Crete 2011 dates revised: 7th - 11th January

The dates for the 5th IBS meeting have been moved one day to 7th - 11th January 2011 (from 6th - 10th), to better accommodate the diverse international calendars of our membership. Please amend your calendars, and we look forward to seeing you in Crete!

Post doctoral position with the 'Rui Nabeiro' Biodiversity Chair

Post-doctoral research position announcement:

Ensemble forecasting of species distributions under climate change

Starting date: Early 2010 (starting date flexible)
Duration: 36 months
Stipend: EUR 1495-2245 per month plus social security. The stipend value is free from taxation. The upper value is due when the research fellow is doing research abroad.
Other subsidies: EUR 750 per year to participate in scientific meetings and conferences, EUR 1000 for installation, EUR 300-600 for inbound and outbound travelling.

Background
Over the past 100 years, Earth’s climate has become warmer and precipitation regimes have changed. Can we predict the effects of these changes on the distributions of species? Bioclimate models estimate relationships between the distributions of species and climate. However, models are based on some problematic assumptions and studies have shown that projections by alternative models can be so variable as to compromise the simplest assessment of whether species distributions should be expected to contract or expand for any given scenario. Can uncertainty from bioclimate models be reduced? In this research project, approaches to improve existing statistical tools for forecasting effects of global environmental changes on biodiversity will be explored. In particular, alternative approaches to explicitly handle model uncertainties within an ensemble forecasting framework will be investigated.

Key papers for the project
• Araújo, M.B. & New, M. 2007. Ensemble forecasting of species distributions. Trends in Ecology and Evolution 22: 42-47
• Araújo, M.B. & Guisan, A. 2006. Five (or so) challenges for species distribution modelling. Journal of Biogeography 33: 1677-1688
• Araújo, M.B. & Rahbek, C. 2006. How does climate change affect biodiversity? Science 313: 1396-1397
• Araújo, M.B., Pearson, R.G., Thuiller, W., & Erhard, M. 2005. Validation of species-climate impact models under climate change. Global Change Biology 11: 1504-1513
• Araújo, M.B., Whittaker, R.J., Ladle, R.J. & Erhard, M. 2005. Reducing uncertainty in extinction risk from climate change. Global Ecology and Biogeography 14: 529-538
• Diniz-Filho, J.A., Bini, L.M., Rangel, T.F.L.B., Loyola, R.D., Hof, C., Nogués-Bravo, D. & Araújo, M.B. 2009. Partitioning and mapping uncertainties in ensembles of forecasts of species turnover under climate changes. Ecography 32: 897-906

Research environment:
The post doctoral research fellow will be associated with ‘Rui Nabeiro’ Biodiversity Chair at the University of Évora and the BIOCHANGE lab at the CSIC National Museum of Natural Sciences in Madrid. The project also involves collaboration with the Theoretical Ecology Group at the Federal University of Goiás in Brazil. The successful candidate will work jointly with Miguel B. Araújo, Alexandre Diniz-Filho, and Thiago Rangel. The post doctoral researcher will be mainly based in Évora, but he/she is also expected to conduct research with Theoretical Ecology Group in Brazil.

Required background and skills:
Two alternative profiles are acceptable for this post

Profile 1 – PhD in Statistics, Mathematics or Physics. Solid skills in modelling of environmental processes, particularly climate, and/or the statistical analysis of non-linear patterns; good programming skills are desirable.

Profile 2 - PhD in Biology, Ecology, or related fields. Solid background on species distributions modelling, numerical analysis of ecological data, and /or macroecology is required.

Language: English as a first or second language is required.

Publication record: Candidates are expected to have a good publication record in internationally refereed journals.

Application: Send your application by email (catedra-biodiversidade "at" uevora "dot" pt) before the 14th of February 2010. The application must include a cover letter (in English) explaining why you think you are an adequate candidate for the post, a short CV (please no more than 5 pages), external links to five of your most relevant papers, and the names and contacts of two academics that can provide a reference for you.

