This year is the centennial anniversary of the ecotype concept, which was coined by the Swedish geneticist Göte Turesson in 1922. Since then, the ecotype has served – and is still serving – as a focal concept in evolutionary ecology, especially in studies of the interaction between plants and their environment. The concept and methods introduced by Turesson have also had a large impact on the assessment of phenotypic variation for crop improvement, in its modern form known as ”envirotyping”.

Turesson got his basic education in Biology at the University of Washington, USA. He returned to Sweden and received his PhD from Lund University in 1923. He was active in southern Sweden until 1935 when he became a professor in systematic botany and genetics at the Agricultural College at Ultuna outside Uppsala. 

We plan to celebrate the anniversary by organizing a symposium in the late autumn this year. The symposium will be held on 29th November together with the annual NordPlant meeting on “Envirotyping for plant breeding and precision agriculture”  which takes place the day after, 30th November.  Both meetings are located at Blå Hallen, Ecology Building, Lund University. The symposium will be in a hybrid format, with the option to participate online. 

The programme on 29th November starts with a welcome reception between 08.30-09.15, followed by a general introduction and then a presentation of the historical context of the ecotype concept by Anna Tunlid (Lund University). Invited specialists will present different aspects of present-day applications of the ecotype concept. Confirmed speakers include Timo van der Niet (University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa), Hans Jaqcuemyn (KU Leuven, The Netherlands), Sophie Karrenberg (Uppsala University), Marie Brandrud (Oslo University), Honor C. Prentice (Lund University) and Björn Widén (Lund University). 

There here are open slots for contributed talks. Please, contact magne.friberg@biol.lu.se if you would like to contribute!

We have launched a webpage where you can register for updates about the symposium:

Organizers: Stefan Andersson, Nils Cronberg, Magne Friberg, Mikael Hedrén, Øystein Opedal from Lund University and Helena Persson from SLU Alnarp

Sponsors: Elly Olssons fond, Mendelian Society in Lund

An ever widening array of research disciplines require access to plant specimens preserved in herbaria, because they provide data calibrated in absolute time. In an era when land use and the global climate rapidly change, technological innovations, such as ancient DNA sequencing and digital specimens, are opening new avenues for timely research, leveraging the the specimens that were accumulated over more than four centuries of plant collecting. This year, 2022, marks the 400th anniversary of one of the first regional floras, published by Caspar Bauhin (1560-1624) based on his herbarium that survives to today. 

To celebrate the deep history of plant collections, and to explore the cutting edge of herbarium-based research, we are organizing a two-day international symposium in Basel, Switzerland, in honor of Caspar Bauhin: “400 Years of Botanical Collections – Implications for Present-Day Research”.

Please submit your abstract for talks and posters on any topic in any discipline that leverage herbarium specimens. We particularly encourage contributions that make use of specimens in non-standard ways and that push the boundaries of what is currently possible.

Registration is now open. 

Please consult the symposium website for all details. https://bauhin2022.ch

Scientific committee:  Tinde van Andel, Clusius Professor History of botany and gardens, Leiden University and Naturalis, NL; Freek T. Bakker, Professor of Molecular Systematics, Wageningen University, NL; Mark Carine PhD, Principal Curator in Charge, Botanical Collections, Natural History Museum London, UK; Stefan Eggenberg PhD, Head National Data and Information Center on the Swiss Flora (InfoFlora), Bern; Jason Grant, Professor of Biology and Director of the Herbarium, University of Neuchatel; Flavio Häner PhD, Historian of Science and Collections, Cultural Property Protection Expert, Basel; Ansgar Kahmen, Professor of Botany, Director Botanical Garden and Herbarium, University of Basel; Gudrun Kadereit, Professor of Systematics, Biodiversity and Evolution of Plants, Head Botanical Garden and Herbarium, University of München, DE; Austin Mast, Professor of Biology and Director of the Godfrey Herbarium, Florida State University Tallahassee, USA; Reto Nyffeler PhD, Curator of Phanerogams, University of Zurich; Richard B. Primack, Professor of Biology, Boston University, USA; Michelle Price, Professor of Plant Systematics and Biodiversity, University of Geneva; Head of Science and Head of the Cryptogamic Herbarium, Conservatory and Botanical Garden of Geneva, Vice-Chair of the Consortium of European Taxonomic Facilities (CETAF); Verena Schünemann, Professor of Paleogenetics, University of Zurich & University of Vienna; Yvonne Willi, Professor of Ecology, University of Basel

Key note lectures:  Richard B. Primack, Boston University, USA: “Mobilizing herbarium specimens, botanical gardens, historical data sets and citizen science observations to investigate the biological effects of climate change”; Hernán A. Burbano, Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, UK: ”A retrospective view on plant genetic diversity using ancient DNA”

For the organizing committee:

Jurriaan de Vos, Leading Curator, Herbaria Basel (BAS / BASBG / RENZ), University of Basel

Jürg Stöcklin, President, Basel Botanical Society

Sylvia Martinez, Dept of Environmental Sciences, University of Basel

The Natural History Museum, University of Oslo, is recruiting a new director for its botanical garden section. The living collections include over 5500 plant taxa from across the world, and are used in teaching, outreach, research and nature management. In addition to showing plant biodiversity the gardens are also important for ex situ conservation, the national seed bank, research collections and the garden database.

The new director of the botanical garden is responsible for strategic planning, development and daily management of the section. The appointee should have a genuine interest in leading a diversity of functions with overall responsibility for daily running, human resources, economy and the scientific tasks. The position is placed directly under the museum director.

Up to 40% can be used for research related tasks. We are seeking to recruit a person with a research profile relevant to living plant collection, nature types, ex-situ conservation or experimental botany research. The applicant should motivate how the research will be adapted and integrated into the gardens professional profile. The director of the garden will collaborate with scientific employees in the Department of Science and Collections, especially those that are responsible for specific collections and features in the gardens. The appointee can supervise students at all levels and choose to join an existing research group.

To find out more about the required and desired qualifications, profile and application procedure, please see link below. Application deadline will be March 31st 2022.

https://www.jobbnorge.no/ledige-stillinger/stilling/219914/seksjonssjef-for-botanisk-hage

Please find the final program below, which has already been sent to everybody who has signed up. We’re looking forward to two days of exciting presentations, and opportunities to meet in breakout rooms on zoom! Still possible to sign up to attend (here).

Warmly welcome!

Per Alström
(chairman), on behalf of the organising committee