Third Regional Training Course
on
MANAGEMENT AND CONTROL OF INVASIVE ALIEN PLANT SPECIES

March 18-23, 2013
SEAMEO BIOTROP, Bogor, Indonesia.

INTRODUCTION

Forests provide pure air, clean and abundant water,  climate control, and countless other ecosystem services that are vital to the survival and quality of human life as well as  fish and wildlife. Forests are critical to both our physical well-being and our spiritual renewal.

Regrettably, years of intensive resource extraction, development and short-sighted
management activities, and invasion of alien species (IAS) have fundamentally altered and degraded  our tropical forests. The results are loss of habitat, reduced water quality, increased incidents of flooding and landslides, biodiversity loss, and to some extent, emergence of health problems.

In Southeast Asia (SEA),  IAS are adversely affecting locally and globally significant biodiversity, and are invading and threatening forest habitats, species and their production capacity. IAS also indirectly affect the livelihoods of millions of people depending on forests for food, commodities and energy security.

There is an urgent need to address this phenomenon  by purposively preserving the remaining wild forests and mitigating the damage inflicted by invasive alien species in general. The  ecological restoration  encompasses all natural ecological processes such as native fish, wildlife and plant species while enhancing the human connection to the natural world. This restoration must be done carefully and with humility, recognizing that ecosystems are complex and our understanding of them is limited.

It is for the above reason that the SEAMEO Regional Centre for Tropical Biology (BIOTROP), in cooperation with the Gunung Gede and Pangrango National Park (GGPNP), is organizing a training course on the Management of Invasive Alien Plant Species  with special focus on Forest Restoration.

OBJECTIVES

The training course generally aims to enhance the existing knowledge and skills of the participants and, at the same time, strengthen their linkages in working towards a more integrated effort in the management and control of IAS in the region.

At the end of the training, the participants are expected to have acquired:

1. recent advances in the concept of invasive alien plant species management  particularly in the framework of forest restoration.
2. skills in developing experimental techniques for an integrated management of invasive alien plant species and encourage the restoration of degraded forests.

PROGRAMME

The training is organized to cover lectures, practical works in the laboratory and in the field. Field works are carried out in cooperation with Gunung Gede and Pangrango National Park, to include identification, control of Invasive Alien Plant Species and and planting of seedling of selected local plant species in the framework of restoration. Lecturers will come from the secretariat of CBD, National Biological Institute of Indonesia, Bogor Agricultural University, Gunung Gede Pangrango National Park,and SEAMEO BIOTROP.

COURSE CONTENTS

1. Concept and process of plant invasion.
2. Problems of biological invasion and its ecological impacts
3. The CBD’s programmes on GTI and IAS
4. Identifying Existing Taxonomy capacity to achieve Aichi Target & other relevant target
5. Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020
6. Pre- and post-risk analysis
7. Management of Invasive Alien Plant Species
8. Concept of plant classification, morphology and molecular biology, and identification
9. Methods for controlling IAPS in the framework of environmental restoration
10. Vegetation Analysis
11. Concept of restoration ecology
12. Reference ecosystems
13. Targets of restoration ecology
14. Reintroduction of plant species in restoration ecology
1. Source, nurseries, planting techniques
2. Plant-mycorhyza-interactions
3. Ecosystem functioning.
15. Restored forest ecosystems

PARTICIPANTS AND ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

The training course is designed for researchers from universities, research institutions, agrochemical companies, and relevant government agencies of SEAMEO member countries.

Preferably, the participants must comply with the following requirements:

1. Have at least a BSc. Degree, or equivalent, in biology, forestry, agriculture, or environmental science
2. Be proficient in oral and written English
3. Be in good health as certified by physician
4. Have at least one year research experience on the subject matter
5. Preferably be not more than 40 years old
6. Have a regular appointment with their current institutions

VENUE AND DATE

The training course will be held on March 18-24, 2013 at SEAMEO BIOTROP, Jln Raya Tajur, 16 Bogor, West Java, with fieldwork at Gunung Gede and Pangangrango National Park, West Java.

 

CERTIFICATE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT

A certificate of Accomplishment will be awarded to the participants who will complete the training activities and produce required outputs. In case of emergency, when absence is inevitable, the certificate may still be issued, provided the attendance shall not be less than 80% of the total training hours and that the participant has met the minimum performance requirements as evaluated by the Resource Persons, the course leader and the Board of Director of BIOTROP.

The trainee’s performance will be based on his/her participation in the class, activities in the laboratory and in the field. Attendance to all lectures, laboratory, and field work is compulsory. Therefore, participants should be free from any personal or social commitment during the course.

 

PERSONAL DOCUMENT

Foreign participants are required to possess a valid passport and an entry visa to Indonesia for the duration of the training course which can be obtained from the Indonesia Embassy or Consulate in her/his country. The participants are advised not to come without a valid visa.

Travel documents (passport, visa, fiscal and exit permit fees etc) are to be arranged by the applicant at her/his own expense.

 

PERSONAL EQUIPMENT

The participants should have raincoat or umbrella, field shoes, light and warm clothings for field works. Participants who may wish to take advantage of healthful environment may bring sportwear for jogging or brisk walking.

 

APPLICATION PROCEDURE

1. Fill in the application form found below
2. Send the application form and all documents required for admission to the Course Coordinator (see address contact details below)
3. Deadline for submission of Application form and other relevant documents is on 8 March 2013.

REGISTRATION FEE AND SUBSIDIES

The training course fee is US$ 600 to cover tuition, food and accomodation, health insurance, training materials and supplies, local transportation and other administrative costs. However, there will be a special rate fee for Indonesian participants at Rp.5.000.000.(five million rupiah) excluding transportation to and from BIOTROP.
           
Selected participants may be provided with partial scholarship from SEAMEO Educational Development Fund i.e., tuition and board and lodging. However all participants, both foreign and local, will have to pay for their own airfare or land travel expenses.

The payment of the training fee can be made through :
Bank BNI  Cab. Bogor,

US$ Account Account  Name   : SEAMEO BIOTROP Account Number : 0003890624

IDR Account Account Name   : SEAMEO BIOTROP Account Number : 0003893863

Click here for download training application form

For further information, please contact :

Dr. Bambang Purwantara Director SEAMEO BIOTROP Jl Raya Tajur Km, 6, P.O. Box 116 Bogor 16001, Indonesia. Phone : +62-251-8323848 Fax      : +62-251-8326851 E-mail : b.purwantarabiotrop.org

Dr.Sri. S.  Tjitrosoedirdjo Course Coordinator SEAMEO BIOTROP Jl.Raya Tajur Km.6, PO Box 116 Bogor 16001, Indonesia. Phone : +62-251-8323848 Fax      : +62-251-8326851 E-mail:sudarmiyati@biotrop.org