Mark your calendars for the 5th meeting of the IBS

The 5th Conference of the International Biogeography Society will be held in Irakleion, Crete, 6th to 10th January, 2011.
For more details please visit the conference website at http://www.biogeography.org/html/Meetings/2011/index.html

December issue of Frontiers of Biogeography

Frontiers of Biogeography - Volume 1, issue 2 December 2009
http://www.biogeography.org/html/fb/FBv1i2.html

news and update

Bern Convention Group of Experts on European Island Biological Diversity: an international network to preserve island biodiversity

P.A.V. Borges (p. 35)

Decomposing beta diversity

N.J. Gotelli (p. 36)

Of refugia and colonization, an innovative use of biogeography for climate studies

J.H. Thorne (p. 37)

More uncertainty with BIOMOD
N.E. Zimmermann (p. 38)

commentary: Geographic patterns of establishment success among exotic bird populations
P. Cassey (p. 39)

commentary: Colonization of the arctic archipelago Svalbard
I.G. Alsos (p. 41)

commentary: A Darwinian approach to community ecology

R.P. Freckleton (p. 44)

symposium summary: The importance of being small: does size matter in biogeography?

D. Fontaneto & J. Brodie (p. 46)

congress summary: EMAPI 10: Bridging approaches to plant invasions
J. Alexander & A. Pauchard (p. 48)

book review: A book for our time

R. Grenyer (p. 50)

thesis abstract: Potential impacts of climate change on the distribution of freshwater fishes in French streams and uncertainty of projections

L. Buisson (p. 52)

thesis abstract: Understanding the evolutionary radiation of the mega-diverse Monkey Beetle fauna (Scarabaeidae: Hopliini) of South Africa

J.F. Colville (p. 56)


opinion and perspectives

perspective: Trans-realm biogeography: an immergent interface
M.N Dawson (p. 62)

membership corner

from the society: A new membership manager for the IBS - Karen Faller; Nomination of IBS officers (p. 71)

IBS-sponsored events: Conservation biogeography: Integrating biogeography and conservation science in a changing world (p. 72)

from the members: Re-unite Gondwanaland! 
H. Adsersen (p. 73)

from the members: Alan Graham awarded for his career (p. 75)

... Job announcements (p. 75) ... Upcoming meetings (p. 76)

Conservation Biogeography: Integrating Biogeography and Conservation Science in A Changing World

The UNESCO is holding an International Year of Biodiversity Science-Policy Conference in Paris during 25-29 January 2010. As part hereof, a conference session dealing with the theme: ‘Conservation Biogeography: Integrating Biogeography and Conservation Science in A Changing World’, will be held, in association with the International Biogeography Society, on day 2 of the Conference, 26 January 2010 (Conveners Robert J. Whittaker and Jens-Christian Svenning).

The International Biogeography Society:

The International Biogeography Society (IBS) was founded as a non-profit organization in 2000 with the following mission:

· Foster communication and collaboration between biogeographers in disparate academic fields - scientists who would otherwise have little opportunity for substantive interaction and collaboration.

· Increase both the awareness and interests of the scientific community and the lay public in the contributions of biogeographers.

· Promote the training and education of biogeographers so that they may develop sound strategies for studying and conserving the world’s biota.

Further information available at: http://www.biogeography.org/

Remit of the Conservation Biogeography Symposium:

Conservation Biogeography has been defined as the application of biogeographical principles, theories, and analyses, being those concerned with the distributional dynamics of taxa individually and collectively, to problems concerning the conservation of biodiversity” It is thus a sub-field of conservation science and of the discipline of biogeography, being concerned with pattern and process over large extents of space (and time), and the insights this subject brings to understanding patterns of biodiversity and the processes that threaten biodiversity in the 21^st century. Conservation Biogeography can contribute to understanding the impacts of habitat loss, climate change, biotic homogenization, and other drivers of biotic change, while also contributing to conservation solutions, and especially to strategic conservation planning.

The aim of the Conservation Biogeography session is to link biogeographic theory and practice to improve the conservation and sustainable and equitable use of biodiversity – the three main objectives of the CBD. The session will feature a series of prominent biogeographic scientists who will speak on how the long-term, large-scale perspectives provided by the various subfields of biogeography, which collectively provide crucial insights for biodiversity conservation and management:

· Robert J. Whittaker (University of Oxford) “Conservation biogeography: assessment and prospect”

· Jens-Christian Svenning (Aarhus University) “Historical biogeography: implications of long-term macro-scale biodiversity dynamics for conservation”

· Kathy Willis (University of Oxford) “Long-term ecology and conservation science”

· Sara Lourie (McGill University) “Marine conservation biogeography”

· Wilhelm Barthlott (University of Bonn) “Global assessments of plant species richness and endemism: implications for conservation in a changing world”

· Miguel Araújo (CSIC, National Museum of Natural Sciences, Madrid) “Spatial conservation planning and climate change”

· Richard Pearson (American Museum of Natural History) “Predicting species distributional shifts and extinction risk under climate change”

· Josh Donlan (Advanced Conservation Strategies) “Rewilding”

· Vincent Devictor (University of Oxford) “Citizen science and conservation biogeography”

For further information and registration, please see www.unesco.org/en/biodiversity.

