As a biologist I was very interested in the Poster Session “Biodiversity and ecosystem services”. Bernhard Freyer from BOKU Vienna (organisator of next year’s Tropentag) lead as the session chair and connected the different topics of the posters quite well. Interesting discussions developed subsequent to the presentations. Bernhard Freyer opens the discussion. Continue...

Who has attended the oral session "Cattle diseases in dairy herds in Tanzania” by Silvia Alonso, from the International Livestock Research Institute in Kenya, got maybe the testimony that taking a closer look at the livestock sector in Tanzania – but not only in Tanzania – can bring some evidence about its potential benefits and wide social impacts. Continue...

At conferences, we live for coffee breaks. They are the times when we take a breather from presentation after presentation, the places where we meet new people and reconnect with old colleagues, and of course the spot to refuel. For many of us, that sustenance of choice is coffee, and (at least in my book) chocolate-covered biscuits are the best complement. That’s all pretty standard for organized events. But what makes the coffee breaks at a meeting like Tropentag unique is the array of experts present to relay the story behind the coffee, tea, biscuits, and fruit.
So as I wandered around posters this morning, it struck me that these studies are not merely relevant to those specific geographies or ecosystems and to the local people and communities. There are also ties not very far removed from life outside of our study sites. And yet, we don’t always or even often think about what lies beyond the mug when sipping at a conference venue. Continue...

Poster Session 1.3 Biodiversity and ecosystem services Lisa Stefanie Lautz from Kassel University, Germany, presented her poster about the Mexican local crop ‘Nance’ (Byrsonima crassifolia) today. This plant is cultivated in home gardens and the tropical fruits are eaten and sold on local markets. Byrsonima occurs in Central and South America and is a member of the “acerola” family of Malpighiaceae. In Yucatán it has nearly disappeared from the wild... Continue...

Poster Session 1.3 Biodiversity and ecosystem services Kai Behn, University of Bonn, Germany, presented a really informative poster at this mornings poster session. His studies are about different plant species on fallow cropland in a valley in Namulonge, Uganda.

One of the highlights of this year's Tropentag is the introduction of the elevator pitch. This refers to a short summary that can be delivered in the time span of an elevator ride. During the guided poster session "Climate change, Carbon Sequestration and Greenhouse Gases" presenters were allowed to speak for only two minutes. Continue after this pitch :)

Do we know enough to effectively conserve tropical forests? That was the topic of my pre-conference workshop, where we debated to find an answer to this question. Do we really need more and more research on conservation to make a change and answer society’s questions, or we just after satisfying our own curiosity? Continue...