| Keynote and Session Presenters | |
Dr. Marcelo Alonso Dr.
Marcelo Alonso is Chairman of the Academic Advisory Board for the World
University Federation, as well as a trustee of the University of Bridgeport.
He served as the Honorary Chairman of the Second World Conference on Preservation
and Sustainable Development in the Pantanal. Dr. Alonso’s distinguished
career Dr. Noel Brown Dr.
Noel Brown is the former Director of the United Nations Environment Program
(UNEP), North American regional office. He served as Chairman of
the Second World Conference on Preservation and Sustainable Development
in the Pantanal. Among the prominent positions currently held by
Dr. Brown are: President of the Friends of the United Nations, Chairman
of the International Institute for Peace Through Tourism, and Chairman Rev. Chung Hwan Kwak Rev.
Chung Hwan Kwak holds and has held a number of prominent positions in the
worlds of academia and media, as well as in non-profit and religious organizations.
In academia, Rev. Kwak serves as Chairman of the Board for the World University
Federation, and for Sun Moon University in South Korea, as well as Chairman
of the Professors World Peace Academy, an international association of
university and college scholars. Previous to these positions, he served
as Secretary-General of the Professors World Peace Academy. In addition,
Rev. Kwak is the former Publisher and President of the daily newspaper
Segye
Times of Seoul, Korea. He is also former Chairman of the Segye Times
daily of New York City, and former Publisher of The New York City Tribune.
More recently, he became Chairman of The Washington Times Foundation. His
current responsibilities include holding the positions of Chairman of the
Citizen’s Federation for the Unification of North and South Korea, President
of the Inter-Religious Federation for World Peace, and Chairman of the
Board for both the International Cultural Foundation and for the International
Religious Foundation. Since 1978,he has served as President of the Holy
Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity. Rev. Kwak
completed his B.S. in Law from Kyungbuk University and Sangui University
in Korea, and his M.A. in Western Philosophy at Kungook University in Korea.
He has been widely recognized for his distinguished career and charitable
work, receiving a number of Honorary Doctorates from universities in the
United States and Asia.
U. S. Senator Richard Green Lugar Senator
Richard G. Lugar is one of the more respected, influential and well-known
leaders in the United States Congress. First elected to the United States
Senate in 1976, he has now served 24 years and is the longest serving Senator
in Indiana history. Senator Lugar currently holds the post of Chairman
of the Senate Committee Dr. Wally N’Dow Dr.
Wally N’Dow is one of the most prominent and respected leaders in the United
Nations System. He currently holds the post of Special Advisor to the Administrator
of the United Nations Development Program. Dr. N’Dow also served as U.N.
Assistant Secretary General and Director of the U.N. Center for Human Dr. Frederick A. Swarts Dr.
Frederick Swarts served as Secretary-General of the World Conference on
Preservation and Sustainable Development in the Pantanal. Dr. Swarts is
Senior Research Scientist for Aquatic Ecology with the Waterland Research
Institute; in this capacity he is responsible for the Institute’s water
resources projects in the Pantanal Douglas B. Trent (Slide presentation on the Pantanal) Mr.
Douglas Trent is a respected conservationist, tropical ecologist, tour
guide, author, photographer, environmental consultant, speaker and teacher.
In 1980, Douglas Trent visited Brazil, and was so moved by the natural
beauty and richness of her vast tropical habitats that he decided to move
there. Soon after his arrival, he saw the other side of the coin:
vast areas of deforestation and habitat destruction. In response to what
he
Session
Presenters
Session
I:
Bernhard Griesinger Bernhard Griesinger serves as Senior Water Resources Specialist with the Organization of American States (OAS). He is also Coordinator of the Inter-American Water Resources Network (IWRN)which is situated within the same unit of the OAS, the Unit for Sustainable Development and Environment. Previous to these positions, Mr. Griesinger served with the Ministry of the Environment of Brazil as Technical Adviser to the Secretary for Water Resources, Principal Assistant to the Deputy Ministry of the Environment, and Coordinator of Project BRA/90/005 UNDP/MMA, which dealt with strengthening national environmental management. Mr. Griesinger has served also with Brazil’s Ministry of External Relations as Manager for Cooperation with Latin American countries, and as Manager for Technical Cooperation with Germany. He has held positions as well with the Brazilian Institute of the Environment (IBAMA), serving as Chief of Staff to the President and Coordinator for International Cooperation Dr. Juan Maria Carron is Director of the Center for Conservation and Environmental Education in Asunción, Paraguay. He has also served as a Senator for the Republic of Paraguay, as well as Chairman of the Senate’s Committee on Population and Ecology. Dr. Carron holds a Ph.D. in Sociology, with special emphasis on issues of population and sustainable development. He has served as a technical advisor and consultant for a number of years for UNESCO and CEPAL. Dr. Carron is also the former director of the Paraguayan team that studied the social and environmental impact of proposed damming projects. Paper:
"The Pantanal of Paraguay"
Ms.