Open Positions in Freshwater Biodiversity Research

5 PostDoc Positions, 2 PhD Positions, 1 Science Officer Position

BioFresh - Biodiversity of Freshwater Ecosystems: Status, Trends, Pressures, and Conservation Priorities - is a large, integrative EU-funded project. BioFresh aims to build a freshwater biodiversity information platform to bring together, and make publicly available, the vast amount of information on freshwater biodiversity currently scattered among a wide range of databases. BioFresh will provide spatially-explicit information on the status and trends of freshwater biodiversity and its ecosystem services. Using the data to search for past and present impacts of multiple stressors, the project will significantly improve our ability to predict future responses of freshwater biodiversity and its services to climate and socioeconomic pressures. These responses will be investigated at global, continental and local scale with a focus on European biodiversity. The BioFresh project will start on February 1st, 2010, and has a duration of four years (Coordinator: Klement Tockner; contact: tockner(at)igb-berlin.de; freyhof(at)igb-berlin.de).

We are seeking to fill the following research positions within the frame of the EU-project BioFresh (please contact the listed persons below for further details on the specific open position):

I. IGB, Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany (www.igb-berlin.de)

1 PhD-position - Climate Change on Lake Ecosystems Based on Long-Term Records (contact: tockner(at)igb-berlin.de; freyhof(at)igb-berlin.de)
The focus of the research is on climate change impacts on the thermal regime, biodiversity, and effects on the structure and functioning of plankton communities in lakes across Europe. Requirements include a master in biology/ecology, statistics, mathematics, or related fields. The ideal candidates would have excellent skills in statistics, handling of large data sets, along with an interest in combining climatologically and ecological research. Start: from Februray 2010. Duration: 36 months.

1 PostDoc-Position - Global Change Impacts on Freshwater Biodiversity (contact: tockner(at)igb-berlin.de; freyhof(at)igb-berlin.de)
The successful candidate will participate in a collaborative project on the effects of climate change on freshwater biodiversity. Requirements are a PhD in biology/ecology, mathematics, bioinformatics or related fields and a strong publication record. The ideal candidate would have excellent skills in statistics, handling of large data sets, stochastic/mechanistic and/or prognostic modelling and an interest in combining climatologically and ecological research to analyse past and future freshwater biodiversity trends. Start: from February 2010. Duration: 48 months.

II. EAWAG, Swiss Federal Institute for Aquatic Science and Technology, Switzerland (www.eawag.ch)

1 PostDoc-Position - Ecosystem Modeling (contact: gessner(at)eawag.ch)
We are looking for a motivated modeler with interest and expertise in ecosystem science, global-change research, or related fields. The specific role of is to develop a modeling framework that helps forecast at large spatial scales the consequences of environmental change (including changes in riverine biodiversity) on litter dynamics and decomposition, which is one of the most fundamental ecosystem processes in forest streams. The ideal candidate has a strong background in the development of numerical ecological models, is familiar with spatially explicit models, interest in collaborative research, and a demonstrated ability to produce high-quality publications. Start: from February 2010. Duration: 18 months.

III. UB, University of Barcelona, Spain

1 PostDoc-Position - Effects of Global Change on Freshwater Biodiversity Patterns (contact: bonada(at)ub.edu)
The candidate will develop predictive models on freshwater species distribution related to climate change (climate envelope modeling) and other human-caused disturbances (eutrophication, land-use change, habitat degradation and invasive species). The study will be focused on the analysis of existing datasets and will cover different catchments in the Mediterranean and Temperate climate regions of Europe. Candidates should have a general background in ecology, biogeography and modeling. Experience on the use of predictive models and knowledge of the management of large databases and is highly advantageous. Start: from February 2010. Duration: 24 months.

