MEB 2024
Welcome
You will find at these conference web pages all information regarding the registration and program.
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Important details
Participation instructions
- The conference and related events require registration
- In-person participants get their name tags at the registration desk which is located at the Foyer Siren 4th floor
- Remote participants get their remote access link via email close to the event
Poster presentation instructions
- Poster size is maximum A0 (84.1 cm x 118.8 cm)
- You can hang your poster on Monday during coffee breaks
- You can leave your poster at the stand until Wednesday afternoon
Talk presentation instructions
- Presentation length is maximum 12 min (followed by questions)
- You can upload you presentation at the registration desk at the event
- Please upload your presentation by the morning of your talk at the latest
Award voting instructions
- The conference participants will vote for the best poster and talk
- A link to the voting system
Important dates
Abstract submission until 15.5.2024
Abstract decisions by 31.5.2024
Abstract submission for late breaking posters by 12.8.2024 (now full)
Registration by 31.7.2024
Conference 26.-29.8.2024
Organisers
Scientific committee
- Juha Aalto, Finnish Meteorological Institute & University of Helsinki, Finland
- Tuula Aalto, Finnish Meteorological Institute, Finland
- Pieter De Frenne, University of Gent, Belgium
- Julia Kemppinen (chair), University of Oulu, Finland
- Jonas Lembrechts, University of Antwerp, Belgium
- Miska Luoto, University of Helsinki, Finland
- Pekka Niittynen, University of Jyväskylä, Finland
- Miina Rautiainen, Aalto University, Finland
- Tuuli Rissanen, University of Helsinki, Finland
- Vilna Tyystjärvi, Finnish Meteorological Institute & University of Helsinki, Finland
- Koenraad Van Meerbeek, KULeuven, Belgium
Volunteers
- Tiina Aalto, University of Helsinki, Finland
- Gangotri Chattopadhyay, University of Helsinki, Finland
- Joonas Kolstela, Finnish Meteorological Institute, Finland
- Johanna Lehtinen, University of Helsinki, Finland
- Iris Starck, University of Helsinki, Finland
Organising committee
- Juha Aalto (chair), Finnish Meteorological Institute & University of Helsinki, Finland
- Julia Kemppinen, University of Oulu, Finland
- Pekka Niittynen, University of Jyväskylä, Finland
- Miska Luoto, University of Helsinki, Finland
Abstract & Registration
Abstract submission
Abstract submission for late breaking posters ended 12.8.2024 and places are now filled.
Abstract submission for talks ended 15.5.2024. The abstracts were anonymized for the scientific committee, who informed their decisions by 31.5.2024. By submitting an abstract you may be given the opportunity to present a talk or poster. To attend the conference, you will also need to register to the conference to get a ticket.
Code of conduct
The organising committee of the Microclimate Ecology & Biogeography conference (held in August 2024, Helsinki, Finland) wants to ensure that all participants will enjoy the event. Therefore, by registering for and attending the conference we all agree to the following code of conduct:
We will respect everyone regardless of age, race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, nationality, political affiliation, health, caring responsibilities, physical appearance, disability or educational background. Furthermore, we will not tolerate language and behaviour which reinforces discrimination based on any of these attributes.
We will refrain from any form of discrimination, harassment or retaliation. This can include intimidating behaviour or language, inappropriate jokes or comments, unwanted attention, stalking or displaying offensive images.
If you feel unhappy or uncomfortable with the conduct of others at the conference, please contact any member of the organising committee. Your comments will be taken seriously and acted upon in confidence. If you do not treat others with the respect and tolerance that we all deserve, you may be asked to leave.
Registration
Registration ended 31.7.2024. The conference has a limited capacity and tickets are given on the first come first served basis. By registering to the conference you get a ticket to attend the conference, which includes keynote talks, conference presentations (talks and posters), coffee and snacks. Lunch is not included and not organized by the conference.
Lower prices apply only to those whose main affiliation is located in other than high income countries according to the map here.
Student prices apply only to those who have not received a doctorate degree at the time of registration (e.g., PhD researchers, master students).
Remote participation has also a limited capacity and includes only watching and listening to keynote talks and conference presentations. Possibility to present a talk or a poster is given only to in-person participants.
Additional program includes the following events: conference excursion (extra cost), welcome event (free), conference dinner (extra cost) and workshop (free). Lunch is not included in the workshop. The excursion includes lunch. The excursion and dinner have limited capacities and tickets are given on a first come first served basis. The excursion and dinner have only one price (no lower prices).
