Date: Fri, 4 Jan 2002 16:07:54 -0500 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: Sam Droege Subject: Salt Marsh Bird and Vertebrate Meeting Announcement at Patuxent MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii CALL FOR PAPERS and ANNOUNCEMENT for Vertebrates in Salt Marsh Symposium. The tidal marshes on North America support a fauna of birds and other terrestrial vertebrates that is comprised of a high proportion of endemic species and subspecies that are imminently threatened with habitat loss and change. Although there are a number of focused studies and conservation efforts, these efforts are local and largely directed towards single species. This symposium takes a first step in developing a more global approach. The symposium will feature research on the evolution, ecology, and conservation biology of terrestrial vertebrates in tidal marshes in 26-28 October 2002 at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Laurel Maryland. We intend to publish the proceedings. The Symposium is sponsored by the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center, US Fish and Wildlife Service, and USGS. The symposium will receive financial support from USFWS. We are seeking high quality papers that summarize research results on passerines, rails, small mammals, and reptiles that live in tidal marshes. Papers should focus on the ecological and conservation challenges that face these organisms. The symposium will include studies focused on single species, but we are also emphasizing comparative overviews of more general topics including:adaptations to tidal cycles; adaptations to salinity; trophic relationships; evolutionary history and historical biogeography; social systems and demography; morphological adaptations; real and potential environmental threats. In addition, to formal paper sessions, we will be having a workshop on future monitoring and research efforts and setting conservation priorities. Please send abstracts to Russell Greenberg at antbird@erols.com. In order to make sure we get as complete coverage as possible, we are extending the deadline for abstracts to 15 March 2002. Also, interested participants can e-mail concepts for papers prior to committing to a formal abstract. We also welcome the participation of those who do not have papers to present. For on-going updates on the symposium please check the SMBC website at: http://natzoo.si.edu/smbc/Notesandnews/Sparrowsymposium/sparrowsymposium.htm NOW close the windows and hush all the fields; If the trees must, let them silently toss; No bird is singing now, and if there is, Be it my loss. It will be long ere the marshes resume, It will be long ere the earliest bird: So close the windows and not hear the wind, But see all wind-stirred. -Robert Frost:Now Close the Window ======================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ======================================================================= =========================================================================