IV. Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Ecologie des Hydrosystèmes Fluviaux, France

1 PhD-position – Groundwater Biodiversity Patterns and Trends (contact : malard(at)univ-lyon1.fr, christophe.douady(at)univ-lyon1.fr)
A PhD position is available in the Laboratory of Fluvial Hydrosystem Ecology, Lyon University, France, to identify and analyze distribution patterns of selected groundwater crustaceans (e.g. Asellidae, Proasellus) at a European scale using morphological taxonomy and molecular markers. Applicants should have a graduate degree in ecology and a strong interest in understanding current and historical factors controlling the biodiversity of aquatic ecosystems. Skills in molecular ecology, geographical information systems, and biodiversity data base would be appreciated. Start: from February 2010. Duration: 36 months.

V. EDB, University Toulouse 3, France (http://www.edb.ups-tlse.fr/)

1 PostDoc-Position - Determinants of Freshwater Diversity and Impact of Human Disturbance (contact: brosse(at)cict.fr)
This post-doctoral project focuses on the spatial distribution and the determinants of biodiversity of freshwater fish species. The main ecological hypotheses currently under consideration for explaining large scale diversity patterns will be tested using a global database on fish occurrences at the river basin scale. Both taxonomic and functional approaches will be considered. The post-doctoral candidate should have a good background in macroecology, community ecology, functional traits and ecological statistics. Modelling skills and GIS competences will be greatly appreciated. The candidate will also contribute to the database development and to the supervision of master and PhD students on related subjects. Start: from February 2011. Duration: 24 months.

VI. Museum of Natural History in Paris, France

1 PostDoc-Position – Freshwater Macroecology (contact: oberdorf(at)mnhn.fr)
We are seeking a scientist with a strong background in community ecology and ecological modeling. Strong preference will be given to candidates with some research experience at the interface between hydrology, climatology and ecology. The candidate should be interested in working on research questions related to how global changes in environment and climate may impact multi-scale patterns (from local to global) of freshwater diversity (species richness or life-history traits) using vast quantitative databases on species distribution in association with climatologic, hydrologic and ecological information. Start: from February 2010. Duration: 24 months.

VII. Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Belgium

1 Science Officer – Establishing a web portal that will provide free and open access to relevant data sources and bioinformatics tools will be developed (contact: hendrik.segers(at)natural sciences.be)
BioFresh seeks an enthusiastic scientist to coordinate the construction of a web-based freshwater biodiversity data portal that will provide access to databases holding diverse information on freshwater biodiversity from a local to a global scale. The science officer will be offered a position equivalent to Data Acquisitions Manager in the Belgian Biodiversity Platform, taking into account the specific tasks and responsibilities connected to the BioFresh project.
The successful candidates will be confided the following tasks (i) network with partners involved in the scientific and outreach tasks of the project, to maximize the relevance of the portal to users, (ii) In collaboration with Biofresh partners, organize and expand the scientific and user network of BioFresh, (iii) prospect for, and engage freshwater biodiversity data custodians and related metadata, (iv) liase between scientists and IT specialists during the development of client-oriented databases, (v) support the development of the BioFresh portal, (vi) promote and represent Biofresh at national and international meetings. Start: from February 2010. Duration: 48 months.

One postdoctoral and two PhD positions at Yale

Postdoctoral position in Biodiversity Science and Informatics (Biodiversity informatics, Species distribution modeling, GIS, Conservation of East African vertebrates)
Jetz Lab, Dept of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (EEB), Yale University
One 2-3 year position is available starting between January and July 2010. We are looking for an expert in the analysis, management, and visualization of large quantities of spatial (and phylogenetic) biodiversity data. Knowledge of the major biodiversity informatics initiatives, the design of relational databases, species distribution modeling, and GIS are required. The successful candidate will likely have deep working knowledge in most of the following: SQL/postgreSQL, PostGIS, ArcGIS, Python, PHP, Java, R. Experience in Unix/Linux will be a benefit. A number of basic or applied research opportunities based on databases in the Lab are possible and will be developed jointly with the successful candidate.
One specific research opportunity is an assessment of the fate of East African terrestrial vertebrates under climate change. This project will include time in the field with collaborators in Kenya, and close interactions with the African Conservation Center, the Natural History Museum in Nairobi, and the Kenya Wildlife Service.
RESEARCH GROUP: In the Jetz Lab, the successful candidate will interact with two PhD students and four postdoctoral fellows. For further information see: http://www.yale.edu/jetz. Yale has a thriving community of postdocs and graduate students in ecology, evolution and global change science. The postdoctoral fellow will benefit from interactions with the EEB Department, the Yale Institute for Biospheric Studies (http://www.yale.edu/yibs), the Peabody Museum (both physically connected to EEB), the Yale Climate & Energy Institute, and the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies (http://environment.yale.edu).
APPLICATION: Please email short letter of interest, C.V., and the names and contact details of three referees (ideally all combined in one pdf) to walter.jetz(at)yale.edu – subject line: Biodiversity Postdoc. Submission of at least partial materials before 4 Dec is encouraged. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until late December, or until the position is filled.

