will be accepted on a first-come first-served basis and abstracts of no more than 250 words outlining poster content should be emailed to joy.hayward@zsl.org by 28 January 2010 for consideration. Please find a word document version of the poster submission form above.

Bookings and enquiries: All places must be booked and paid for in advance and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis; please complete and return all registration forms along with payment to Joy Hayward, Scientific Meetings Co-ordinator, Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London NW1 4RY, UK; e-mail: joy.hayward@zsl.org; tel: +44 (0)20 7449 6227.

Image credits from top of composite image: Jens Kipping; Tim Utteridge; Emily Watson; David Minter; Louise Allcock; Owen Lewis; Chris Lukhaup

Become a ZSL member today to register at the discounted rate

Related links
ZSL Science and Conservation Events
Map showing ZSL Meeting Rooms
Directions to ZSL London Zoo
UN International Year of Biodiversity
Information on ZSL membership