Over 300 tropical biologists and conservation scientists gathered together at Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG) on March 25, attending the opening of the Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation (ATBC) Asia-Pacific Chapter Meeting 2017.

  With well-known scientists like Antony Lynam, Zhou Jinfeng, Bob Spicer, Lü Zhi, and Jane Memmott as keynote speakers, the meeting will be a platform to stimulate discussion on thematic issues to regional conservation, and showcase the latest theories on the origin of the Asia-Pacific region’s extraordinary diversity.

  In his opening speech, Prof. Chen Jin, director of XTBG, said that Asia-Pacific is a global hotspot in addition to China’s most diverse region. “We need cooperative efforts to conserve the extraordinary diversity of this region” added Chen Jin.

  “In 2006, the ATBC launched its annual meeting in Kunming. 11 years later, we set up Southeast Asia Biodiversity Research Institute，Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS-SEABRI), aiming to cooperate with Southeast Asian countries to conduct surveys on aspects of biodiversity science, traditional medicine and ethnobotany, sustainable resource use, and ecosystem and environmental change” said Chen Jin.

   The theme of ATBC Asia-Pacific Chapter Meeting 2017 is “The Past, Present, and Future of Asian Biodiversity”.

In the following three days, scientists will discuss the thematic issues of patterns and processes of biodiversity; biogeography and evolution of Southeast Asian Biodiversity; addressing the threats to Southeast Asian biodiversity; and sustainable use and production of natural resources.

 Prof.Chen Jin addresses the ATBC Asia-Pacific Chapter Meeting 2017

 Participants listen to report

Opening speakers

Antony Lynam makes plenary speech entitled "Conservation practice: the importance of science, security and serendipity "

Participants pose a group photo