PhD Positions in Ecology, Biogeography and Conservation (Jetz Lab)
Dept of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (EEB) Yale University
Up to two fully-funded PhD positions are available starting Fall 2010. We are interested in students with research experience who are excited about interdisciplinary work spanning a range of ecological scales. Applicants should have a strong interest in combining theory, data analysis and modeling, and potentially fieldwork to address questions in Community ecology, Community phylogenetics, Geographical ecology, Movement ecology, Biodiversity science, Biogeography, and Global change ecology. Our preferred study system is terrestrial vertebrates, but work on other groups (including plants) is possible. The student will be integrated in the department’s thriving graduate program in ecology and evolution and will be able to interact closely with related programs in the neighboring Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies. Annual stipends are ca. $27k.
RESEARCH GROUP: In the Jetz Lab, the successful candidate will interact with two finishing PhD students and four postdoctoral fellows. For further information see: http://www.yale.edu/jetz. There are excellent additional training opportunities in the EEB Department, the Yale Institute for Biospheric Studies (http://www.yale.edu/yibs), the Peabody Museum (both physically connected to the EEB Department), and the Yale Climate & Energy Institute - e.g. in GIS, macroecology, phylogenetics, phylogeography, macroevolution, biodiversity science, climate change science, global change ecology, and more.
APPLICATIONS: Please note that applications are due December 4, 2009. For further information see http://www.yale.edu/eeb/grad/index.htm and http://www.yale.edu/graduateschool/admissions/index.html

Post-doc position on effects of climate changes on the biodiversity of protected areas in the Barents region

The position is connected to the Landscape Ecology Group (LEG) at the Department of Ecology and Environmental Science (EMG). EMG has about 170 employees including almost 50 PhD students. For more information see the department’s homepage: www.emg.umu.se/en.

The LEG works with large-scale ecology. Among other things, we study landscape processes that are affected by human intervention, including climate change, and provide suggestions on how effects can be avoided or reduced.

The position is funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers and will be associated to a project about the biodiversity in the Barents region in a future situation with a warmer climate. The project has three major goals: (1) to assess whether the network of protected areas can conserve its species and ecosystem types, (2) to identify the major gaps in terms of providing stepping-stones or migration routes between reserves, and in representing natural variation, (3) to evaluate the economic consequences of alternative conservation strategies aiming at representing biodiversity. The position will start as soon as possible and last for about 20 months. For further information, contact professor Christer Nilsson, EMG (+46-(0)-90-786 60 03), email christer.nilsson(at)emg.umu.se, or associate professor Roland Jansson, EMG (+46-(0)-90-786 95 73), email roland.jansson(at)emg.umu.se.

To qualify for the position you should have a PhD degree or equivalent, preferably not more than 3 years old. You should be an experienced GIS user, and be familiar with nature conservation issues and species movements. Your application, in English, must include a short summary (max. 1 page) of your previous experience, a short description (max. 1 page) of how you could contribute to the research, a curriculum vitae with a list of publications, and names and contact details of three reference persons.

Union information is available from SACO, +46-(0)90-786 53 65, SEKO civil, +46-(0)90-786 52 96 and ST, +46-(0)90-786 54 31. Documents sent electronically should be in MS Word or PDF format. Your complete application, marked with reference number 315-1076-09, should be sent to jobb(at)umu.se (state the reference number as subject) or to the Registrar, Umeå University, SE-901 87 Umeå, Sweden to arrive January 7, 2010 at the latest.

Lecturership in Biogeography and Biodiversity at Oxford

We are currently advertising a permanent lectureship position to afforce our biodiversity/biogeography staffing in the School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford. The deadline is 23rd October.

http://www.geog.ox.ac.uk/news/jobs/090917.html

School of Geography and the Environment in association with Jesus College

University Lecturership in Biogeography and Biodiversity
Salary scale: £42,351 - £56,917
The School of Geography and the Environment seek applications for a full-time University Lecturership with expertise in biogeography and biodiversity. The Lecturership is tenable from 1st January 2010 or as soon as possible thereafter and will be held in conjunction with a Tutorial Fellowship at Jesus College.