Maria Montaño Cuchallo is Chief of the Area of Zoology for the Regional
Collection of Wildlife for the Noel Kempff Mercado Museum of Natural History
(Museo de Historia Natural Noel Kempff Mercado,
Dr. Thomas J. Ward (moderator) Dr. Thomas Ward is Visiting Professor of International Studies at the University of Bridgeport, and Special Assistant to the Provost. Dr. Ward has formulated and conducted symposia on comparative political economy for legislators in all six of the member and associate member states of MERCOSUR and he writes for and serves in the editorial board of Universario, a new Latin American journal of social thought. A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Notre Dame, Dr. Ward earned his Master degree in the Humanities at the California State University, and did his doctoral studies at the Catholic Institute of Paris and De La Salle University in the Philippines. He has worked as an economic and political analyst for several public and private institutions, and has been a guest lecturer at a number of institutions of higher learning in Latin America and Asia. He currently serves on the board of several non-profit organizations. Dr. Ward also served as Conference Rapporteur. Session
II:
Dr. Hans Gottgens is Assistant Professor of Aquatic
Ecology with the University of Toledo (Toledo, Ohio). The Paper: "The
Paraguay-Parana Hidrovia"
Dr. José Pedro Taques Dr. José Pedro Taques is a Federal Attorney
of the Republic of Brazil (“Procurador da República”), officiating
in the State of Mato Grosso. In this highly select position, under the
Federal Ministry of Justice, Dr. Taques oversees environmental and criminal
law. Dr. Taques, together with other Federal Attorneys of the Republic,
is the author of key legal actions in defense of the environment in the
states of Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Pará and Rondônio,
with particular respect to Mega-Projects in these states, such as the Paraguay-Paraná
Hidrovia, Araguaia-Tocantins and Tapajos-Teles Pires, as well as other
projects of potential minor or major environmental impact, such as the
Gasbol (Bolivia-Brazil gas pipeline). Previously, Dr. Taques served as
an Attorney for the State of São Paulo. He is also a university
professor and the author of numerous scholarly journal articles.
Dr. James E. Perry (moderator) Dr. Jim Perry is Director of the Coastal Ecosystems
and Remote Sensing Program of the School of Marine Science/Virginia Institute
of Marine Science (SMS/VIMS) of the College of William and Mary. He has
served Session
III:
Dr. José Augusto Ferraz de Lima Dr.
José Ferraz de Lima serves as Scientific Coordinator of Environmental
Science with IBAMA in Mato Grosso, Brazil. IBAMA (Instituto Brasileiro
do Meio Ambiente e dos Recursos Naturais Renováveis) is the Brazilian
Institute of the Environment formed by the federal government in 1989 through
the fusion of four
Dr. Orlamar Teixeira Gregório Dr.
Orlamar Teixeira Gregório is Attorney of Justice within the Tribunal
of Justice of the State of Mato Grosso do Sul. He serves also as Coordinator
of the Public Ministry’s Office of Environment Prosecutors Support Center
(Centro de Apoio das Promotorias de Justiça do Meio Ambiente do
Ministério Público), having 45 prosecutors under his direction
distributed throughout the state to deal with environmental laws and regulations.
Dr. Gregório was part of the Working Group involved with the State
Secretary of the Environment of the State of Mato Grosso in modifying and
amending the state law that instituted the Fund of Defense and Reparations
of Diffuse Interests and Good “Lesados.”
Mr. Jorge Luiz Bezerra da Silva Mr.
Jorge Bezerra da Silva is Regional Delegate of the Federal Police for the
state of Mato Grosso, Brazil. His extensive training in law enforcement
include studies in Orlando and New York City in the United States. Mr.
