Ten different topics have been selected for the conference, within the framework of the theme "PEOPLE, FORESTS AND THE ENVIRONMENT: COEXISTING IN HARMONY". These topics and their sub-topics are the following:

1. FORESTS FOR PEOPLE

• People needs and demands

• Economic aspects

• Social, cultural and spiritual values

 2. FORESTS FOR LOCAL DEVELOPMENT

• Forests, agriculture and economic development

• Forests and water resources

• Forests and carbon trading

• Ecotourism

• Forests: Framework for life

 3. BIODIVERSITY FUNCTIONS AND USE

• Functional role of biodiversity

• Traditional knowledge

• Biodiversity value

• Sustainable management of biodiversity

4. VALUATION OF FOREST GOODS AND SERVICES

• Traditional uses of forests

• Valuation of wood forest products

• Valuation of forest environmental services

• Other forest services

5. FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE

• Forests as carbon sinks

• Wood-based products: Carbon pools and energy conservation

• Impacts of climate change on forests

• Adaptation capacities of forest ecosystems

• Contribution of forests to the mitigation of global warming

• CASE OF THE MEDITERRAMEAN FORESTS

• Overview of Functions, Goods and Services of Mediterranean Forest Ecosystems

• Mediterranean Forests Vulnerability to Climate Change

• Adaptive Protection, Management and Restoration of Mediterranean Ecosystems to Climate Change

• Enhancing Resilience of Mediterranean Forest Ecosystems against Drought and large scale Fires

• Capacity Bulding Needs for Adaptation to Climate Change in Mediterranean Forest Conservation and Management

• Regional and International Cooperation towards a Joint Initiative on Mediterranean Forest Adaptation to Climate Change

6. MAN-MADE PLANTATIONS

• Role and sustainable development

• Man-made plantations and biodiversity

• Plantations and carbon sequestration

7. GOVERNANCE

• Policy systems' efficiency in front of long-term challenges

• Capacity of public, private and NGO actors to master long-term problems

• Enhancement issues of governance mechanisms

8. EDUCATION AND KNOWLEDGE SYSTEMS FOR SUSTAINABILITY

• New ways of learning systems

• Towards a research orientated to ecological and social solutions

• Scientific systems transformation towards transdisciplinarity

9. FORECASTING OF NEEDS AND RESOURCES

• Long-term needs and terrestrial ecosystem management

• Long-term energy requirements and terrestrial ecosystem management

• Regional consequences of climatic changes linked notably to greenhouse effect

• Water requirements and resources

• Evolution of soil fertility

• Evolution of genetic resoiurces

10. PEOPLE AND FORESTS IN HARMONY

• Forest-related policies and institutions

• Sustainable management models

• Cross-sectoral policies

• Research, technology and education

• Global thinking in action

•  Abstracts must be limited to 400 words. Any abstract longer than 400 words will be returned. Abstract contributors should state whether they  wish to present a poster or an oral presentation and in which session(s).

• The languages of the conference are English and French. All papers and presentations must use one of these two languages.

• The conference secretariat is investigating the issue of translation from French to English and vice versa.

• Oral presentations are limited to twenty (20) minutes, including questions and answers.

• Contribution proposals will be finally accepted only after due registration of their author (or one of their authors) to the conference.

• The conference secretariat must receive your Abstract no later than 31 March 2010 (extended deadline).