Conference highlights from the International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO)
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The IUFRO international conference entitled “Challenges and Opportunities in Genetics of Five-Needle Pines and Rusts of Forest Trees Research: Conservation, Evolution and Sustainable Management in a Changing Climate” was held in Fort Collins (Colorado, USA) from 15 to 20 June 2014.

The conference brought together for the first time two working groups within the IUFRO network (WP 02.02.15 Breeding and Genetic Resources of Five-Needle Pines & WP 7.02.05 Rusts of Forest Trees) and the Strobusphere group. In total, the conference gathered 105 scientists from around the world (Austria, Canada, China, Finland, France, Germany, India, Italy, Korea, Mexico, Portugal, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, USA, Vietnam).

Topics at the conference focused on advances in genetic resources conservation, genomics, rust resistance, the impacts of climate change and evolutionary dynamics. In addition to two days of plenary and concurrent sessions, participants were invited on three fieldtrips to visit the stunning Rocky Mountains: in southern Wyoming (Pinus flexilis ecosystems); the Rocky Mountain National Park (P. flexilis ecosystems); Mount Goliath and Mount Evans (Pinus aristata ecosystems).

Key topics addressed were:

• Advances in genomics in forest trees (Pinus lambertiana genome) and rusts of forest trees (Cronartium spp and Melampsora spp. genomes)
• Work on rust resistance in forest trees
• The biology, epidemiology, and host-pathogen interactions
• The conservation of genetic resources of five-needle pines
• The impact of climate change on five-needle pines

French research was particularly well represented with five participants from INRA (Nancy-Lorraine & Orleans). Among these were three researchers from the INRA Nancy-Lorraine Center’s Joint Research Unit on Tree/Microorganism Interactions (UMR IAM), thanks to financial support from LabEx ARBRE.

For more information, contact :  P. Frey; pascal.frey@nancy.inra.fr

Labex ARBRE is launching its fourth call for projects. The objective is to provide funding for innovative projects associated with ARBRE’s four thematic axes (integrative biology, functional ecology, wood-material and forest economy), which propose to advance science or present significant valorization potential.  Creation of inter-disciplinary collaborative projects is particularly encouraged.

ARBRE also prioritizes supporting projects linking research and education. Projects which propose to incorporate training and scientific mediation with Labex research unit activities are strongly encouraged.

Deadline to submit proposals : 1 December 2014
by email to :  klett@nancy.inra.fr

The joint research unit on Tree/Microorganism Interactions (UMR IAM) will host its first workshop on oak genome annotation

INRA Nancy-Lorraine Center
5-7 November 2014

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The pedunculate oak Quercus robur genome was recently successfully sequenced by the joint research unit BIOGECO at the INRA Pierroton Center in collaboration with GENOSCOPE (CEA – Evry) and several French teams working on the ANR project GENOAK. This sequencing represents a first for the oak genome, an important event in forest genomics, for an important tree species in French forestry research.

This upcoming oak genome annotation workshop hosted by IAM will gather 30 French and foreign scientists studying genes of interest within the genome related to specific characters of the pedunculate oak (or French oak). The purpose of this workshop is to provide these concerned scientists with the necessary tools and methods to validate some 50,000 genes identified in this genome through the use of bioinformatics techniques (such as image and signal processing). The joint research unit on Tree-Microorganism Interactions, with support from LabEx ARBRE to organize this workshop, will draw on its expertise in eukaryotic genome annotation to contribute to future analysis of this genome.

To read more about the project GENOAK : https://w3.pierroton.inra.fr/QuercusPortal/index.php?p=OAK_GENOME_SEQUENCING

Contact : Christophe Plomion (plomion@pierroton.inra.fr)
Photo credit : Antoine Kremer – INRA Pierroton

Invitation to two workshops on Methodological and technical aspects of population genetics

Tuesday, 18 November 2014

INRA Nancy-Lorraine Center, Champenoux

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The thematic areas included in the EFPA (Department of Forest, Grassland and Freshwater Ecology) “Genetics” network cover a full range of variations concerning genetics: population genetics, quantitative genetics and improved genetics for all types of models; animal, plant, microbial, and theoretical.

As part of the annual meeting of geneticiens, the EFPA Department of INRA, with additional support by LabEx ARBRE, has organized two training workshops for November 18 on methodological aspects of analyzing genetic population data.

Two Workshops :

• Inference with simulations in evolutionary genetics using Approximate Bayesian Computation (ABC) – hosted by Miguel Navascuès (INRA, Montpellier)

• Detection of loci selected through genomic scans – presented by Simon Boitard (ISYEB – UMR L’Institut de Systématique, Évolution, Biodiversité / CNRS / Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle de Paris).