The main duties of the post-holder will be to engage in research and produce high-quality publications of an international standard in the broad area of biogeography and/or biodiversity (which can include ecology, long-term ecology and conservation), to provide University teaching at graduate and undergraduate level, and to offer graduate supervision and assistance with examination duties. Other key duties include co-operating in the administrative work of the School.

The successful candidate will hold a doctorate in Geography or a closely related scientific field, have a proven track record of high-quality research and list of principal publications at an international level, as well as evidence of imaginative research plans and the potential to lead and manage new research initiatives. S/he should be able to demonstrate expertise relevant to appropriate areas of physical geography. Evidence of inter-disciplinary skills, the ability to teach at both undergraduate and graduate level, and the skills and commitment to become a fully participating member of the School are also essential.

The combined University and College salary will be on a scale up to £56,917.

Further information regarding Jesus College may be found on their website.

Candidates will be considered on the basis of the selection criteria outlined in the further particulars (see http://www.geog.ox.ac.uk/news/jobs/090917.html). Alternatively contact the HR Office by email recruitment(at)ouce.ox.ac.uk or telephone +44 (0)1865 285079.

Frontiers of Biogeography vol 1 issue 1 is now available

The inaugural issue of Frontiers of Biogeography — the scientific magazine of the International Biogeography Society (September 2009) is now freely available at http://www.biogeography.org/html/fb/FBv1i1.html

Table of contents:

editorial
Frontiers of Biogeography, a new frontier for the IBS, by J. Hortal & M. N Dawson
From the Foundations to the Frontiers of Biogeography, by L.R. Heaney & M. V. Lomolino

news and update
A finer focus on glacial refugia in the Mediterranean region, by A.S. Jump
Updated DIVA program, by J. Fjeldså
From acorns mighty micropockets grow, by L. Hannah
commentary: New insights on a classic topic: The biogeography of Southeast-Asian mammals, by J. Beck
commentary: The geographic consequences of climate change for migratory birds, by F.A. La Sorte
commentary: Towards an efficient management of biological invasions, by N. Roura-Pascual
book review: Science Chic, by M.N. Dawson
workshop summary: Biodiversity Synthesis meeting on the biogeography of Melanesia, by J. Drew

opinion and perspectives
perspective: Phylogeography is not enough: The need for multiple lines of evidence, by A.T. Peterson

profiles
conservation biogeography forum: Neil D. Burguess, interviewed by A. Ahrends
obituary: Professor Chris Humphries (1947—2009), by D. Williams

membership corner
IBS-sponsored events: Latest news from the forthcoming 2011 IBS meeting at Crete
Job announcements, Upcoming meetings

Frontiers of Biogeography is published by the International Biogeography Society. Editorial information, instructions for authors are available at http://www.biogeography.org/html/fb.html.

All future issues will be made available also at http://www.biogeography.org/html/fb.html.

Job Announcement: Postdoctoral positions and PhD studentships within 16 research themes

Center of Macroecology, Evolution and Climate — Danish National Research Foundation — University of Copenhagen and Technical University of Denmark

Postdoctoral positions and PhD studentships in Macroecology, Biogeography, Evolution, Population Biology, Oceanographic Processes, Climate, Conservation Biology, and Environmental Economics

A number of positions are available to work within an integrated terrestrial and marine research program addressing fundamental questions on the origin, maintenance, conservation and future of life and biological diversity on Earth.

Candidates should have a strong publication record, relevant analytical and data handling skills, and an ability to communicate within a research team. Competitive salaries are offered.
Fuller descriptions of individual positions within 16 themes are at http://www.bio.ku.dk/om/jobs. Application must be based on the full description of the positions, and submitted before 31 of October. For enquiries about the program, contact Professor Carsten Rahbek, crahbek(at)bio.ku.dk.

