7th National Conference - April 2008

Our declining flora - tackling the threats
21 - 24 April 2008
‘Winbourne’ Edmund Rice Retreat & Conference Centre, 1315 Mulgoa Road, Mulgoa, NSW (near Penrith, western Sydney)

The 7th ANPC National Conference was co-hosted by Mount Annan Botanic Garden and focused on the threatening processes responsible for declines in our native flora. Various threatening processes were examined, including issues of global significance such as climate change, as well as more locally urgent issues such as weeds and habitat loss.

Documents

Flyer
Program
Map of region and Map of venue
Information package
Conference papers: Some papers from the conference have been submitted for publication in Australasian Plant Conservation. These and the conference abstracts are published in APC 16(4) and APC 17(1) for distribution to conference registrants and to ANPC members.

Keynote speakers and abstracts

Professor Lesley Hughes – Overall keynote: Threats and responses at the Continental and Landscape scale
Dr David Keith – Theme: Threatening processes and their role in biodiversity conservation
Dr Kevin Thiele – Theme: Threats and responses at the ecological community scale
Dr David Coates – Theme: Threats and responses at the species scale

The ANPC has traditionally held a National Conference every second year. In 2007 we introduced a more specialised National Forum, to be held in each intervening year.

First National Forum - April 2007

What lies beneath? The role of soil biota in the health and rehabilitation of native vegetation
17 - 19 April 2007
CSIRO Discovery Theatre, Black Mountain, Canberra, ACT

Forum Theme

This national three-day forum provided an opportunity for sharing the latest research on the key roles of soil organisms in ecosystem function and native vegetation rehabilitation.

The primary focus was on the hidden and often-overlooked flora: mosses, liverworts, algae, fungi and lichens. These organisms are important in ecosystem functioning (for example through formation of biotic soil crusts and as mycorrhizal partners of plants).

Practitioners demonstrated identification techniques and applications to rehabilitation practice, shared knowledge and skills gained from experience, and identified areas of research needed to fill knowledge gaps.

The forum theme was a response to a demand for scientific and practical guidance on this often overlooked but fundamental aspect of natural resource management.

The forum included:

presentations on the diversity of soil biota and their roles in ecosystem function
workshops including identification of fungi, lichens and mosses
panel discussions on application to native vegetation rehabilitation
field visits demonstrating techniques and practical application.

Documents

Previous National Conferences

The ANPC’s national conferences provide a major forum for conservation practitioners, community members and the scientific community to interact at a practical level.

ANPC conferences and forums provide:

presentations on the latest findings relevant to plant conservation and native vegetation rehabilitation;

practical workshops on ecologically sound techniques;

field visits demonstrating rehabilitation in action;

social activities to enhance networking.

Conference sessions usually focus on a theme selected for that year, while the workshops offer a diverse choice of techniques and guidelines.

ANPC members receive discounts on the registration fees.

The 6th National Conference, on the theme Plant Conservation - the Challenges of Change, was held in Adelaide, SA from 26 September to 4 October, 2005. Report. Program. Workshops.

The 5th National Conference, Recovery: A Decade Towards a Biodiverse Future, was held in Geelong from 24 February to 1 March 2003. Report. Program. Recommendations.

The 4th National Conference, Promotion Practice and Partnerships, was held in Albury Wodonga in late November 1999. Report. Program. Outcomes.

The 3rd National Conference, Sharing the Vision, was held in 1997. Outcomes.

The 2nd National Conference was held in Perth on 27 September 1995, in conjunction with the 4th International Botanic Gardens Conservation Congress. Report. Resolutions.

The 1st National Conference, Cultivating Conservation, was held at the University of Tasmania from 6 to 9 December 1993. Media release.