Announcements Are you producing a newsletter, holding a meeting, running an organization or rearing a natural enemy that you want other biocontrol workers to know about? Send us the details and we will announce it in BNI. Fresh Ideas from IOBCBiological control researchers and practitioners are recommended to take a look at the new website of IOBC (International Organization for Biological Control of Noxious Animals and Plants): In its 50th anniversary year, IOBC aims to stimulate regional sections and working group activities and boost an already growing membership. Amongst new initiatives it is planning:
The site also has pages for global working groups and the regional sections and their working groups, with links to their and other biocontrol-related websites. The new membership fee system is explained and the IOBC newsletters can be downloaded. The December 2004 issue (IOBC Newsletter No. 76) includes a succinct summary by IOBC President Joop van Lenteren of six major initiatives regarding regulation of the import and release of exotic natural enemies. Contact: Prof. Dr. Stefano
Colazza, IOBC-NRS and Canada Biocontrol Network MeetingA joint scientific meeting of the International Organization for Biological Control of Noxious Animals and Plants - Nearctic Regional Section (IOBC-NRS) and the Biocontrol Network of Canada will be held in Magog, Quebec, Canada on 8-11 May 2005. Covering all aspects of biological control, the meeting will include a symposium on 'Trophic and guild interactions in biological control' featuring invited keynote speakers. They will discuss modern concepts of direct and indirect interactions among natural enemies in natural and agricultural ecosystems - a field that has become a hot topic in ecology and biological control. A book of papers from the proceedings is to be published by Springer. A special session is also scheduled to celebrate the IOBC Global 50th anniversary. The conference will be followed by a summer school intended for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows who share an interest in biological control (11-13 May). The school will include lectures and informal discussion groups. Conference information: www.biocontrol.ca Contact: Lucie Lévesque,
The Biocontrol Network, Building Paul G. Desmarais, Département Berkeley Biocontrol WebsiteThe aims and activities of the Center for Biological Control (co-directors: Kent Daane and Nick Mills) at the University of California, Berkeley are described on its new website: http://nature.berkeley.edu/biocon/ The Center for Biological Control facilitates the implementation of biological control through research, training and extension programmes, provides and supports forums for intellectual discussion, and provides a structure for the development of interagency cooperation within California and the western USA. The activities of the centre include promotion of the benefits of biological control and sustainable development, which will greatly improve public understanding of the importance of this pest management tool and facilitate cooperation at all levels. Specific goals include increasing capacity-building through funds for graduate student training in biological control within the University of California system and coordinating and sponsoring biological control conferences, working groups and lecture series. The website keeps visitors up to date with biocontrol news, a diary and links to biocontrol journals. A 'showcase' section features a biological control project. It also provides a virtual home for 'W1185', the Western Regional Biological Control committee 'Biological Control in Pest Management Systems of Plants', including research conducted by members of the committee. Contact: Lynn LeBeck. Asian Plants in the USAA new publication from the US Department of Agriculture - Forest Service summarizes existing information on 40 plant species found in Asia that were introduced either purposefully or accidentally into the USA, and have established and in many cases become invasive. Natural enemies are listed for each species in its native range. The book is particularly valuable because it provides a synthesis in English of information about these plant species that was previously either unpublished or relatively inaccessible and scattered through the Chinese literature. The book contains background information on the biology of each plant species, an image to help with identification, a map of its distribution in China, indexes of scientific and common names for plant species and a bibliography of over 200 references. Also included are maps of US distribution for all plant species. This book is intended to serve as a resource for regulatory and plant protection agencies worldwide. Zheng, H., Wu, Y., Ding, J.,
Binion, D., Fu, W. Contact: Yun Wu, Forest
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