Bezerra da Silva has written extensively on law enforcement issues, including
articles on drugs, civil disobedience, and organized crime. Situated in
Mato Grosso, the Brazilian state where about one-third of the Pantanal
is located, Mr. Bezerra da Silva has first-hand experience with the legal
and enforcement situation with respect to the northern Pantanal. He has
received numerous awards and commendations for his work in law enforcement.
Mr. Reinaldo Francisco Ferreira Lourival (moderator) Mr.
Reinaldo Lourival is the Pantanal Coordinator for Conservation International
of Brazil. He is also coordinator of Projeto OCE (Oficinas de Capacitacão
em Ecoturismo), developed by the Conservation International Institute,
and is a consultant for the Organization of American States with respect
to Ecotourism in
Session
IV:
Dr. Wolfgang J. Junk Dr.
Wolfgang Junk is internationally known for his intensive and extensive
research in the Amazon floodplains for 25 years and for his River Flood-Pulse
theory to explain the structure and functioning of river-floodplain systems.
He has authored over 130 publications, largely on the ecology and management
of floodplain wetlands, Dr.
Thomas Crisman is Director of the Center for Wetlands at the University
of Florida, and a Professor with the University’s Department of Environmental
Engineering Sciences. Previously, he held the position of Associate Director
for Environmental Programs with the Center for African Studies of the University
of Florida.
Dr. James Fleming Dr.
James Fleming is Associate Professor of Science, Technology and Society
at Colby College (Maine), and a member of the Advisory Committee for the
College’s Environmental Studies Program. Dr. Fleming currently is also
serving as a Visiting Scholar in History of Science with Harvard University.
He likewise has held fellowships or served as visiting scholar at Yale
University, the Smithsonian Institution, M.I.T., and other prominent institutions.
Dr. Fleming’s research focus involves the history of science and the geophysical
sciences. Among the several books he has authored are Science, Technology
and the Environment: Multidisciplinary Perspectives; Meteorology in America,
1800-1870; and Historical Perspectives on Climate Change. Dr. Fleming also
holds the post of Chair of the History of Atmospheric Science Committee
of the American Meteorological Society. He is a member of the editorial
advisory board of the Joseph Henry Papers (Smithsonian Institution), a
member of the steering committee of the Forum for the History of Science
in America; and served for five years as the history editor of EOS: Transactions
of the American Geophysical Union. Dr. Fleming received a B.S. from Penn
State University, an M.S. from Colorado State University, and a M.A. and
Ph.D. from Princeton University.
Session
V:
Dr. Mário Dantas Dr.
Mário Dantas is Director (Chefe Geral) of the Center for Agricultural
Research on the Pantanal (CPAP), the research unit of EMBRAPA in the Pantanal
(Corumbá, MS). EMBRAPA (Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Dr.
Ronald Fortney is Professor of Environmental Science at Salem-Teikyo University
(Salem, WV). At Salem-Teikyo University, Dr. Fortney is a research faculty,
with research interests centering on plant community
Dr. Arnildo Pott Dr.
Arnildo Pott serves as a researcher (Pesquisador III) with the Center for
Agricultural Research on the Ms. Vali Joana Pott Ms.
Vali Joana Pott is a researcher with CPAP-EMBRAPA (Center for Agricultural
Research on the Pantanal-EMBRAPA). She serves also as a member of the Conselho
Superior (Upper Council) of the Brazilian Botanical Society, a member of
the Conselho Técnico Interno (Internal Technical Council) of the
Committee of Publications of CPAP, and as a member of the examiners of
doctoral and Master dissertations and theses in the areas of Botany and
Ecology for various universities. Ms. Pott is an authority on terrestrial
and aquatic plants of the Pantanal and has published widely in the fields
of botany, natural resources and ecology. She is co-author with Dr. Arnildo
Pott of the books, Plantas do Pantanal (1994), Plants of the Pantanal (1997)
and Plantas aquáticas do Pantanal (1999).
Professor Carlos B. Aguirre (Moderator) Professor
Carlos Aguirre is President of the National Academy of Sciences of Bolivia.
He is also Vice President of the League for the Defense of the Environment.
