Gabriel, R., Elias, R.B., Amorim, I.R. & Borges, P.A.V. (Eds.) (2016) Conference program and abstracts of the 2nd International Conference on Island Evolution, Ecology and Conservation: Island Biology 2016, 18-22 July 2016, Angra do Heroísmo, Azores, Portugal. Arquipelago. Life and Marine Sciences. 565 pp.
Oceanic islands are at the core of research on biogeography and many other biological issues. Roughly halfway between Europe and North America, lies the archipelago of the Azores, the most remote archipelago of the North Atlantic Ocean. Composed of nine islands, divided into eastern, central and western groups, it is home to approximately 250.000 inhabitants and more than 6000 species (terrestrial and marine), including about 500 endemics.
Islands have long been recognized as of special scientific interest, especially in respect to their formation and development mechanisms, means of biotic colonization, evolution of unique biotas and ecosystems, and extensive loss of endemics, making island research and conservation an attractive and very active area of research.
The Island Biology 2016 international conference brings together the expertise of a wide spectrum of research fields, in order to expand knowledge and achieve a unified view of island biology. The conference includes poster presentations, plenary and regular sessions, and hosts 24 specialized symposia, aimed to accommodate in-depth discussions in topical areas in Island Biology.
Biodiversity, Global Changes, Conservation, Invasive Species, Evolutionary Biology, Species Interactions and Networks, Paleobiology and Biogeography are the key conference themes. We expect that the pioneering ideas, leading theories, novel methodological approaches and recent ground-breaking results presented at this conference will provide advances in island biology research and guidelines for the future development of this field.
In addition, the interdisciplinary expertise of participants is expected to contribute to inform decision-makers concerning effective conservation planning strategies in island ecosystems, following the inspiration provided by the Declaration of the Guadeloupe 2014 International Conference on Biodiversity and Climate Change.
Isabel R. AmorimEnvironmental Health in Islands (EHI)
Isabel R. AmorimIsland Biodiversity, Biogeography & Conservation (IBBC)
Paulo A. V. BorgesIsland Biodiversity, Biogeography & Conservation (IBBC)
Rosalina Maria de Almeida GabrielIsland Biodiversity, Biogeography & Conservation (IBBC)
Rui Miguel Pires Bento da Silva EliasIsland Biodiversity, Biogeography & Conservation (IBBC)