9602933 Veblen This Americas Program award will fund travel and related expenses for eleven scientists and two graduate students to participate in the Southern Connection Congress to be held in Valdivia, Chile, January 6-11, 1997. Organizers are Dr. Thomas T. Veblen, University of Colorado, Boulder, in collaboration with Dr. Mary Kalin Arroyo, Universidad de Chile, Santiago. This congress will be organized around the theme of Southern Temperate Biota and Ecosystems: Past, Present and Future. The theme will be developed by presentations and discussions around major biological and ecological questions, recent advances in research on southern temperate biota and ecosystems, evaluations of science-based strategies for the sustainable use of resources, and the interface between pure research and development. The Southern Connection was created to bring together scientists conducting research on the biota and ecosystems of the temperate latitudes of the Southern Hemisphere with the purpose of improving communications among scientists working in the region. Participation of US-based scientists will allow them to interact with a broad diversity of Southern Hemisphere scientists Through such interaction and exchange of information, research on a wide range of environmental biology topics will be stimulated and improved. ***
