Objectives
Changes in climate, biodiversity, nitrogen deposition and land use are affecting European ecosystems and the services they provide to society. The vulnerability of these services to such changes can now be assessed through modern scientific techniques.
The AVEC summer school will present the state of the art of such vulnerability assessments to students and scientists in environmental sciences and related disciplines. Specially, the summer school will focus on:
• the driving forces and processes of environmental changes in Europe;
• the evaluation of ecosystem services provided to society;
• a simulation of a vulnerability assessment, using computer models in combination with a dialogue between scientists and stakeholders.
During the workshop, selected experts will present vulnerability assessment techniques. Working groups will carry out example studies, and discuss implications of findings for actual European ecosystems and their services.
Programme outline
The international summer school is planned as a two weeks long course held in the small village of Peyresq in the French Alps during September 2003. The course will provide:
• insights into the theory and practice of vulnerability assessment including information on scenario techniques (climate and land use), ecosystem modelling approaches for selected ecosystem services and stakeholder involvement;
• lively discussions on the relevance of ecosystem services, their relevance to society and their exposure and response to global change;
• excursion to the Mercantour National Park and/or to the surrounding;
• practical tutorial on establishing a stakeholder dialogue; modelling experience and the dissemination of results.
Participants are invited to present their own research activities in relation to vulnerability studies. During interactive sessions they will be given the possibility to present and discuss their approach and results. With these events and other forms of exchange we aim to foster interactions between all participants.
Selection of invited speakers
• Robert Baxter, ERC, UK
• Harald Bugmann, ETH Zürich, CH
• Laura Capone, ACTA Milano, I
• Tim Charter, SYKE, FI
• Wolfgang Cramer, PIK Potsdam, D
• Christian Körner, U Basel, CH
• Rik Leemans, U Wageningen, NL
• Richard J.T. Klein, PIK Potsdam, D
• Sandra Lavorel, CEFE Montpellier, F
• Robert Nichols, U Middlesex, UK
• Sandrine Petit, CEH, UK
• Mark Rounsevell, UCL, BE
• Pete Smith, IACR, UK
• Volkmar Wolters, U Gießen, D
• Zbigniew Kundzewicz, Polish Academy of Science Poznan, PL
• Monika Zurek, CIMMYT, MX
[List to be completed ]
Travel costs
Travel costs must be covered by the student, though a limited number of travel scholarships are available on justified request.
Contacts
Potsdam Institutefor Climate Impact Research
P.O.Box 60 12 03
D-14412 Potsdam, Germany
http://www.pik-potsdam.de/avecTel: +49 311 288 2692
Fax: +49 331 288 2640
Wolfgang Cramer - project leader mail
wolfgang.cramer@pik-potsdam.deUta Fritsch - scientific coordinator, mail
uta.fritsch@pik-potsdam.de