International Conference
Soil Geography: New Horizons
Huatulco Santa Cruz, Oaxaca, Mexico
16-20 of November 2009
Third Announcement
Background
Soil Geography is a branch of Soil Science that deals with the areal distribution of soils. We may talk about soil geomorphology, which is a field science that studies soils on dynamic landscapes. Numerous studies were carried out in the past. Soil hydrology was a major advancement in the last two decades, which has provided insight into how water moves through landscapes. Where the water percolates so goes soil development. Water is the dominant catalyst, mediator, and transport agent in most natural systems on Earth, including soils. A lot of attention was given to geomorphic description of landscapes. Decrease interest in soil science in general and in particular in Soil Geography in nineties created a great concern and eventually International Society of Soil Science (ISSS) has become IUSS to cope with emerging global problems associated with soils. Because of its importance Soil Geography is now a Commission of the International Union of Soil Science (IUSS, Com. 1.2) since 2002.
It should be recognized that the laws regulating the distribution of soils appear to be more complex than we imagined. In most landscapes the spatial pattern of soils cannot be explained just by spatial application of actual soil-forming factors. The development of soil geomorphology and paleopedology showed that to a great extend, soil distribution in space depends on ancient processes of erosion, sedimentation, and soil formation, which only partially may be reconstructive. The development of pedometrics brought in to the attention of natural and anthropogenic variability of soil properties. The understanding of these new data needs an improvement in paradigm in the soil geography. That is why we are calling for contribution to all the specialists in soil geography and related areas with an aim to integrate actual knowledge to the development of soil geography.
Auspices and
Organisers
| Auspices International Union of Soil Science (IUSS) Latin American Society of Soil Science (SLCS) Mexican Soil Science Society (SMCS) European Confederation of Soil Science Societies (ECSSS) European Soil Bureau, Joint Research Centre of the European Union (JRC) |
Organizing Institutions National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) National Institute of Statistics, Geography and Informatics (INEGI) National Council for Research and Technology of Mexico (CONACyT) |
| Scientific Committee: Ahmet Mermut (Turkey) Alex McBratney (Australia) Adalberto Benavides Mendoza (Mexico) Winfried Blum (Austria) Douglas A. Miller (USA) Victor Targulian (Russia) Reynold Jahn (Germany) Luca Montanarella (Italy) Robert Ahrens (USA) Carlos E. Schaefer (Brazil) Edoardo Costantini (Italy) Richard Arnold (USA) Elizabeth Solleiro Rebolledo (Mexico) Sergey Goryachkin (Russia) Alberto Hernández Jiménez (Cuba) Otto Spaargaren (The Netherlands) Carmen Gutiérrez Castorena (Mexico) Brenda Buck (USA) |
Local Organizing Committee: Pavel Krasilnikov (chair)Teresa Reyna Trujillo (vice-chair) Norma E. García Calderón (treasurer) Laura Bertha Reyes Sánchez Eliseo G. Guerrero Eufracio (field tours Christina Siebe (field tours) Carlos O. Cruz Gaistardo (field tours) Abel Ibañez Huerta (secretary) Elizabeth Fuentes Romero (logistics) Silke Cram Carmen Gutiérrez Castorena Mikhail Zeits (web design) |
Scientific Program
The scientific program of the conference would include Opening ceremony, a Plenary symposium and seven thematic symposia, Mid-Conference field tour, IUSS Commissions and Working Groups business meetings, and Closing ceremony. The symposia include invited keynote lectures, and oral and poster sessions of voluntary contributions.
| 9-15 of November | Pre-Conference Tour |
| November 16 | Morning session Opening Ceremony and Plenary Symposium “The theory and methods of soil geography” (Convener: Ahmet Mermut) |
| Afternoon session Symposium “Landscape dynamics, soil geomorphology, and hydropedology” (Convener: José-Ramón Hernández Santana) |
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| Evening: ice-breaking party | |
| November 17 |
Morning
session Symposium “Pedodiversity and soil geography” (Conveners: Juan-José Ibáñez and Pavel Krasilnikov) |
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Afternoon
session Symposium “Soil classification and soil mapping units: theory and application (Convener: María del Carmen Gutiérrez Castorena) |
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| Evening: business meeting of the First Division of the IUSS | |
| November 18 | Mid-Conference Field Tour |
| November 19 | Morning session Symposium “Driving forces of soil diversity: lithogenic versus climatic factors” (Conveners: Viktor Targulian and Teresa Reyna Trujillo) |
| Afternoon session Symposium “Paleosols in the present and past soilscapes” (Conveners: Edoardo Costantini and Serghey Sedov) Complimentary activity: Round table “WRB and soil mapping” (Convener: Peter Schad) |
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| Evening: banquet | |
| November 20 | Morning session Symposium “Pedometrics, digital soil mapping, and soil geography” (Convener: Christina Siebe) |
| Afternoon
session Symposium “Mountainous tropical soilscapes” (Conveners: Norma E. García Calderón and Raisa Gracheva) |
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| 21-24 of November | Post-Conference Tour |
| A detailed scientific program will be published in the Final Circular. | |
Language
The official language of the meeting will be English. Unfortunately, no simultaneous translation would be possible.
Presentations
Oral
presentations are planned for 20 minutes with additional time for
questions and
discussion. Please use PowerPoint or compatible software for your
presentations. No transparent or slide projectors will be available.
