Objectives

The objective of this symposium is to bring together foresters, ecologists, geologists and other experts to discuss specific problems and aspects of tropical dry forests, woodlands and savannas. The topics to be discussed include ecological, environmental, socioeconomics, hydrological and forestry aspects.

While research on diversity, population and ecosystem dynamics of tropical forests has concentrated on the wet or humid tropics, relatively little has been undertaken on tropical dry forests. Most public and scientific attention has been concentrated on the massive destruction of the rain forests, and conservation efforts to reduce the rates of species and habitat loss. However still relatively little attention has been given to forests subject to prolonged dry seasons, where a greater proportion of people live, and where degradation and conversion of these forests are far more advanced than in the rain forests. Only a small fraction remains intact. These dry forests are still poorly known over most of their distribution, and are often overlooked in comparison to the studies of tropical savannas and woodlands. Particularly in Africa, India and Asia the relations between savannas, woodlands and dry forests are notoriously complex. Because they often occur on more fertile soils, there are exceptionally few sites which are in conservation reserves, and this is particularly so in Brazil. These forests have been severly fragmented and remnant trees are sometimes referred to as "living dead".There is an urgent need to bring together existing information on these dry forests to help in their conservation and management.

Call for Papers

Format
The program will consist of oral sessions and poster sessions dealing with the conference topics. More than one session will be reserved for contributed papers in the context of the conference topics. A half-day excursion will be made to areas of savanna and gallery forest in the National Park of Brasilia. Papers presented will be published in a proceedings volume.

Contributions
Papers are called for on the following topics:
* Assessment and monitoring of tropical dry forests
* Water and vegetation analysis and measurement methodologies
* Silviculture of tropical dry forests
* Ecological and environmental significance of tropical dry forests
* Socioeconomic aspects of tropical dry regions, woodlands and savannas
* Management of fragmented forest areas

A limited number of papers addressing additional topics can be accepted. Poster presentations are welcome.

Extended Abstracts should be submitted, both in printed form and on a DOS-diskette or CD-Rom or e-mail written with MS Word, to the conference organizer by September 30, 2003. Abstracts should not exceed 2500 words and can contain figures, tables and references. A CD-ROM with copies of all submitted abstracts will be provided to the participants upon arrival.

Full-Papers will be submitted during the symposium, on DOS-diskette or CD-Rom or e-mail written in MS Word, formatted according to the IUFRO guidelines. The deadline for the submission of the final versions of the papers will be May 31, 2004. Submissions made after this date can not be guaranteed inclusion in the proceedings. In September 2004 the proceedings will be published and distributed.

Languages
The principal conference language will be English. Papers and presentations in Spanish and Portuguese are also welcome. In the case of a Spanish or Portuguese presentations, the speaker is requested to provide an extended English summary and to make extensive use of English in the presented media (slides, transparencies, MS Power Point).

Oraganized by:
Prof. Dr. José Imaña
University of Brasilia
Forestry Department
Caixa Postal: 04357
70919-970 Brasilia, DF - Brazil
Fax: +55-61-347.0631
e-mail: iufro@unb.br

Venue

The conference will take place in Brasilia, Brazil. All meetings will be held in the convention center of FINATEC (University of Brasilia). Hotel accommodation with special prices for the participants will be provided.

Brasilia
The city of Brasília is situated in the central-east part of Brazil, and is easily reached by plane from many Brazilian international airports (São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, Manaus, Fortaleza). However, early booking is strongly recommended since domestic flights in Brazil are often fully booked quite early.

Brasilia is the capital of Brazil and was inaugurated by President Juscelino Kubitschek on April 21, 1960 after 1000 days of construction. In 1987, Brasilia has been recognized by UNESCO as part of Mankind’s Cultural Heritage. Geographically, Brasilia is located in the Brazilian heartland, in the Veadeiro highlands at an altitude of around 1,100m above sea level. The general climate of Brasilia is characterized as savanna tropical, mild, with a rainy summer and dry winter. In April temperatures are between 22°C and 29°C, humidity is around 45 to 55% and occasional rains occur. The city of Brasilia has now more than 750.000 inhabitants.

	Brasilia is famous for its architectural attractions and for its very unique urban planning, showing like a air-plane, which is hard to imagine if one has not experienced it directly. The main goal was to create a centralized administrative city to integrate the development of the vast Brazilian back country. The character of Brasilia is certainly very different from most of the rest of Brazil. Therefore, a post-conference tour will be offered to complete the participant’s idea of Brazil and the tropical dry regions.
University of Brasilia The University of Brasília (UnB) was founded in December 1961 in the same year as the city of Brasilia, as a new and modern administration concept. The University has strived for excellence in teaching, research and extension courses, placing it within the ranks of the most respected universities in Brazil.
	The campus of the University of Brasila is located on the banks of lake Paranoa, and is composed of architecturally modern buildings housing 21 faculties with 51 academic departments, one of them being the Forestry Department. In 2002 the university has around 25,000 students undertaking 74 undergraduate courses. There are more than 3,000 postgraduate students enrolled in 69 programs, 47 for a master degree and 22 for a PhD.

Registration

A registration form is attached to this announcement. Registration deadline will be February 29, 2004. The registration fee will be US$ 150.00, covering lunch and coffee during the conference, conference dinner, a city tour in Brasilia, transport between the hotel and conference center and between the hotel and airport, and two copies of the proceedings.

Post Conference Tour

A post-conference tour will be organized if a minimum number of 20 people register by December 30, 2003. The tour is planned to start in Brasilia by bus to the north-east tropical dry region and to end by plane in Brasilia, Rio de Janeiro or São Paulo. The tour is intended to give the participants some idea of nature, culture, history, water and forestry aspects and institutions. Estimated cost per person is US$ 800,00, which includes accommodation, breakfast, transport, entrance fees, city tours.

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