ialeUK 2009 Conference, Edinburgh, UK

The UK chapter of the International Association for Landscape Ecology would like to warmly invite you to its 16th Annual Meeting. The theme of the conference reflects the unique links that this organisation has between science and practice.

The integrative nature of landscape ecology makes it highly relevant to conservation and land use planning in the 21st century.  Although ecological networks have been a long-established aspect of European land use planning and conservation, they are a relatively new concept in the UK which has traditionally focussed on site-based activities. In the face of rapid environmental change, there is a growing consensus that complementary approaches are needed. Scotland has been chosen because this need has been widely embraced at both the political and practical levels.

The aim of this international meeting is twofold: to review the empirical foundations for the design and implementation of ecological networks and to consider how this evidence has been used in practice in different countries.  Field trips to the Loch Lomond & Trossachs National Park and the Edinburgh & Lothians area are planned to demonstrate implementation strategies that are in progress and provide a practical focus for discussion. The meeting will also include three short, informal workshops on the use of spatial data and decision support systems, the SNH land use planning tool and the use of stakeholder engagement and policy influencing. We hope that these interactive workshops will help build capacity for ecological network design and implementation, particularly amongst practitioners. We look forward to welcoming you to the historic city of Edinburgh and hope you will be able to join us.