Long-term ecological experiments in plant-soil ecosystems – a joint ECT-PSE Annual Science Conference

UPDATE: The abstract submission deadline has been extended to 5pm on Friday 15 March. Abstracts should be no longer than 300 words and submitted to this address: plantsoileco@britishecologicalsociety.org

ECT/PSE-SIG 2019 ANNUAL SCIENCE MEETING – BUXTON, DERBYSHIRE 21/22 MAY 2019: https://www.ecologicalcontinuitytrust.org/events

Plant, Soils, Ecosystems is one of the special interest groups of the British Ecological Society. PSE are organising a joint social event with the Peatlands Research SIG at BES2018 on the evening of Monday 17th December – find out more in the ‘social events’ section of the programme! They have also organised a joint conference with the Ecological Continuity Trust in May 2019 which you can find out about below.

The Ecological Continuity Trust (ECT) and the BES Plant-Soils-Ecosystems Special Interest Group (PSE) both recognise that the study of plant-soil interactions is a rapidly growing area of science. Soil organisms are very important for plant growth and ecosystem community dynamics which is why ecologists increasingly consider plants as major drivers of soil biota and the processes they regulate.

Recent research has shown that plant-soil interactions are a driving force for primary productivity, nutrient and carbon cycling, and ecosystem responses to global change. However, studying ecosystem processes and long-term responses of ecosystems to their drivers is only possible through dedicated long-term experiments. ECT and PSE have therefore chosen to collaborate on their annual science meeting for 2019, by holding this joint meeting on Long-term ecological experiments in plant-soil ecosystems. The event will highlight successful experiments across different types of ecosystems and will showcase the importance of securing and maintaining a national network of long-term ecological field experiments.

The Buxton Climate Change Laboratory (Left: Raj Whitlock, University of Liverpool; right: Andrew Askew, University of Sheffield)

The event: The meeting will be held at the Pavilion Gardens in Buxton on 21 – 22^nd May 2019. The meeting will be opened by keynote speakers Emma Sayer, Raj Whitlock and Karl Evans from the Buxton Climate Change Impacts Laboratory (BCCIL) who will introduce the long-term scientific evidence produced by the Buxton grassland experiment. The event will cover long-term ecological experiments from grasslands (BCCIL) to woodlands (keynote by Rob Mackenzie), peatlands (keynote by Netty van Dijk) and other wetlands (keynote by Laurence Jones) to high latitude ecosystems (keynote TBC). The meeting is planned to include delegate visits to the BCCIL long-term field experiment on the outskirts of Buxton, hosted by the keynote speakers above and the site owner (Health and Safety Executive), and a Citizen Science workshop.

To join our joint ECT-PSE Annual Science Conference in May 2019 sign up via this link. Abstracts to be considered for oral and poster presentations should be should sent to plantsoileco@britishecologicalsociety.org by 5pm on Friday 15 March and be no longer than 300 words.

Who should come: This event is open to anybody with an interest in long-term ecological research and plant soil-interactions, as well as policymakers engaged in sustainable land management. The meeting will be specifically of interest to students, early career researchers and stakeholders with an interest in long-term ecological research and its service to evidence-based policymaking.

About the Plants-Soils-Ecosystems Special Interest Group: The BES special interest group on Plants-Soils-Ecosystems is a forum for people with interests in biogeochemical cycling, ecosystem community dynamics and ecosystem functioning. The aims of the PSE special interest group are to promote research on plant-soil interactions and their role in ecosystems through workshops, symposia and events. It also serves as a platform to discuss and share techniques, as well as provide opportunities for networking and collaboration among researchers. With our events we want to encourage research across scientific disciplines to students, support for early-career researchers, and facilitate training opportunities. You can sign up to the PSE Special Interest Group by sending an email to listserv@jiscmail.ac.uk (Subject: BLANK, message: SUBSCRIBE PLANT-SOIL-ECO First name Lastname).

About the Ecological Continuity Trust: The Ecological Continuity Trust (ECT) was formed in 2008, as a direct response to the loss of long-term experiments (LTEs) throughout the UK. The ECT supports LTEs by providing funds through grants schemes and emergency repair funds, and has established a network of key stakeholders that help champion LTEs and the valuable science they produce. Its vision is to secure, maintain and promote a strategic network of long-term ecological field experiments across the UK and to ensure that experimental ecology is at the heart of evidence-based policymaking and sustainable land use. This includes safeguarding existing high quality experiments and data, whilst also ensuring new facilities are planned for the long-term.