IUBS News 2017

IUBS would like to inform scientists about the initiative of the College of Forestry entitled “World Scientists' Warning to Humanity”. The initiative asks scientists to become a co-signatory for their in-press viewpoint article in the journal Bioscience entitled “World Scientists’ Warning to Humanity: a second notice”. Initiated by the Union of Concerned Scientists and supported by the College of Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA, the article is already signed from several thousand scientists from well over 100 countries. Please join the list. Deadline for signing to be included in the journal article has been extended to September 19, 2017.

more at Oregon State University

Disaster and Biodiversity (DAB) - beta

2017, edited by Harufumi Nishida, Jun Yokoyama, Steven J. Wagstaff, Paul Callomon

The 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake caused a tsunami and nuclear accident that heavily damaged local communities and the natural environment. The loss of biodiversity and precious biological records in nationally significant museums was also a matter of serious concern. The DAB scientific programme of IUBS led by Prof. H. Nishida aimed at the establishment of international disciplines and protocols for monitoring and managing the influences of disaster on biodiversity and biological resources at the initial stage following a disaster, and organizing an effective collaborative system to cope with future events. This aim was well appreciated at the IUBS General Assembly in 2012, and the proposal was approved as a scientific programme from 2013 to 2015. This special issue summarizes the results of three years’ discussions with internationally distinguished scientists in workshops and a symposium that was held in Sendai, a city damaged by the 2011 earthquake (from the preface of Prof. H. Takeda).

Read “Biology International Special Issue No 36” (beta, because Pr Satoquo Seino's contribution isn’t included yet, pdf file, 8.6 MB)

The latest Newsletter of the International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS) is out and available at their website. It is featuring a variety of articles from an activity report of the IUSS Secretariat, the Minutes of the IUSS Council meetings, which took place during the IUSSInter-Congress Meeting in Rio de Janeiro, activities and recent achievements during the International Decade of Soils (2015-2024), conference and meeting reports and obituaries of outstanding soil scientists.

Read more at IUSS’s website

The latest news from International Organization for Biological Control (IOBC) is out. The article of Peter Kevan introduces collaboration of the IOBC and the International Commission for Plant Pollinator Relations (ICPPR) under the roof of IUBS, the "Use of Managed Pollinators to Disseminate Biological Control Agents & Natural Products for Crop Protection and Pollination". The newsletter also contains the message from IOBC's president, shows the refresh of the website, which now is mobile-compatible, has featured articles and work group reports, includes the Global Commission report, and is  rounded off by a list of upcoming meetings and other IOBC news.

Read whole newsletter (pdf)

The inititive "Open Biodiversity and Health Big Data Initiative (BHBD)" launched in July 2017. The initiative will prepare a new scientific programme for future transnational research with the aid of the IUBS and their ordinary and scientific members.

read more about the initiative

The inititive "Future Earth initiative on Pastoralism: a global comparative research programme" launched in July 2017. The initiative will prepare a new scientific programme for future transnational research with the aid of the IUBS and their ordinary and scientific members.

read more about the initiative

Board members (from left): Vice President Regine Jahn, Executive Committee Member Lily Rodriguez, President Hiroyuki Takeda, Treasurer Santiago Merino (connected to the meeting via video), Secretary General LS Shashidhara, and three Executive Committee Members Alexey Kotov, Yongbiao Xue and Peter Kevan. Photo: IUBS

IUBS's Executive Board met on 6^th and 7^th July 2017 in Paris. They discussed how to implement the next steps in the scientific programmes, which were chosen in the General Assembly.

Please click to see the other image.

Since IUBS is a recognized partner of the Expertise Program in the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) it likes to draw attention to the call of the organisation, which is located in Parma, Italy. EFSA is inviting over 200 independent expert scientists wishing to be considered for membership to a specific Scientific Panel at EFSA. In these, they will carry out scientific assessments and develop related assessment methodologies. Deadline for applications from people who want to contribute to protecting public health in Europe is 8^th September 2017.

More details at the EFSA website

IUBS supported the application to list The Beaumaris Bay Fossil Site including the cliffs, the adjacent wave cut platform and the immediate sub-tidal zone as a Natural Heritage Site. A description of this unique fossil harbouring site, which covers the time and Earth's history 5 to 6 million years ago, is provided in the XXVIII. Appendix F Fossil report for Heritage Listing.

Details in Appendix (pdf)

Participants - Front row (from left): Jean Taylor (ICIAM), Sayara Berg (ICIAM), Danielle Gondard-Cozette (IMU), Mustafa Sozbilir IUPAC), Igle Gledhill IUPAC), Marie-Francoise Ouedraogo (IUM), Anne-Sophie Godfroy (IUHPST), Anita Rampal (IMU), Bétül Tambay (IMU), Ernesto Fernández-Polcuch (UNESCO). • 2nd row: Maria Esteban (ICIAM), Siujatha Ramdorai(IMU), Mei-Hung Chiu (IUPAC), Guadalupe Lozano (Expert), Anathea Brooks (UNESCO), Francesca Primas (IAU), Lucilla Spini (ICSU), Maria Rosaria Dantonio (IAU), Catherine Goldstein (Expert), Merrilyn Goos (IMU), Helena Mihaljevic-Brandt (IMU). • 3rd row: Mark Cesa (IUPAC), Alice Abreu (GenderInSite), Clémence Perronnet (Expert), Nathalie Fomproix (IUBS), Marie-Francoise Roy (IMU), Elena Bagryanskaya (IUPAC), Benedikt Loewe (IUHPST), Bill Barton (IMU). • Back row: Lucía Santamaría (Expert), Lisa Frehill (IUPAC), Silvina Ponce-Dawson (IUPAP), Tonya Blowers (OWSD), Fernanda Arraes Hertelendy (UNESCO), Rachel Ivie (IUPAP).