Dr. Aguirre serves as a Member of the Board of the Bolivian Ecology Foundation
and as a member of the National Council for Science and Technology. Trained
as a
Session
VI:
Mr. Douglas Trent is a respected conservationist, tropical ecologist, tour guide, author, photographer, environmental consultant, speaker and teacher. In 1980, Mr. Trent visited Brazil, and was so moved by the natural beauty and richness of its vast tropical habitats that he decided to move there. Soon after his arrival, he saw the other side of the coin: expansive deforestation and habitat destruction. In response to what he witnessed, he set up Focus Tours, a nature tour company with the goal of using tourism for environmental education and for raising funds for conservation work in the tropics. His conservation work was quickly endorsed by the National Audubon Society’s International Program, Friends of the Earth, the noted authors Dr. Norman Myers and Catherine Caufield, and the Director of Kew Gardens in London, Dr. Ghiliean Prance. His efforts have supplied binoculars to guards in the Pantanal wetlands, helped support the Caratinga Biological Station, provided data on wildlife populations to the Brazilian national parks department, and helped other significant projects. Mr. Trent is a founding member of the Rainforest Action Network, and he is recognized as one of the pioneers in the field of ecotourism. He has authored chapters in The Mother Earth Handbook and The Piracy in America, and delivered presentations to conservation organizations and universities in Brazil and the United States. Mr. Trent holds an Honors Degree in Environmental Sciences and Interpersonal Communications from the University of Kansas. Paper:
"Ecotourism in the Pantanal"
Hon. Paulo José Araújo Corrêa The
Honorable Paulo Corrêa is a state legislator (Deputado Estadual)
in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul and Chairman of the legislature’s Committee
on the Environment. Previous to these positions, he served as Secretary
of State for Housing and Urban Development, Technical Director of the Financial
Property Corporation, and Technical Director of the Directrix Engineering
Corporation. Deputy Corrêa has written extensively on ecotourism
as it relates to Mato Grosso do Sul, the Brazilian state where about two-thirds
of the Brazilian Pantanal is located.
Dr. Ginger Smith (moderator) Dr. Ginger Smith is Visiting Associate Professor for Tourism Studies in the Department of Tourism and Hotel Management at George Washington University, where she teaches courses on ecotourism, sustainable tourism development and tourism policy and planning. She also serves as Senior Policy and Sustainable Tourism Advisor at Hagler Bailly Services, an international energy management consulting firm. Dr. Smith has held the posts of founding Dean of the International School of Tourism and Hotel Management for Colegio Universitario del Este in Puerto Rico, and Senior International Policy Analyst for the Office of Policy and Planning with the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Travel and Tourism Administration. Her distinguished professional and academic career includes extensive experience in natural resource protection and sustainable tourism development in natural areas. Dr. Smith received her Ph.D. in International Relations and International Communication from American University. She holds degrees from the University of Delaware and Cornell University, and has studied at Stanford University, Georgetown University and the Catholic University of Milan, Italy. Dr. Smith has published numerous scholarly articles in areas related to tourism, and received a number of awards for her accomplishments. Dr. Smith also has received widespread recognition as an outstanding track and field star, won election to the Delaware Sports Hall of Fame, and received the “Outstanding Athlete Award” from Cornell University Women’s Athletic Association, and served as President of Stanford University Women’s Athletic Association.
|
includes a number of significant posts in the academic world and in international
organizations. He has served as Director of Science and Technology
for the Organization of American States (OAS), Executive Secretary
of the Inter-American Nuclear Energy Commission, and Principal Research
Scientist at the Florida Institute of Technology. In addition, he has taught
at Georgetown University, was UNESCO Visiting Professor in Central America
and, from 1956-1960, was Chairman of the Department of Physics at the University
of Havana, Cuba. For a number of years, Dr. Alonso also served as Editor
of the International Journal on the Unity of the Sciences. Dr. Alonso received
his Ph.D. in Physics and Mathematics from the University of Havana, and
completed additional graduate education in the United States at Yale University.
