Programme

Tentative programme (click here for the detailed programme)

Keynote Speakers

Prof. Timothy Paine, University of California – Riverside

Successes, failures, and economics of biological control of invasive insects in California urban forests.

Prof. Paine has research contributions to fundamental and applied science that contribute to quality of life and environmental protection. Prof. Paine’s research on invasive insect herbivores feeding on eucalypts has gained international recognition, particularly in parts of the world with Mediterranean climates. The research programme emphasizes implementation and integration of cultural approaches and biological control for management of the expanding arthropod community associated with eucalypts, Ficus, ash, and other tree species in urban forest environments. Acting as a PI, Co-PI, or Collaborator on nine biological control programs, he has published records of four complete successes, three substantial successes, one that is currently undetermined, and one failure. In addition, he has taken the highly unusual step of documenting the economic impact of these biological control efforts by determining the cost and economic benefit of the biological control efforts.

Dr Maartje Klapwijk, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

On the interplay between direct interactions and associational effects embedding ecology in forest management

Dr Maartje Klapwijk is an insect ecologist working with forest insects. From the start of her research path she has been interested in anthropogenic influences on species interactions. Over time her interest in host-parasitoid interactions in the context of habitat fragmentation and climate change, transformed into a focus on insect outbreaks and climate change. Currently, her work evolves around the potential to use ecological mechanisms in forests to mitigate the risk of insect damage. She still has a focus on interactions between insect herbivores and their natural enemies but endeavors to put these interactions in a tri-trophic and anthropogenic framework of forest management.

Registration information

Early registration: Meeting only (before 7 August 2019) = US$300 (ZAR4500) per person

Early registration: Meeting + Field trip (before 7 August 2019) = US$995 (ZAR14800) per person
Late registration (8 August – 30 September 2019) = US$380 (ZAR5700) per person

Registration fees include the Welcome Reception, dinners, teas and lunches, and shuttle service from ORT International Airport in Johannesburg to Future Africa (and back to airport). The post-meeting field trip includes accommodation, meals and transport.

After online registration you will be sent a confirmation email, followed by instructions on how to pay the registration and field trip fees.

REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED

Venue and Accommodation

The meeting will be held at the newly opened facilities of the Future Africa Campus of the University of Pretoria, in Pretoria, South Africa. This is a beautiful facility with a modern conference venue and multiple breakaway discussion rooms. The facility has specifically been designed to provide an environment for leading scientists and scholars from around the world to engage and address global challenges, and will thus be the ideal venue for the IUFRO Biocontrol meeting.

We have reserved accommodation at Future Africa for 5-8 November at a good rate, ZAR900pp for bed and breakfast (= approx. US$65). The accommodation is just a few minutes walk from the meeting venue.

Accommodation should be booked directly with Future Africa (accommodation@futureafrica.science ), please use ‘IUFRO Biocontrol’ as a reference for your booking.

Information on the accommodation and conference facility can be found at www.futureafrica.science (under 'Campus').

There are also a number of hotels and guesthouses in Pretoria. However, none of these are in walking distance to Future Africa and thus delegates would need to arrange Taxis / Uber for transport. We thus strongly encourage delegates to stay at Future Africa to avoid this cost and the time for travel.

Post-meeting field trip

There will be a post-meeting field trip from 8-11 November. The field trip will include exposure to South African plantation forestry, including visits to sites with infestation of some of the main pests of pine and eucalypts, such as the Sirex woodwasp (Sirex noctilio), the bluegum chalcid (Leptocybe invasa), and the Eucalyptus snout beetle (Gonipterus sp.2), and discussions and demonstrations of management approaches. The field trip will also include exposure to some of South Africa’s amazing native fauna and flora, with a visit to the Kruger National Park.

Details and itinerary for field trip

Please note that the cost for the field trip is NOT included in the US$300 registration fee. After you register you will be sent instructions for payment, where you can chose to pay for just the meeting or meeting + field trip.

Abstracts Submission

The deadline for abstract submission has been extended to 1 July 2019. Click here for instructions and template for abstract. Abstracts should be submitted to Dr Marc Kenis (m.kenis@cabi.org) and copied to brett.hurley@up.ac.za.

Sponsors