Workshop on
"Advanced prediction of biome boundary shifts in regional and global dynamic vegetation models"

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Basic Information

Date: 4 - 7 March. 2008
Place: Yokohama Institute, JAMSTEC [Map]
Supported by
The Frontier Research Center for Global Change (FRCGC), JAMSTEC / DIVERSITAS / The Science Council of Japan / The Swiss Federal Research Institute - WSL / Hokkaido University / Global Land Project (GLP)
Organizers
George Hurtt (University of New Hampshire, USA)
Takashi Kohyama (Hokkaido University, Japan)
Paul Leadley (University of Paris 11, France)
Heike Lischke (Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Switzerland)
Hisashi Sato (Frontier Research Center for Global Change, Japan)

Invitees
Andrew Friend (University of Cambridge, UK)
Ben Wigley (Uiversity of Cape Town, South Africa)
Cecile Albert (Universite Joseph Fourier, France)
Colin Prentice (University of Bristol, UK)
Douglas Morton (University of Maryland, USA)
Elena Shevliakova (Princeton University, USA)
Marina Hirota (The long scale Biosphere-Atmosphere experiment in Amazonia, Brazil)
James Clark (Duke University, USA)
Justin Fisk (University of New Hampshire)
Paul Moorcroft (Harvard University, USA)
Phil Platts (York University, UK)
Robert Scheller (Conservation Biology Institute, USA)
Sean McMahon (Duke University, USA)
Simon Scheiter (University of Frankfurt, Germany)
Soenke Zaehle (LSCE, France)
Sophie Rickebusch (Universite Joseph Fourier, France)
Steven Higgins (University of Frankfurt, Germany)
Tetsukazu Yahara (Kyushu University, Japan)
Thomas Hickler (Lund University, Sweden)
Toby Marthews (LSCE, France)
Toshihiko Hara (Hokkaido University, Japan)
Ursula Heyder (Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research)
William Bond (Uiversity of Cape Town, South Africa)

Executive committee: (Ecosystem Change Research Program, FRCGC-JAMSTEC)
Hisashi Sato / Eitaro Wada / Miki Hokota /
AKihiko Ito / Dennis Dye / Hideki Kobayashi / Rei-ichiro Ishii / Rikie Suzuki / Takeshi Ise / Takashi Kohyama / Tomomichi Kato

This is invitation-based semi-closed workshop.
Inquiry on this meeting should be mailed to: info_(at)_glp.hokudai.ac.jp

Purpose

This workshop will provide a forum to discuss and develop improved methods for predicting future dynamics of vegetation patterns at large spatial scales as affected by climate change and land use, in particular at biome boundaries. The long-term goal is to improve existing vegetation models or to develop new models that are reliable, robust and can be included in earth system models for studying biosphere-atmosphere feedbacks. Participants will exchange knowledge and views of ecological processes, model requirements, the required theoretical background (e.g., upscaling) and computational methods (e.g., efficient implementations) required for model development and testing. During the workshop, participants will engage on four interacting topics:
1. regional case studies in areas where biome boundary shifts could result in major impacts on global biogeochemical cycles or biodiversity,
2. key factors regulating biome boundary shifts such as dispersal, disturbance, climate, and plant functional types,
3. methodological issues especially those dealing with scaling of dispersal and environmental heterogeneity and
4. model / remote sensing integration including model parameterization and testing with field and remote sensing.
This workshop will contribute to the Fast-Track Activity of Global Land Project (GLP) , "Decreasing uncertainty in predicting biome boundary shifts" and to the bioDISCOVERY core project of DIVERSITAS (an international programme of biodiversity research).
We are planning a product-oriented meeting in which collaborative efforts between participants are expected to lead to joint modeling efforts focusing on regional case studies and a synthesis journal article(s). We are hopeful that this will lead to a follow-up workshop at which the results of the case studies are presented and prepared for publication. We welcome nominations of graduate students in your laboratory that could profit from and contribute to this meeting. We will select a small number of young scientists to fund for the workshop.

Agenda

agenda.pdf (version: 3 March) NEW
venue.pdf

Excursion

In the afternoon of the day 2 (Wednesday March 5), we have an optional excursion tour to Kamakura [info], a historic city filled with old temples and shrines of a feudal era. The trip starts around 1:20 p.m. and ends 4-5 p.m. in Kamakura City.
excursion.pdf (version 22 Feb)

Places to visit:
The Statue of Buddha -- a huge, but peaceful Buddha is a famous landmark of Kamakura
Hase-dera Temple -- a typical medieval Buddhist temple in Japan with classic buildings, gates, and gardens
Tsurugaoka-Hachimangu Shrine -- a large Shinto Shrine with a magnificent wooden gate and hall
Komachi Street -- a narrow and busy street filled with gift shops, Japanese fast food stands, and other tourist attractions


Note: please pay local transportation fees and entrance charges (see PDF guide)


It's possible to select following forest trail cource. But, please bear in mind that we will not have much time in temples along this course. Also, even if someone will get spread, we can not search. Town area is very close from everywhere along the trail, so if you lose way, please get to Kita-kamakura station or Hase-station by yourself (we will give you brief map at the reception).
JR Kita-kamakura sta. --> Jyouti-ji temple --> (forest trail) --> The Statue of Buddha --> Hase-dera tempre --> Hase sta.

About Domestic transportation

1) Narita air port --> Yokohama station
You can use either airport bus or Narita Express (NEX). In case of air port bus, take the car for "Yokohama City Air Terminal (YCAT)". YCAT locates in the next building of Yokohama station.
Time table of the airport bus to YCAT
Time table of the NEX to the direction of Yokohama

2) Yokohama sta. --> JR Sakuragi-cho sta.
Yokohama station is a common facility among five railroad companies. You have to use JR group's line. Get the train at platform No3 in JR Yokohama sta. Sakuragi-cho is the next station.
Time table from JR Yokohama sta to the direction of JR Sakuragi-cho sta.

3) JR Sakuragi-cho sta. --> Sakuragicho Washington Hotel
After you get out of ticket gate, turn to the left, and then you will see agora (open space). Your hotel is ahead of you on the right.

4) From JR Sakuragi-cho sta. --> venue
Get the train at platform No1 in JR Sakuragi-cho sta. Get out the train at JR Shin-sugita sta. Some of the trains only go until Isogo sta, where locates between Sakuragi-cho and Shin-sugita stations. In case you take these trains, you have to change at Isogo sta.
Time table from JR Sakuragi-cho sta to the direction of Sin-sugita sta.
For trains marked with a Kanji-character, their final destination is Isogo sta.
From Shin-Sugita sta to the venue, refer this map


On the day 1, Takashi Kohyama and Dennis Dye of the executive committee will take you to the venue. Folks who are not sure how to get to the venue, please come to hotel lobby by 9:00AM.

Note that public transportation system in Japan is always punctual except they are attacked by natural disaster or suicide.

About Yokohama City

Accommodation: Yokohama Sakuragicho Washington Hotel [info]
Tourist information: Yokohama Convention & Visitors Bureau [info].
Weather: In early March, maximum air temperature is 10-15C and minimum air temperature is 3-5C. [info]