His works have been translated into 13 different languages, with more than
one million copies in print.
of the Rene Dubos Center for Human Environments. Dr. Brown is also
a Fellow of the World Academy of Arts and Sciences, and is a founding member
of both the Aspen Global Change Institute and the International Council
for Local Environment Issues. Further, he serves on the Board of Directors
of the Global Rivers Environmental Educational Network, the Climate Institute,
the Earth Communications Office, the Rainforest Alliance, Global Education
Associates, Trust for the Americas, and other environmental and educational
organizations. Over the past two decades, Dr. Brown has represented UNEP
at a number of major international conferences and negotiations on environment
and development issues and on international law, including the historic
Earth Summit in Rio, 1992. Dr. Brown holds a B.A. in Political Science
and Economics from Seattle University, an M.A. in International Law and
Organization from Georgetown University, and a Ph.D. in International Law
and Relations from Yale University. He has been a Visiting Professor at
both U.S. and foreign universities, and has a number of publications to
his credit, including editing a recent volume titled Ethics and Agenda
21: Moral Implications of a Global Consensus. Among the numerous awards
acknowledging Dr. Brown’s service to the environment is his being honored
with the 1998 World Academy of Arts and Science for Distinguished Public
Service.
on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry. Widely known for his expertise
in foreign affairs, Senator Lugar had previously gained international renown
and widespread respect in his role as Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations
Committee, where he earned the moniker of “most influential Republican
voice in foreign policy on Capital Hill,” from New York Times journalist
R. W. Apple, Jr. As chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations
Settlements
(UNCHS) in Nairobi, Kenya, and he was Secretary-General of HABITAT II,
the United Nations Conference on Human Settlements held in Istanbul, Turkey
in 1996. Dr. N’Dow was born in The Gambia and studied veterinary medicine
at the University of East Africa in Nairobi and at the University of Edinburgh
in the United Kingdom. In the 1970s, he was instrumental in the International
Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the World Food Council. He
came to the United Nations in 1981 as the Regional Director for Africa
of the United Nations Sahel Office, where he headed a team of experts supporting
efforts in 22 countries in East, West and Central Africa to help their
governments respond to disasters. In 1985, he joined the United Nations
Development Program. Before his appointment to UNCHS in 1994 by Secretary-General
Boutros Boutros-Ghali, Dr. N’Dow held the positions of Chief of the East
African Division of the Sudano-Sahelian Office and UNDP Resident Representative
in the United Republic of Tanzania.
area
of Brazil. A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Bucknell University, with a B.S.
in Biology, Dr. Swarts received his M.S. in Zoology from Pennsylvania State
University. He completed his doctoral studies at Columbia University Teacher’s
College and the Graduate School of the Union Institute, graduating with
a Ph.D. in Biology and Education. Dr. Swarts has published widely in the
fields of aquatic ecology, education,and environmental biology. His environmental
research endeavors include an extensive field study of brook trout in streams
affected by acid-mine drainage in Pennsylvania and an exceptional tolerance
of some tropical blackwater fish to low pH. His professional credentials
include serving as Book Review Editor for the
International Journal
on the Unity of the Sciences, and serving on the board of directors
of several non-profit organizations. Dr. Swarts also serves as Vice President
of the American Leadership Conference, a think-tank and educational organization,
which works together with prominent governmental and private-sector leaders
to examine issues of national and global import.
witnessed,
he set up Focus Tours, a nature tour company with goals of using tourism
for environmental education and to raise funds for conservation work in
the tropics. His conservation work was quickly endorsed by the National
Audubon Society's International Program, Friends of the Earth, the noted
authors Dr. Norman Myers and Catherine Caufield, and the Director of Kew
Garden in London, Dr. Ghiliean Prance. His efforts have supplied binoculars
to guards in the Pantanal wetlands, helped support the Caratinga Biological
Station, provided data on wildlife populations to the Brazilian national
parks department, and other significant projects. Mr. Trent is also
a founding member of the Rainforest Action Network, and is recognized as
one of the pioneers in the field of ecotourism. He has authored chapters
in The Mother Earth Handbook and The Piracy in America, and
delivered presentations to conservation organizations and universities
in Brazil and the USA. Mr. Trent holds an Honors Degree in Environmental
Sciences and Interpersonal Communications from the University of Kansas.
