note: the call for abstracts and papers is now closed
March 1998
 
 
Institute of Advanced  
Studies, UN University
CALL FOR ABSTRACTS AND PAPERS
(updated 10 Jan 1998)
You are invited to present a paper 
at the Internet Conference on Integrated Bio-Systems (April-Dec 1998)
 
Scope
The scope of the conference covers the science, technology and practice of integrated bio-systems in agriculture, aquaculture, horticulture, forestry, industry, built structures and in natural ecosystems. The conference will emphasize on the use of integrated bio-systems in human activities and their roles in creating a better environment and to sustain development.  In nature, seasonal changes may effect the availability of a resource and a change in the population of a species that use it as a food source may occur. This may further lead to a series of changes if it is in the food chain for other species in a system. Human beings have constantly been causing changes in the environment and the increased activities from an overpopulation will have many consequences,  one of them is the accumulation of by-products, solid and liquid wastes. They have caused great environmental concerns about the future of sustainable human development on Earth. Another important issue is the need of increasing  local food production in many developing countries by 100-300 % in the next 15 years. Integrated bio-systems will come to play an important role as they can use by-products and wastes and convert them into food.

You are invited to describe existing and to propose new integrated bio-systems that can be used a wide variety of purposes, e.g. energy and primary food production, solid wastes and wastewater treatment and utilization. Some of the examples are fish-bivalve polyculture systems in aquaculture; crop-mushroom-compost systems in agriculture; integrated agriculture- aquaculture systems (e.g. rice-fish systems); aquaponics and wetland systems for wastewater treatment and utilization; water quality management; solid waste treatment and utilisation (e.g. municipal solid waste-vermiculture-compost-duck systems, and livestock manure-biogas-crop/horticulture systems); etc..

Scientific papers related to the above topics on their microbial ecosystems, their materials balance and nutrients flows, transfer of toxics in the food chains, economic analysis and assessment of whole systems, ecological bioremediation, etc. are also welcomed. Other systems may have a wider landscape applications, including resource management in coastal zone aquaculture, agro-forestry, lowland-upland, urban-agriculture, lakes, villages, communities, industrial and recreation parks, cities) and those at a regional level.

Instructions for Submission of Abstracts:
An abstract should not be longer than 55 lines (65 characters per line) and to include (a) title, author(s) name(s), postal address, and other electronic addresses. Please send your abstract(s) to: foo@swipnet.se . All abstracts will be reviewed by the planning committee.  Deadline: two months before the date of your presentation.
 
Submission of Manuscript
Upon approval of abstracts, authors will be requested to submit the full paper of minimum 5 pages. See Instructions to Authors for more information. Illustrations and photos showing existing facilities of pilot  research or practice are essential and encouraged; assistance to scan materials (photo, published works, other illustrations) will be provided if needed (contact foo@swipnet.se for help). For submission of published works, authors must obtained permission from the respective journals or authorities due to copyright problems. Deadline: one month before the date of presentation.

Contact Person:
Eng-Leong "Jacky" Foo.