Important
Many conferences are currently being targeted by scams. Please note that Confedent International is the only official congress office and hotel booking agency for MEB2024, and together with the official organizers, the only office sending e-mails to speakers and participants of MEB2024. The official emails come from meb2024@confedent.fi and meb2024@helsinki.fi
Cancellation and refund policy
All cancellations must be made in writing to meb2024@confedent.fi
For registration, additional program and accommodation (cancellation or early departure), a fee of EUR 50 will be applied to all cancellations made by July 22, 2024. No refunds will be made for cancellations made after July 22, 2024.
100% payment to be made if fees not paid at the time of cancellation. No-show is not considered a cancellation. Denial of a visa application to Finland does not entitle to any refunds.
The conference organisers cannot accept liability for personal injuries sustained, for loss of, or damage to property belonging to participants (or their accompanying persons), either during or as a result of the conference. The registration fees do not include insurance of any kind so please check the validity and coverage of your own travel insurance.
The organisers do not take responsibility for force majeure reasons for cancellation of the event (natural disaster, outbreak of severe contagious epidemic, major strikes etc.). In such case, the organising committee will decide upon refunding of paid fees.
Conference ticket – Full price
- Basic registration 250 €
- Student registration 125 €
- Remote participation registration 50 €
Conference ticket – Lower price*
- Basic registration 125 €
- Student registration 65 €
- Remote participation registration 25 €
Additional program
- Conference excursion: 50 €
- Welcome event: 0 €
- Conference dinner 70 €
- Workshop NicheMapR 0 €
*Lower prices apply only to those whose main affiliation is located in other than high income countries according to the map here.
Keynote speakers
Lauren Buckley
Lauren Buckley is a professor in Biology at the University of Washington. Her research integrates modelling, field and lab collection of ecological and physiological data, and ecoinformatics to examine how biology (morphology, physiology, and life history) determines an organism’s ecological and evolutionary responses to climate change. A focus in characterizing how organisms experience and respond to fine scale spatial and temporal environmental variation. Much of our recent work has entailed repeating functional experiments and observations on montane insects after several decades of climate change to assess ecological and evolutionary responses. Our TrEnCh project builds computational and visualization tools to Translate Environmental Change into organismal responses and improve capacity for ecological and evolutionary forecasting.
Kristoffer Hylander
Kristoffer Hylander is a professor in Plant Ecology at the Department of Ecology, Environment and Plant Sciences at Stockholm University. He is interested in biodiversity in natural and human altered systems, with a focus on boreal forests and tropical coffee agroforestry systems. The last years his focus has been on understanding how the understory microclimate is shaped by the overstory and how such variation contributes to our understanding of ecological patterns and processes, to be used to guide climate adaptation of biodiversity conservation.
Michael Kearney
Michael Kearney is a professor in Ecology and Evolution in the School of BioSciences at The University of Melbourne. He has developed conceptual and technical approaches to study the distribution and behaviour of organisms using the principles of energy and mass exchange. He has mostly focused on terrestrial environments where it is necessary to capture the microclimates experienced by organisms. He is the developer and maintainer of the NicheMapR package for modelling microclimates and the energy and mass budgets of animals and plants.
Eduardo Maeda
Eduardo Maeda is an associate professor at the Department of Geosciences and Geography at University of Helsinki, and the Finnish Meteorological Institute. In his research, Eduardo focuses on understanding environmental changes in terrestrial ecosystems, mainly using remote sensing and modelling tools. Eduardo coordinates experiments in the Brazilian Amazon, Malaysia, and Kenya, where substantial amount of data are being collected, including Terrestrial Laser Scanning and microclimate data. He leads the Terrestrial Ecosystem Dynamics Laboratory (TreeD lab).
Timo Vesala
Timo Vesala is a professor in Meteorology at Institute for Atmospheric and Earth System Research in University of Helsinki. His main research fields are micrometeorology, biosphere-atmosphere interactions, ecophysiology and biogeochemical cycles – especially carbon and water cycles – in forests, wetlands and lakes and related greenhouse and other trace gas exchange with the atmosphere. His expertise ranges from cell, plant, ecosystem and regional to global scales. Vesala has contributed to public debate on climate impacts of forestry. He has promoted and produced several pieces of art combining art and science.
Program
The conference program consists of invited keynote talks and sessions formed by presentations by the conference participants. In addition, the conference will organise also a conference excursion, a welcome event, a conference dinner and a workshop – read more below! Program details may be adjusted closer to the conference.
Below you can download the detailed program as PDF. The detailed program shows all talks and their time of presentation.
Conference excursion
Charter bus meeting point: Unioninkatu 34, Helsinki
Where to: Nuuksio National Park
When: Monday 26.8.2024 at 9:00-16:00
The excursion is organised to Nuuksio National Park, which is located c. 30 km northeast of Helsinki. The excursion includes direct transport from Helsinki to Nuuksio and lunch at the local visitor centre, Haltia. The excursion requires registration and is an additional cost (not included in conference ticket).
