The Announcement of The 15th Advanced Fieldcourse in Ecology and Conservation – XTBG (AFEC-X 2023)

Registration deadline: until 15:00 on July 31, 2023  

The loss of biodiversity and its impact on human society have aroused the concern of countries in the world. Ecology and Conservation Biology, taken as the basic disciplines for the conservation of the biodiversity, have been attached importance and developed rapidly nowadays. Non-formal education such as training courses independent of university formal courses are playing an increasingly important role in promoting the connection and cooperation of researchers, cultivating international talents in the field of ecology and conservation biology, and promoting the dissemination of new knowledge and research skills, and are widely recognized. 

Introduction 

Since 2009, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences (XTBG) has started to hold AFEC-X. AFEX-X is held once a year and has been held for 14 sessions so far. The training course is mainly open to postgraduate students, young scholars and practitioners in the fields of Ecology and Conservation Biology in China, Southeast Asian countries etc. by offering relevant theoretical and practical courses. Over the past 14 years, AFEC-X has received 1539 applications from 567 institutions in 65 countries, of which 385 applicants from 136 institutions in 30 countries have participated in the training onsite. It has won a better and better reputations and gained international influence and popularity. A network of young scientists from AFEC-X has gradually formed. 

This program is an intensive course in academic skills and research methods of Ecology and Conservation Biology, intended primarily for early-stage graduate students and young scholars in Ecology and Conservation, providing training in both basic and cutting-edge techniques in Ecology and Conservation Biology. 

Training objectives 

(1) Improving research capability and confidence systematically in young scientists, and cultivate international talents and young conservation leaders in fields of the biodiversity conservation; 

(2) Fostering a regional network of young scientists, promoting the cooperation with international tropical biology researchers and ecological researchers, and building a platform for cooperation and communication on biodiversity conservation in the Asia Pacific region; 

(3) Promote China's influence in the World tropical biology research and ecological conservation. 

02 Training Content 

AFEC-X will be mainly instructed by professors and visiting professors from XTBG in the field of Ecology and Conservation Biology. Theoretical lectures and field working are adopted for teaching. 

Module 1: Frontier studies about ecology and Conservation Biology  

Tropical Environments, Threats to Biodiversity in Tropical Areas, Biodiversity Science, Climate Change Biology, Conservation Biology, Plant-Animal Interactions, Insect Ecology, Community Ecology, Environmental Education, etc. 

Module 2: Research technologies 

Experimental Design and R Statistics, Open / Reproducible Sciences, Species Distribution Modelling, Animal Movement Modelling, Thermal Camera Application, Drone Monitoring, Presentation and Scientific Writing Skills, Ecological Stations and Field-plots Sites Visit, etc. 

Module 3: Independent projects 

The independent projects will be completed independently in groups, including experimental design, data collection and analysis, report writing and defense. 

03 Core Instructors 

CHEN Jin

Professor CHEN Jin,the Director of the Academic Committee，Chief Scientist of Environmental Education Center and PI at the Ecology & Evolution of Plant-Animal Interaction at XTBG. He has served as the director of XTBG from 2005 to 2021. The main research directions of him are the ecology and evolution of the plant-animal interaction, environmental/scientific education and conservation biology. He has published more than 100 papers in international journals such as Cell, Nature Communications, Ecological Monographs, Ecology, and Environmental Education Research. 

Ricahrd Corlett

Professor Richard Corlett, Honorary Professor of XTBG, the chief scientist of the Asian chapter of the fifth assessment report (AR5) of the second working group (WGII) of Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), principal author of Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services for the Asia-Pacific for the Asia Pacific, and the editor in chief of Global Ecology and Conservation, the deputy editor in chief of Biological Conservation, and Tropical Conservation Science, and the editorial board member of Ecological Monographs. He has written books such as Tropical Rain Forests: An Ecological and Biogeographical Comparison, and has published more than 180 academic papers so far. 

Ahimsa Campos-Arceiz 

Professor Ahimsa Campos-Arceiz, PI at the Megafauna Ecology and Conservation Group of XTBG. His research expertise is on the ecology and conservation of large mammals, specifically on understanding their roles in ecosystem processes (e.g. seed dispersal) and promoting human-wildlife coexistence with animals that are prone to conflicts, such as elephants. He is also interested in capacity building and evidence-based approaches to conservation decision-making and practice. He served as a member of the editorial board of international academic journals such as Global Ecology and Conservation, Integrated Zoology, and Current Conservation, and has published about 70 SCI papers and one monograph in international journals. 

Akihiro Nakamura 

Professor Akihiro Nakamura, PI at the Forest Canopy Ecology Group of XTBG, an internationally renowned tropical forest insect ecologist, and the editorial board member of Biodiversity and Conservation and Frontiers in Forests and Global Change. His research fields are mainly in Community Ecology, Entomology, Biodiversity protection, etc. and the key research direction is the response and adaptation mechanism of forest canopy biodiversity to different habitats and climate change. About 70 academic papers have been published in international academic journals such as Science, Trends in Ecology and Evolution, Ecology Letters, Journal of Biogeography Ecological Entomology, etc. 

Kyle W. Tomlinson 

Professor Kyle W. Tomlinson, PI at Community Ecology and Conservation Group of XTBG, working on landscape conservation, forest ecology, savanna ecology, and functional trait diversity，such as understanding plant function and growth in response to disturbances and resources, and how this affects species distribution within and across landscapes. Since 2020 he has been the associate editor of Ecology.  

Gbadamassi G. O. Dossa 

Associate professor Gbadamassi G. O. Dossa, from Forest Canopy Ecology Group of XTBG, working on biodiversity, forest ecosystem functioning, plant functional traits effect on carbon and nutrient cycling. 

Training dates: 26 Oct – 6 Dec 2023 (6 weeks) 

Venue: Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province, China 

Target students: early-stage graduate students and young scholars in Ecology and Conservation. The number of participants is less than 30. 

Training language: English 

Course fee: No course fee will be charged 

Other cost: The costs of the journey between participant's departure city and XTBG are self-care. The course organizer will arrange food and hotel and cover part the costs for participants. Participants need to pay part of the food and hotel (2500~5000 RMB/person). 

Scholarships: The course has some budget for scholarships (see the application form for details) to cover the food and hotel, which will be awarded based on both merit and financial need. 

Course credits: AFEC-X has obtained accreditation from the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS). Graduate students from UCAS and institutions affiliated to Chinese Academy of Sciences will receive 6 course credits towards their degree program upon completion of the AFEC-X full-time study. Other participants may be able to arrange recognition of these credits by their home institutions. 

Registration deadline: until 15:00 on July 31, 2023 

To apply, please scan the QR code