Poster presentations should be done on vertically oriented sheets 90x120 cm. Minor modifications of the size are acceptable, but please do not use other orientation or very extensive sheets.
Registration
Please note that abstract submission is closed and no contributions are accepted any more
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The registration fee should be paid together with registration, in US dollars. We ask to send a fax or a scanned copy of the bank transfer receipt.
Our fax is +52-55-56224828
E-mail: soilgeography09@gmail.com
We are sorry, but no credit card payment would be possible.
Paying in cash at registration desk would be possible.
| Participant registration fee | 350 USD |
| Student registration fee | 180 USD |
| Retired scientist registration fee | 180 USD |
| Accompanying person registration fee | 150 USD |
Please note that
students should present a valid certificate.
Bank details
Bank: HSBC
Branch: 3693
Account no.:
40-4375020-7.
Beneficiary name:
Norma Eugenia García Calderón
Bank Address: AV. DEL MESON 3100 Locales 16, 17 y 18; Querétaro.
México. CP 76230
Tel:
(442)2342003
Fax:
(442)2341697
CLABE:
021680040437502077
SWIFT:
BIMEMXMM
The participant registration fee includes the access to the Conference installations, all coffee-breaks, a participants package (abstracts volume, a bag, a notebook etc.), Mid-Conference Tour (including lunch), a welcoming party, and Guelaguetza banquet.
The accompanying person registration fee includes a welcoming party, gala-dinner, and a special accompanying persons program. The program for accompanying persons includes a visit to the natural reserve “Lagunas de Chacahua” (sightseeing, coastal ecosystems, crocodile and turtle nurseries) and water sports activities in Huatulco.
Publications
The submission of abstracts is closed. All the abstracts accepted for the program of the conference will be published as a separate Book of Abstracts and will be available on-line.
Selected contributions will be published as articles in special volumes of international scientific journals. The Organizing Committee will contact personally the authors of these contributions and invite them to present full-text versions of the papers.
Field tours
The program includes Pre-Conference, Mid-Conference, and Post-Conference field tours.
The registration for the Pre-Conference and Post-Conference Tours is already closed. The information will be sent directly to the registered participants by e-mail.
The starting point of the Pre-Conference tour is Hotel Calvete, Torreón, Coahuila. The rooms are reserved there for the participants from afternoon November 8 (the price is included in the tour registration fee).
Torreón is connected with Mexico City with 10 daily flights; also there are a number of flights from Houston and Dallas, USA. For further detail please see the (TRC) Torreon Airport Departures & Arrivals.
Mid-Conference TourThe tour would present complex soil catenas of tectonically active region Sierra Sur de Oaxaca (about 100 km from the Conference site). These catenas are described in detail in several publications:
· The relationship between pedogenic and geomorphic processes in mountainous tropical forested area in Sierra Madre del Sur, MexicoP.V. Krasilnikov, N.E. García Calderón, S.N. Sedov, E. Vallejo Gómez and R. Ramos Bello
· Pedogenesis and slope processes in subtropical mountain areas, Sierra Sur de Oaxaca, Mexico
Pavel Krasilnikov, Norma Eugenia García Calderón, and Elizabeth Fuentes-Romero
One can also read more about the soils and soil cover of the region in the following papers:
· Soil diversity and properties in mountainous subtropical areas, in Sierra Sur de Oaxaca, Mexico· The Soil Cover and Geomorphic Processes in the Subtropical Altitudinal Belt of Sierra Madre del Sur, Mexico
The tour is planned for Wednesday, 18 of November, and its price is included into the registration fee. However, if accompanying persons would like to participate, an additional cost of 40 USD should be paid.
Other activities
The Paleopedology Commission is planning complimentary activities apart from the mainstream Conference program. Additional information can be found at the web site.
Visa requirements
The citizens of the European Union, USA, Canada, and most Latin American countries do not need visas to enter Mexico for a short period. However, we recommend checking current situation in the nearest Mexican consulate.
The addresses of Mexican consulates and additional information can be found at the site of the Mexican Secretary of Foreign Affairs.
Conference site
Huatulco Santa Cruz is a well-known recreation place, known for its warm climate and beautiful sea beaches. Unlike famous entertainment centers, such as Acapulco or Cancún, it is much more quiet place, ideal for scientific and business meetings, especially in low season. Huatulco International Airport is connected with Mexico City by 3 daily flights; there are also direct flights from some US, UK, and German airports.
For flight reservations use the web sites of the company Mexicana www.mexicana.com or any travel agency (www.despegar.com.mx is one of the options).
The tourist information is available at the web sites:
- Oaxaca RV and Camping Guide Map
The conference site will be the hotel Castillo Huatulco (4 stars level). The special price of a single room is about 57 USD per day and of double room about 62 USD per day (buffet breakfast included). Student's fee is about 38 USD per double room (continental breakfast).
We also recommend
several options of different
levels of prices:
Villablanca (4 stars level, across the street from
the conference site) – about 60 USD
Quinta Real Huatulco (gran turismo level) – 280 USD
Mexicana Huatulco (3 stars level) – 54 USD
Also we suggest consulting the web page for searching better options for your accommodation: Discovery Mexico.
For reservations in Castillo Huatulco and Villa Blanca hotels please contact the Organizing Committee soilgeography09@gmail.com For other hotels the reservation should be done personally by phone or on-line at the web-sites of the hotels.
Contacts
Please do not hesitate asking for the details by e-mail: soilgeography09@gmail.com