Prof. Markku Kanninen and Dr Nick Hogarth joined the World Conference on Natural Resource Modeling (WCNRM 2018) in Guangzhou, China. Prof. Kanninen presented the latest updates of the CarboScen tool which aim at incorporating conservation values to complement carbon estimations at the landscape level. Nick Hogarth was the chair of one of the sessions concerning forest management and governance for biodiversity conservation. Dr Larjavaara joined the 5th European Congress of Conservation Biology and was speaking at the session titled: Understanding species distributions with a similar presentation as Prof. Kanninen.
The WCNRM 2018 was co-organized by the Resource Modeling Association and South China Agricultural University. The theme of the conference was biodiversity conservation and sustainable development. It aimed to look for a socio-ecological solution especially in developing countries where economic growth and environmental quality are competing objectives.
The theme of ECCB2018 was planetary wellbeing – a concept that captures the wellbeing of people as well as the integrity and sustainability of Earth's ecosystems. The Congress provided a forum to discuss and develop solutions for some of the greatest challenges faced by humanity by bringing together natural and social scientists, practitioners, industry members and government decision-makers.
Prof. Kanninen and Nick Hogarth also joined a planning meeting with local partners as part of the Giant Panda research project: habitat, conservation and local livelihood impacts.