Organizers
The course is organized by the University Museum of Bergen, the Lomonosov Moscow State University, the Norwegian University of Life Sciences, the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, the University of Oslo, the Voronezhsky State Nature Biosphere Reserve, and the Research School in Biosystematics – ForBio, with the support from the University of Helsinki, and funding from the Norwegian Agency for International Cooperation and Quality Enhancement in Higher Education (Diku).
Scope
The intensive five-day course program is comprised by lectures, workshops, excursions, and an obligatory book exam. The target group is advanced master and PhD students. It is recommended that students have taken basic courses in entomology, mycology, and ecology. The aim of the course is to familiarize students with various aspects of the habitat, organism groups and ecological processes in dead wood. Dead wood experts will provide deeper coverage of their fields and research and will give examples of case studies and the workshop sessions. We will go through a broad range of topics, such as biodiversity in dead wood in boreal and temperate environments, biodiversity conservation and restoration, and of course all kinds of lignicolous organisms: fungi, insects, and more. Мертвая древесина живее всех живых!
Assignment and credits
Course attendance is 2 ECTS. Student must choose one of the books for the obligatory course exam, which takes place on the last day of the course: Afterlife of a Tree, 2 ECTS, or Biodiversity in Dead Wood, 3 ECTS. Students already familiar with dead wood systems may instead choose Ecology of Saprotrophic Basidiomycetes or Saproxylic Insects for an advanced 3 ECTS book exam.
Books
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Bobiec A, Gutowski JM, Zub K, Pawlaczyk P, Laudenslayer WF 2005. The Afterlife of a Tree. WWF Poland, 252 pp. ISBN 83-920712-1-2 (basic book, 2 credits)
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Stokland JN, Siitonen J, & Jonsson BG 2012. Biodiversity in Dead Wood. Cambridge Univ. Press, 524 pp. ISBN 9780521717038 (intermediate level, 3 credits).
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Lynne B, Frankland J, Van West P, eds. 2007. Ecology of saprotrophic basidiomycetes Elsevier, 386 pp. eBook ISBN 9780080551500 / ISBN 9780123741851 (advanced book on fungi, 3 credits).
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Ulyshen MD, ed. 2018. Saproxylic Insects. Diversity, Ecology and Conservation. Springer, 904 pp. eBook ISBN 978-3-319-75937-1 / ISBN 978-3-319-75936-4 (advanced book on insects, 3 credits).
Location
The course venue is inside one of the most impressive protected areas in Central Russia, the Voronezh State Nature Biosphere Reserve, covered by mainly broadleaf and pine forests in a basin of Usmanka river, full of beavers, thanks to reserve’s success in saving the species from extinction.
Course leader
Dmitry Schigel - University of Helsinki
Teachers
Bjarte Jordal - University Museum of Bergen, University of Bergen
Steffen Roth - University Museum of Bergen, University of Bergen
Alexander Kurakov - Moscow State University
Rannveig Jacobsen - Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA)
Håvard Kauserud - Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo
Tone Birkemoe - Norwegian University of Life Sciences
Inger Skrede - Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo
Anne Sverdrup-Thygeson - Norwegian University of Life Sciences
Quota
20 students (10 Norway + 10 Russia) + additional places for other countries. Participants will be selected based on the registration form, which includes a paragraph for motivation and importance of the course for your study/work (max 100 words).
Course fee
There is no course fee required from ForBio members or associates. Find out about how to become a ForBio member/associate here.
Costs
ForBio members and associates from Norway and Russian participants enrolled in a MSc or a PhD program are supported in full, including travel.
Accommodation is covered for non-Norwegian ForBio members (i.e. MSc and PhD students from other Scandinavian countries).
Applicants outside Norway or Russia need to cover their travel costs, but may apply for financial support to cover their accommodation and meals costs.
Accommodation costs
Shared accommodation and meals - ca. €30 person/day
Insurance
Participants are requested to arrange own travel/medical insurance valid in Russia. Non-Russian participants should send the proof of the insurance to the course organizers prior the course.
Visa support
Accepted applicants will receive official invitation letters from the course organizers, visa and medical insurance costs are not covered.
Language
English, with limited support in Russian.
Registration
Please fill in the online application here.
Application deadline March 11th 2019
Russian participants may register until March 31st 2019
Contact
Dmitry Schigel (dmitry.shchigel@helsinki.fi) - course programme and content
Nataliya Budaeva (nataliya.budaeva@uib.no) - ForBio coordinator - travel arrangements and visa questions