MHNNKM)
in Bolivia. She also serves as Coordinator of the Steering Committee for
the Protected Areas of the Pantanal for the Museum of Natural History in
cooperation with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). Furthermore,
Ms. Montaño Cuchallo serves as the Coordinator responsible for the
biological studies of the project “Evaluation and Identification of Ecosystems
and Species for the Conservation of the Protected Areas of the Bolivian
Pantanal,” which is being conducted by the World Wide Fund for Nature and
the Museum of Natural History. Previously, Ms. Montaño Cuchallo
served as General Coordinator for Biological Studies for the project “Diagnosis
of the San Matias and Otuquis Protected Areas of the Bolivian Pantanal”
conducted through several national and international agencies. She
has likewise held several other responsible positions with respect to the
Pantanal, scientific collections, and various biological studies, and has
played an instrumental role in the creation of protected areas in the Bolivian
Pantanal.
focus of his research in recent years has been linkages between agriculture
and water resources, pulsing factors in lakes and wetlands, and patterns
and processes impacting the cycling of mercury in subtropical wetlands,
including mercury accumulation trends in the Brazilian Pantanal. In 1996,
Dr. Gottgens served on a Pantanal Committee formed by Society of Wetland
Scientists members, including Dr. Ronald Fortney and Dr. James Perry, for
the purpose of investigating the impact of the Hidrovia on the Pantanal.
Their study culminated in a 1998 report in which Dr. Gottgens served as
senior author. Dr. Gottgens grew up in the Netherlands. He received his
M.S. degree from the University of Florida, specializing in limnology and
environmental policy. In 1992 he received a Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering
Sciences from the University of Florida.
as
President of the Southeastern Chapter of the Society of Wetlands Scientists
(SWS) and was Technical Chair of the 1999 International Society of Wetlands
Scientists 20th Annual Meeting in June, 1999. From 1997-1999, Dr. Perry
was a member of the Board of Directors of the Society of Wetland Scientists.
Dr. Perry’s primary research interests lie in monitoring long-term changes
in vascular plant communities of tidal and non-tidal wetlands. His research
emphases include: 1) establishing monitoring protocols for determining
the “success” of created wetlands; 2) use of digital multi-spectral video
systems in determining vegetation dynamics and/or ecosystem stress; and
3) the life history, distribution and abundance, and threats to rare or
endangered wetland vascular plants. In 1996, Dr. Perry served with Dr.
Gottgens and Dr. Fortney on a Pantanal Committee formed by SWS members
to investigate the impact of the Hidrovia on the Pantanal.
distinct
organs: the Secretariat of the Environment (SEMA), the Brazilian Institute
of Forest Development (IBDF), the Superintendency of the Development of
Fish (SUDEPE), and the Superintendency of Rubber (SUDHEVEA). Dr. Ferraz
de Lima also held the position of General Manager and Scientific Coordinator
with the Research and Training Center for Aquaculture, and Manager of the
Research Program for Fisheries Biology in the Pantanal with the Institute
of Research for Fisheries Development in Brazil. He was as well a researcher
for fisheries and aquaculture under the Agriculture Secretary. Dr. Ferraz
de Lima received his Ph.D. in Biological Sciences from the University
of Campinas (UNICAMP), Brazil. He has published extensively in the fields
of fish research and aquatic ecology, with many of his research endeavors
dealing with the Brazilian Pantanal.
the Pantanal Mato-Grossense. Mr. Lourival holds a Bachelor degree in Biological
Sciences from the Universidade Santa Ursula, and a Master degree in Ecology,
Conservation and Wildlife Management from the Universidade Federal de Mato
Grosso. He also studied Primatology, Conservation and Wildlife Management
at the University of Brasilia. Mr. Lourival was Guest Researcher for the
Center of Ethnobiology for the Museu Paraense Emilio Goeldi, part of Project
Kayapo sponsored by the Ford Foundation and World Wildlife Fund, and Guest
Researcher in the Operacão Muriaquitã animal rescue. Mr.
Lourival served as a consultant for the World Wildlife Fund, as well as
for the Secretary of the Environment of Brazil, in order to elaborate a
national policy for the management of wildlife. He is also a member of
a group of specialists involved in examining the Sustainable Use of Wild
Species for the Commission on Species Survival of the World Conservation
Union.
including The Central Amazon Floodplain: Ecology of a Pulsing System (1997).
