Nagoya, Japan, 18 - 22 MaY, 2010.We would like to warmly invite you to Nagoya City of central Japan for the 2nd International Conference of Urban Biodiversity & Design (URBIO2010). URBIO is an open worldwide scientific network for education and research with the aim to promote urban biodiversity through a continuing dialogue with the CBD, Convention on Biological Diversity, initiative on “Cities and Biodiversity”. In order to implement the CBD in urban areas, the URBIO2010 will be held before CBD_COP10, which will also be held in Nagoya in October 2010.
The main theme of URBIO2010 is “Urban Biodiversity in the Ecological Network”, which consists of the following two subthemes.
I. Ecosystem network and quality of habitats in and around the urban area
The urban ecosystem is unique and its main feature is that it is an open system characterized by great fluxes of information, material and energy with the surrounding ecosystems. Biodiversity in urban areas is determined by turnover of species through immigration and extinction, and the quality of their habitats is not only affected by ecological conditions of the habitat site (soil, nutrition, water budget, vegetation structure, vegetation composition etc.), but also by functional and structural connectivity and their relationships.
II. Networking conservation activities of urban people
In order to improve and optimize urban biodiversity, participation of local people is essential. Leadership of people in the urban area related to activities concerned with biodiversity conservation is also necessary. Such a movement will be promoted by establishing networks of human resources. These networks should include the public as well as the private sector. For example, networks and activities which are encouraged and managed by local authorities, urban wildlife groups of NGOs, enterprises, housing associations and other groups. Contact with nature should be a part of everyday life for urban people. Incentives and activities are needed to raise awareness and to encourage practical activities in the public and private sectors in order to improve urban biodiversity.
Expected contributions to subtheme I are planning and design of an ecological network in an urban area, urban biodiversity in water network in the watershed, ecological functions of terrestrial-water ecotone in an urban area, urban expansion and biodiversity, urban biodiversity and climate change, road side trees, green roofs and green walls, etc. Those related to subtheme II are valuation and monitoring of biodiversity and ecological services in cities, conflicts between people and negative influences of urban biodiversity on their lives, environmental education in an urban area, urban people’s participation in the activities for conservation and restoration, etc.
The main theme of URBIO2010 is “Urban Biodiversity in the Ecological Network”, which consists of the following two subthemes.
I. Ecosystem network and quality of habitats in and around the urban area
The urban ecosystem is unique and its main feature is that it is an open system characterized by great fluxes of information, material and energy with the surrounding ecosystems. Biodiversity in urban areas is determined by turnover of species through immigration and extinction, and the quality of their habitats is not only affected by ecological conditions of the habitat site (soil, nutrition, water budget, vegetation structure, vegetation composition etc.), but also by functional and structural connectivity and their relationships.
II. Networking conservation activities of urban people
In order to improve and optimize urban biodiversity, participation of local people is essential. Leadership of people in the urban area related to activities concerned with biodiversity conservation is also necessary. Such a movement will be promoted by establishing networks of human resources. These networks should include the public as well as the private sector. For example, networks and activities which are encouraged and managed by local authorities, urban wildlife groups of NGOs, enterprises, housing associations and other groups. Contact with nature should be a part of everyday life for urban people. Incentives and activities are needed to raise awareness and to encourage practical activities in the public and private sectors in order to improve urban biodiversity.
Expected contributions to subtheme I are planning and design of an ecological network in an urban area, urban biodiversity in water network in the watershed, ecological functions of terrestrial-water ecotone in an urban area, urban expansion and biodiversity, urban biodiversity and climate change, road side trees, green roofs and green walls, etc. Those related to subtheme II are valuation and monitoring of biodiversity and ecological services in cities, conflicts between people and negative influences of urban biodiversity on their lives, environmental education in an urban area, urban people’s participation in the activities for conservation and restoration, etc.