Job Announcement: Full Professorships

Utrecht University is a place of learning that offers many widely varying disciplines. Where different areas meet or overlap, the developments are particularly interesting. At Utrecht University science never stops. Nor will your development.
Utrecht University urgently seeks applicants who can easily identify with this open, dedicated and multidisciplinary culture. The Department of Biology (Faculty of Science) invites candidates to apply for the permanent positions of:

Full professor Ecology & Biodiversity
The chair in Ecology & Biodiversity is part of the Institute of Environmental Biology (IEB) and contributes to the University’s focus area ‘Earth and Sustainability'. The central theme of the IEB is 'Biological Mechanisms and Biodiversity in Relation to Climate Change'. This chair is one of the few that has biodiversity as the central object of study, integrating its regulation and its consequences. As full professor, you will direct a research group and a scientific program in the field of plant ecology and biodiversity. In particular, you will focus on the up-scaling of ecological processes with an innovative combination of theoretical and empirical studies.
For additional information, please contact the Chairman of the Appointment Committee: Prof Dr A.F. Lotter, e-mail: a.f.lotter(at)uu.nl, tel. +31 30 253 2629 (secretary)

Full professor Cellular Dynamics
The new chair of Cellular Dynamics is positioned in the Institute of Biocomplexity and Bioinformatics and in the University’s focus area ‘Life Sciences & Biocomplexity’, which harbours groups with strong expertise in cell biology, live imaging, molecular genetics, bioinformatics, and computational modelling. This focus area strives to integrate structural biology, dynamic data acquisition in model organisms and computational biology in order to unravel basic principles of
biological networks. As full professor, you will direct a research group and scientific program in the field of Cellular Dynamics.
For additional information, please contact the Chairman of the Search Committee: Prof Dr Ben Scheres, e-mail: B.Scheres(at)uu.nl, telephone +31 30 253 3133 or +31 30 253 4230.

Qualifications
Candidates must have a PhD and an excellent track record in the desired field of research and proven ability to obtain extramural funding for research and contribute to, and provide leadership in collaborative research programs. You have experience and enthusiasm for teaching and student supervision as well as experience and leadership in shaping the curriculum and further development of programs at the BSc, Msc, and PhD level. You play an active role in leading (national and international) activities in the area of the chair and/or social
communities.
We offer a permanent position as full professor at 1,0 fte. The gross salary ranges between € 4,904.- and € 7,142.- per month.
The deadline for applications is 22 September 2009.
Please visit www.uu.nl/vacancies for the complete job descriptions

Frontiers of Biogeography is out!

The inaugural issue of Frontiers of Biogeography — the scientific magazine of the International Biogeography Society is published today. Downloads available at http://www.biogeography.org/html/fb.html (whole issue) http://www.biogeography.org/html/fb/FBv1i1.html (individual articles)

Discounts at UC Press

UC Press is currently offering discounts to people living and purchasing in the US, including titles such as the "Encyclopedia of Islands" (available at almost 1/2 its retail price) and other UC Press titles (discounted up to 70%). go.ucpress.edu/bigsale. Please use discount code 10M9352

If you like this or other UC Press biogeography titles but are not living/buying in the US, let us know (blog here, or better still tweet at http://twitter.com/Biogeography) and we'll try to arrange discounts for the 2011 meeting.

Job announcement: 2-year postdoc project

Ecoinformatics & Biodiversity Group, Department of Biological Sciences, Aarhus University, Denmark
Supervisor: Professor Jens-Christian Svenning
Topic: What determines the global patterns of palm species diversity?

The postdoc candidate is expected to provide cutting-edge expertise in macroecological analyses and to have strong collaborative skills. Applicants should preferably have a PhD degree from a university outside Denmark.

Salary depends on seniority as agreed between the Danish Ministry of Finance and the Confederation of Professional Union, but is expected to be in the vicinity of 520.000 DKK ~ 69.000 Euros per year (before tax).

The position is officially announced at http://science.au.dk/en/positions-and-fellowships/academic-positions/, where you will also find a link to the online application facility. The application deadline is October 19, 2009. If you apply, please also send an email to Professor Jens-Christian Svenning (svenning(at)biology.au.dk).

Bite-size biogeography at
https://twitter.com/biogeography

Chris Humphries

It is our sad task to record the death of Professor Chris Humphries, merit researcher in the Botany Department (of the Natural History Museum, London) until his retirement in 2007, on Friday 31 July. Chris was a leading figure in the cladistic revolution in systematics and biogeography. Without his tireless efforts, systematic botany – perhaps systematic biology – would be a very different beast.

Chris joined the Botany Department in 1972 as an assistant curator, a nearly-finished PhD student, coming directly from Vernon Heywood’s Botany Department in Reading University. With the exception of three sabbaticals – two of them at the University of Melbourne (1979–80, 1986) and a six month stay as a fellow at the Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin (Institute forAdvanced Study, Berlin) in 1994 – Chris spent his entire career in the Museum.