On June 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd, 2017, partners of the project "A Global Approach to the Gender Gap in Mathematical, Computing, and Natural Sciences: How to Measure It, How to Reduce It?" met in Paris, France, for the first time to discuss project management and related issues.

Entitled "Taxonomy anarchy hampers conservation" two authors suggest that IUBS could solve the classification of complex organisms, which according to them is in chaos. In the journal Nature (546: 25–27, 1 June 2017, doi: 10.1038/546025a) Stephen T. Garnett and Les Christidis propose, that the International Union of Biological Sciences (IUBS) shall be the leading institution to overcome differences in taxonomic decisions to define species across all organism groupss. The authors argue that failure to govern taxonomy threatens effectiveness of global efforts to halt biodiversity loss and damages the credibility of science. Therefore, they propose four steps how IUBS could act to overcome existing shortcomings.

read more in Nature

Participants (f.l.t.r.): Chris King (IUGS), Mika Rekola (IUFRO), Lily Rodriguez (IUBS), Raymond Katebaka (AUC), Simon Hodson (CODATA), Nadja Pernat (IMAGINARY), France Caron (IMU), Allan Ashworth (INQUA), Nathalie Fomproix (IUBS), Catherine Jami (IUHPST), Barbara Birli (IUSS), LS Shashidhara (IUBS)

On April 20^th and 21^st, 2017, the partners of the project "Trans-disciplinary Research Oriented Pedagogy for Improving Climate Studies and Understanding (TROP-ICSU)" met in Paris, France, for the first time to discuss project management.

IUBS' official board members (from left): treasurer Santiago Merino, president Hiroyuki Takeda, executive director Nathalie Fomproix, secretary general L.S. Shashidhara. Photo: IUBS

The IUBS board met in Paris, the headquarters of IUBS, discussing the next steps.

IUBS is part of two projects on science education, outreach and public engagement granted by International Council for Science (ICSU). In the first, which is entitled "Trans-disciplinary Research Oriented Pedagogy for Improving Climate Studies and Understanding (TROP-ICSU)", IUBS is the leading institution together with the International Union for Quaternary Science (INQUA). In the other called "A Global Approach to the Gender Gap in Mathematical, Computing, and Natural Sciences: How to Measure It, How to Reduce It?", IUBS is one of the ten collaborating partners, with IMU and IUPAC as co-leaders.

Rickett's Point Victoria 3193

Eds: Fearghus McSweeney & John Buckeridge (2017)

Published by Greypath Productions
(pdf, 21 MB)

The International Council for Science (ICSU) calls on the government of the United States to rescind the Executive Order “Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States,” which is effectively banning entry to the United States for citizens of seven countries. In the opinion of the Council, the Order is inappropriately broad. ICSU is concerned about the negative effects the Order will have on the freedom of scientific exchange among scientists and students of science worldwide, resulting in negative impacts on the progress of science, and impeding societies around the globe from benefitting from this progress. IUBS shares the concerns of ICSU in this issue. IUBS also is concerned about the freedom to invite for conferences, like the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP), which feels to be required to refrain from supporting any conferences in the US until any such ban is lifted. IUBS also is concerned about the free exchange of scientific information, like the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC).

(f.l.t.r.): L.S. Shashidhara (IUBS), Hiroyuki Takeda (IUBS), Erie Tamale (CBD Secretariat), Anne-Hélène Prieur-Richard (Future Earth), Paola Mosig Reidl (CONABIO), Rodolfo Dirzo (IAI), and Lily Rodriguez (IUBS)

The side event entitled “Mainstreaming biodiversity for well-being: Contributions from Science” was organized at the conference of the parties COP13, the highest governing body of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). Moderated by Lily Rodriguez (IUBS) the participants discussed a declaration on behalf of more than 300 scientists, practitioners and policymakers. The report summarizes why safeguarding  biodiversity  is  essential  to  improve  our  ability  to  adapt  to abrupt  changes  such  as  extreme  climate  events  or  sudden  financial  market  crashes  and  to transform the deep roots of unsustainable practices and inequity. It was intended to share knowledge, approaches and solutions, among scientists, policy–makers, and the civil society for mainstreaming biodiversity especially focusing on agriculture, fisheries, forestry and tourism. The 3^rd Science for Biodiversity Forum was held in Cancun, Mexico, on 1^st and 2^nd December 2016.

whole report (1.5 MB)