For more details on these two workshops, follow this link : EFPA Genetics Network Meeting – Workshops

Ten places have been reserved for interested members of the joint research labs within LabEx. This training is open to researchers and engineers, as well as doctoral and post-doctoral students. Knowledge of base principals of population genetics will be useful for understanding concepts that will be addressed during these workshops, but their primary focus will be on practical methodological application.

If you think you might like to attend, please contact Stéphane De Mita (sdemita@nancy.inra.fr) before 15 October.  If you are only able to come to one workshop, please specify which one that will be.

The First Meeting Exploring Alternative Mushrooms

Saturday 4 October
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On the occasion of the Champi’Parc innauguration

The Petits Débrouillards of the East have the pleasure of announcing the First Meeting Exploring Alternative Mushrooms.  In cooperation with their numerous active partners, this science education festival will take place during the official innauguration of Champi’Parc (Saturday, 4 October at 18h00).  The Champi’Parc is a collaborative mushroom farm where mushrooms are grown, where experiments are held and perfect location to hold scientific presentations.

The Meetings Exploring Alternative Mushrooms will be take place at the Site des Brasseries in Maxeville :

• Wednesday, 1 October  : 13h00 -19h00
• Saturday, 4 October :  13h00 – 23h00
• Sunday,  5 Octobrer : 13h00 – 19h00

The program will include :

• Animations / workshops on manipulation and construction (of digital sensors, fungus, lombricomposteur trays, insect hives ..)
• Participatory biodiversity surveys
• Outings to collect and identify mushrooms in the Haye forest
• Film projections and debates
• Evening concert and danse ..

For more informatoin, follow this link ..
The Petits Débrouillards

Click here to read the detailed program : Program

Call for contributions for a symposium on the theme:
Multifunctionality in the forestry sector in a changing and uncertain context.

19 and 20 November, FCBA – Paris

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The forestry sector is currently facing major societal challenges, prompting it to:

• Meet multiple expectations of professionals, private users and the general public, to
• Cope with diverse changes as well as associated risks and uncertainties, and to
• Contribute openly and visibly to the bio-economy in the context of environmental and energy transitions.

Economic, human and social sciences have a major role to play alongside other sciences to meet these challenges. Notably they are essential for providing knowledge necessary for for decision making when weighing different expectations, integrating changes and assessing risks and uncertainties in forest-related policies and strategies, promoting more environmentally-friendly environment.

The ECOFOR Network of Economic, Human and Social sciences (SEHS) invites you to join the discussion surrounding these issues on 19 and 20 November in Paris.

This conference is aimed at researchers, managers, and all stakeholders concerned with the link between the forest and society. It will aim to address specifically concerns of members of the the ECOFOR SEHS network, but also more widely all network members who are interested in economic, human and social sciences, their applications and interdisciplinarity.

General program :
Wednesday, 19 November – 9 h 30 – 18 h 00
Thursday, 20 November – 9 h 30-17 h 00 (depending on participant contributions)

Inscriptions
Register for the Symposium by following this link : Inscriptions

Call for contributions
This symposium is organized on the basis of voluntary contributions. You may submit proposals for such a contribution online up to October 17, 2014.

Symposium Location :
Technological Institute FCBA, 10 avenue de Saint-Mandé, 75012 Paris

Nate has just completed three weeks in France working in the LERFoB unit. This visit was funded LabEx ARBRE and allowed Nate to work on :

Follow this link to read the interview Nate agreed to grant us : ARBRE Interview – Nate Osborne

How do we balance intensifying exploitation of forests with preserving biodiversity? What are the indicators to monitor and evaluate the state of forest biodiversity? How do fauna and flora respond to changes occurring in forests?

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Three synthesis papers for forest managers and policy makers combine key response issues from 16 research projects for the research “Biodiversity, forest management and public policy” (BGF) program funded by the French Ministry of Ecology:

• Synthesis n ° 1 – Boundaries, connectivity, colonization: temporal and spatial biodiversity in forests.
• Synthesis n ° 2 – Evaluating sustainable forest management: what are the indicators for forest biodiversity?
• Synthesis n ° 3 – Biodiversity, production and other forest services: what are the trade-offs for forest management?

These three syntheses are downloadable on the website of the MC program: http://bgf.gip-ecofor.org

The ‘Biodiversity, forest management and public policy’ Program :

Moderated by the public interest grouping ECOFOR and supported by the Ministry of Agriculture, the incentive research program “Biodiversity, forest management and public policy” aims to develop knowledge necessary for effectively considering biodiversity in the broader context of forest management, from forest exploitation or logging to managing protected woodlands. Since its creation in 1996, the program has supported 39 projects and has generated numerous publications, books and summary papers that contribute to informing public policy. In 2014, five new and diverse student projects have been launched focused on key factors involved in interactions between adaptation of forests, climate change and biodiversity conservation.