Chris’s early botanical research was on Asteraceae (daisies) and Macaronesia but during the 1970s and 1980s most of his intellectual effort went into developing, exploring and promoting cladistic systematics and cladistic biogeography. These efforts yielded two much acclaimed books: Cladistic Biogeography (1986) (with Lynne Parenti, of the Smithsonian; a revised 2nd edition appeared in 1999) for biogeography, and Cladistics: A practical course in systematics (1992) (with staff of the Natural History Museum; a revised 2nd edition appeared in 1998 as Cladistics: the theory and practice of parsimony analysis). Both books became standard works in their field.

Chris’s interest in art made him the perfect choice for organising and annotating the first complete full-colour edition of Banks’ Florilegium, published between 1980 and 1990. The project marked the beginning of Chris’s love affair with Australia and her flora, the enigmatic southern beeches and the problems of explaining organism distribution in the Southern Hemisphere. The Florilegium consists of over 700 botanical line engravings made from Sydney Parkinson’s watercolours, recording the plants collected by Joseph Banks and Daniel Carl Solander on Captain James Cook’s first voyage around the world (1768-1771).

After 1990, Chris (with Dick Vane-Wright and Paul Williams, both of the Entomology Department) put biogeographical matters to more practical use, addressing what they called the 'Agony of Choice' – the conservationists’ dilemma – with their ‘WorldMap’ approach to conservation biology, combining taxonomic, ecological and biogeographic information into one system. After a decade of collaboration with many different and diverse groups of researchers working on many different organisms, Chris returned to more fundamental matters in biogeographical investigation and to the distribution of plants on Macaronesia, the islands he began with as a student.

During his career, Chris received many honours; the Linnean Society’s Bicentenary Medal in 1980 and their Gold Medal in 2001; he was also an Honorary Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He was President of the Systematics Association (2001-2003) as well as its Treasurer (1996-99), and President of the Willi Hennig Society (1989-1991), being elected a Fellow honoris causa in 1998. Chris was also Vice-President and Botanical Secretary of the Linnean Society (1994-1998).

In 2008, a three-day Meeting was held in his honour at the Linnean Society; a Festschrift will be published in early 2010.

David Williams and Charlie Jarvis

Image: courtesy Dick Vane-Wright

note from Miguel Araújo: Chris was a good friend, and a founder member of the IBS (International Biogeography Society).

Science Officer Position at DIVERSITAS International Headquarters

DIVERSITAS (www.diversitas-international.org), the international biodiversity science programme, is seeking a Science Officer for its International Secretariat located in Paris, to lead the implementation of its bioDISCOVERY core project on “Assessing, monitoring and predicting biodiversity change”.

We are looking for a highly motivated individual committed to an inter-disciplinary approach to biodiversity science. The position is ideal for a person interested in science, policy and scientific administration.

Required: Ph.D. and experience in a biodiversity related field. Excellent interpersonal abilities. Excellent English skills are required; French language skills are a plus.

Duties include:

1) Synthetic scientific activities such as writing overview articles, editing books;

2) Management activities such as organising and leading workshops; liaising with international conventions; fund raising.

Employers are CNRS (French National Centre for Scientific Research) and DIVERSITAS

Position starts late 2009. Appointment is for one year, renewable. Salary is commensurate with experience.

Applications (CV and three references) by 15 September and Inquiries via email to Dr. A. Larigauderie: secretariat@diversitas-international.org

More information on DIVERSITAS at: www.diversitas-international.org

POSITION AVAILABLE: IBS Administrative Assistant

The job will be based at the University of Wisconsin Madison, is a 25% part-time position, and has a lot of flexibility for someone interested in working at home or looking for part-time work. Applicants with an undergraduate degree in biology, ecology, and geography are particularly encouraged to apply. Applications are due by August 14, and we hope to have someone starting by September 8.

Full details are available at the following URL:
http://www.ohr.wisc.edu/WebListing/Classified/PDSummary.aspx?vacid=73297&title=16660&tranType=LTEGRID

Hey IBS members!
The call for nominations for the Alfred Russel Wallace award will close on 1st July. Less than a week left to recognize a lifetime of outstanding contributions to biogeography. Please propose a titan from your subdiscipline! Please submit preliminary nominations (which consist of a letter endorsing the candidate with an abbreviated copy of their curriculum vitae) to Felisa Smith fasmith@unm.edu.