Dr. Junk has extensive experience in tropical wetlands, including earlier
studies in Thailand and Bangladesh, and served as Scientific Coordinator
of the SHIFT (Studies of Human Impact on Forests and Floodplains in the
Tropics) program in Brazil from 1990-1996. Since 1990, he has extended
his work to the study of the Pantanal. Dr. Junk is a scientist in the Department
of Tropical Ecology with the Max-Planck-Institute for Limnology (Plön,
Germany). He has served as Executive Editor of Amazoniana, and is currently
editor of that journal. He is also a member of the editorial board of Acta
Amazonica and Wetlands Ecology and Management. Dr. Junk received his Ph.D.
from Christian-Albrechts University (Kiel, Germany). He has received numerous
awards and recognitions including the prestigious Gran Cruz (Brazil) and
the International Fellow Award of the Society of Wetland Scientists.
Dr.
Crisman’s distinguished career includes serving as a Visiting Professor,
Research Scientist or Instructor at universities in Uganda, Finland, Denmark,
and Zimbabwe. In addition, Dr. Crisman held the post of President of the
Florida Academy of Sciences. He is on the International Cooperation Committee
for the Society of Wetland Scientists, and he serves on the Editorial Board
of the Journal of Freshwater Ecology, among others. Dr. Crisman received
his Ph.D. in Zoology-Limnology from Indiana University. He has authored
or co-authored more than 140 journal articles, book chapters, technical
reports and other scientific publications. Dr. Crisman’s expertise has
been sought by various governmental and intergovernmental bodies. For his
outstanding contributions to the fields of limnology, wetland science and
environmental engineering, he has been the recipient of numerous awards
and recognitions.
Agropecuária),
which is linked to the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture and Food Supply,is
a major research institution, with 37 research units, 15 central units,
and over 8,500 employees and 2,000 researchers. In addition to his responsibilities
with CPAP, Dr. Dantas serves as a Visiting Professor for the Post-Graduate
Course in Ecology and Biodiversity Conservation at the Universidade Federal
de Mato Grosso (Cuiabá, MT), and as a Professor with the Universidade
Federal do Pará (Belém, PA). Previous to these positions,
Dr. Dantas served as International Coordinator of the Natural Resources
and Sustainable Agriculture Sub-Program with PROCISUR (Montevideo); Technical
Director of CPAF/ACRE with EMBRAPA (Rio Branco, AC); and as a researcher
with EMBRAPA/CPATU (Belém, PA), EMBRAPA/CPAF ACRE (Rio Branco, AC)
and EMBRAPA/CNPMA (Jaguariúna, SP). Dr. Dantas received his doctorate
from the University of Oxford (Oxford, England). He has numerous research
publications to his credit.
studies and functional assessments of wetlands, including wetland plant
diversity and succession, GIS-based vegetation mapping and analysis, and
soil-plant interactions. Dr. Fortney also directs the S-TU environmental
research lab. Currently, Dr. Fortney is working in the Pantanal wetland
system in collaboration with researchers from the University of Toledo
(Ohio) and the Federal Universities of Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul,
Brazil. Their research centers on vegetational succession trends in wetlands
and adjacent upland habitats. Dr. Fortney is working also with Brazilian
researchers and a mining company on developing reclamation methods that
favor re-establishment of native vegetation on reclaimed iron mines. Dr.
Fortney received his Ph.D. in Biology from West Virginia University (Morgantown,
WV). Prior to taking his current position with Salem-Teikyo University,
Dr. Fortney worked as an environmental specialist for the West Virginia
Department of Natural Resources and as an administrator for the West Virginia
State Parks.
Pantanal
(CPAP, Centro de Pesquisa Agropecuária do Pantanal). CPAP is the
research unit of EMBRAPA (Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária)
in the Pantanal (Corumbá, MS). Dr. Pott is an authority on the flora
of the Pantanal, and has published over 40 research articles. With Ms.
Dali Joana Pott, he has authored Plantas do Pantanal (1994), Plants of
the Pantanal (1997) and Plantas aquáticas do Pantanal (1999). Dr.
Pott completed his undergraduate and Master degree studies at the Universidade
Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (Porto Alegre). He received his doctorate
from the University of Queensland (Australia), and he did post-doctoral
studies at the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh (Scotland).
physicist,
he is a Professor of Science and Technology Management and Policy at the
Universidad Mayor de San Andres in La Paz. Professor Aguirre’s distinguished
career includes service as Executive Secretary of the National Council
for Science and Technology, Project Director of Andean University,
National Director of Science and Technology of the Bolivian Ministry of
Planning, President of the National Committee for the Man and Biosphere
Program, Director of the Physical Research Institute and the Research Planning
Office