Biodiversity: Reflecting on the past to transform the future
Current Biodiversity represents the result of how evolving species responses to survive and thrive over millions of years of changing biological and environmental in the varying environmental conditions on Earth. However, as we all know too well, this biodiversity is in a free fall of mass extinction due to large changes in environmental living conditions, primarily the result of mankind’s doing.
In this year’s edition of the PE&RC day, we will take you on a journey back in time to explore how past species, populations, communities, and whole ecosystems responded to and recovered from large scale change and or recover from previous mass extinction events. How did the extinction elapse? What were the implications to species networks during previous biodiversity decline? What were the responses of species drivers of recovery and speciation? Touching on different ecosystems found around the globe, we will explore these insights gained from the past which serve as an essential repository of knowledge that we can consult to help save our remaining natural heritage.
The 2021 PE&RC Day aims to learn from our planets history to uncover potential opportunities that will allow for people and nature to flourish together on our one planet.
09:00 - 09:30 | Registration & Coffee / Tea | |
09:30 - 09:45 | Welcome word by the PE&RC PhD Council (PPC) and by the Chair of the Day Tessy Hick MSc, PhD candidate @ Wageningen University / vice chair of the PE&RC PhD Council Prof. Bas Zwaan, Professor of Genetics @ Wageningen University / Scientific Director of the Graduate School PE&RC |
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09:45 - 10:15 | Wild Trojan horses: Do human activities in areas with high biodiversity lead to viral pandemics? Dr Mark Zwart, Researcher Microbial Ecology @ NIOO - KNAW |
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10:15 - 10:45 | Winners and losers of the Anthropocene: What makes species endangered or invasive? Prof. Dr Jacintha Ellers, Professor of Evolutionary Ecology / Head of section Animal Ecology @ VU Amsterdam |
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10:45 - 11:00 | Coffee / Tea break | |
11:00 - 11:30 | Rewilding wetlands: bringing back processes from the past to conserve biodiversity of the future Prof. dr Liesbeth Bakker, Senior Researcher Aquatic Ecology @ NIOO-KNAW |
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11:30 - 11:50 | 2020 “PE&RC Call for Institutional Collaboration” pitch session | |
11:50 - 12:50 | Lunch | |
12:50 - 13:20 | The Rise and Demise of the unique Pontocaspian biodiversity Dr Frank Wesselingh, Senior Researcher Marine biodiversity @ Naturalis Biodiversity Center |
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13:20 - 13:50 | A transdisciplinary approach to empower women food entrepreneurs in Kenya and Burkina Faso Dr William Gossling, Associate Professor in Palaeoecology @ University of Amsterdam |
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13:50 - 14:10 | Coffee / Tea break | |
14:10 - 14:40 | Tracking evolution of urban biodiversity Prof. Dr Barbara Gravendeel, Researcher @ Naturalis Biodiversity Center / Special Professor in Plant Evolution @ Radboud University |
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14:40 - 15:00 | PE&RC Picture Competition Awards (PE&RC PhD Council) | |
15:00 - 15:20 | Report from 2019 “PE&RC Call for Institutional Collaboration” winners and selection of 2020 winners (Bas Zwaan, scientific director of PE&RC) | |
15:20 - 15:30 | Closing remarks (Bas Zwaan, scientific director of PE&RC) | |
15:30 - 17:00 | Museum tour | |
17:00 - 18:00 | Drinks at the venue | |
18:00 - 20:00 | Dinner |
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Like last year, PE&RC has set up a call to stimulate collaboration between Wageningen University and the other PE&RC institutes via short joint PhD and/or postdoc projects (more information about the call here). Through this call, short collaborative projects of a few months can be funded. The interesting thing about this call is that the projects that are ultimately funded, are selected by the PE&RC community. After evaluation a selection of applicants will be selected to present their proposal in a 3-minute pitch during a plenary session of the PE&RC Day. Accordingly, the audience of the PE&RC Day will be allowed to vote for their favourite projects. The five most favoured projects, as determined by the audience, will receive the funding (up to 4 month PhD salary / 3 month postdoc salary, or equivalent combinations of these). So if you want to be part of this truly bottom-up driven selection of exciting projects that will stimulate institutional collaboration between PE&RC partner institutes, join the PE&RC Day and cast your vote! |
Target Group | The annual PE&RC day is meant for all PE&RC PhDs, postdocs and staff members, but non-PE&RC members are also warmly welcomed! |
Event duration | 1 day |
Number of credits | 0.3 ECTS |
Venue | Naturalis Biodiversity Center in Leiden |
Transportation | Transportation to and from Wageningen Campus to Naturalis will be provided |
EXCLUDING DINNER | INCLUDING DINNER | |
PE&RC members | Free of Charge | € 25,- |
All others | € 25,- | € 50,- |
1 The course fee includes a programme, coffee/tea, lunch, and drinks
Note:
Note: If you would like to cancel your registration, ALWAYS inform us (and do note that you will be kept to the cancellation conditions)
The annual PE&RC Day is organised by the PE&RC PhD Council (PPC), with the assistance of the PE&RC Office. More details about the PPC can be found here.
Jacqueline Verhoef (PE&RC)
Phone: +31 (0) 317 485414
Email: jacqueline.verhoef@wur.nl
To register, please enter your details below and click "Register".