The excursion takes seven hours by bus, with four hours spent exploring the park on foot, covering a distance of around six kilometres. Proper shoes and warm clothing are advisable for the outing.
Nuuksio National Park boasts a diverse ecology and rugged terrain, with over 80 lakes and ponds scattered amidst forests, lakes, and wetlands, providing habitats for various boreal species. The landscape is dominated by coniferous and mixed forests, including Scotch pine, Norway spruce, silver birch, downy birch, and Eurasian aspen.
The terrain of Nuuksio National Park features rocky hills sparsely covered with vegetation, while valleys contain wetlands and water bodies, contributing to its ecological diversity. Nuuksio’s microclimate varies due to topographical and forest pattern differences, resulting in cooler and moister conditions in deep rocky gorges during inversions, while the highest hills experience warmer temperatures.
The mean annual temperature in the park is 6.0°C, with a precipitation sum of 790 mm. In January, the average temperature drops to -3.9°C, while in July, it rises to 17.0°C. The park’s highest recorded temperature was 32.9°C, with the lowest recorded temperature being -27.5°C.
As a specialty, the forests of the park host one of Finland’s densest populations of Siberian flying squirrels, with nearly 200 habitat patches in the region.
More information: Nuuksio National Park
Photos by Natura Viva / Helsinki Partners / Visit Finland
Welcome event
Where: Helsinki City Hall, Pohjoisesplanadi 11-13, Helsinki
When: Monday 26.8.2024 at 18:30-19:30
The welcome event hosted by the city of Helsinki at the historic Helsinki City Hall. The event includes welcome words by the city’s representative, light snacks and drinks. The welcome event requires registration and is free. The welcome event has limited capacities and places are given on the first come first served basis. Walking from the conference venue to the Helsinki City Hall takes c. 5 min.
More information: Helsinki City Hall
Photo by Jussi Hellsten / Helsinki Partners
Conference dinner
Where: Mestaritalli restaurant, Merikannontie 6, Helsinki
When: Wednesday 28.8.2024 at 19:00 onwards
The conference dinner is all about enjoying good conversations and a nice dinner in a relaxed atmosphere. The conference dinner requires registration and is an additional cost (not included in conference ticket). The dinner has limited capacities and places are given on the first come first served basis. Public transport from the conference venue to the restaurant takes c. 30 min.
More information: Mestaritalli
Photo by Julia Kivelä / Helsinki Partners
Awards for best poster and talk
Where: The main building of the University of Helsinki
When: Thursday 29.8.2024 at 12:30-13:00
How: Sign up here as a candidate. Voting for the best poster and talk here.
The awards for best poster and talk by early career researchers will be given on the last conference day. Use the link above to sign up as a candidate. The conference participants will vote for the best poster and talk.
MEB2024 thanks the two ecological society-owned journals for supporting the conference by sponsoring the prizes:
– Best poster prize by Ecography owned by the Nordic Society Oikos
– Best talk prize by Journal of Applied Ecology owned by the British Ecological Society
More information about benefits of publishing in society-owned scientific journals: Chytrý et al. 2023 Applied Vegetation Science
Workshop
Where: The main building of the University of Helsinki
When: Thursday 29.8.2024 at 14:00-18:00
The workshop is given by our keynote speaker Michael Kearney (University of Melbourne) and the title of the workshop is “Modelling microclimates (and ectotherms) with NicheMapR”. The workshop requires registration and is free.
Mechanistic niche modelling is a growing area of ecology that applies physical principles of energy and mass balance to organisms and their microclimates to understand where they can persist. Mechanistic niche models can be used to understand environmental constraints on microhabitat use and behaviour, life histories and life cycles, and ultimately, species distribution and abundance. They are particularly important for predicting species’ responses to novel environmental changes, including climate change.
This session will provide an overview of the core concepts of mechanistic niche modelling and then will focus on how the R package NicheMapR can be used to identify how climate constrains the distribution of animals in a process-explicit way. Using pre-developed shiny apps, we will first introduce microclimate modelling and then apply microclimate model outputs to ectothermic animals and plant leaves to show examples of how to solve heat and water budgets. The session will use a series of introductions to theoretical principles behind estimations, demonstrations of the package via R Shiny apps, and R code (provided) to teach participants basic ideas and how to get started with the approach.
14.00-14:30 Brief introduction of mechanistic niche models used in ecology with an overview of the models within NichMapR package
14.30-15:00: Demonstration of the microclimate model apps to explain different parts of the model (basic soil temperature, radiation environments, and air/wind/relative humidity profiles, soil moisture, and snow)
15:00-15:15: Break
15:15-16.15: Use shiny apps and work in the R environment – troubleshoot any set-up errors for NicheMapR within the RStudio environment (we request this is done prior to the workshop). Here we will have a competition for those working to find the highest and lowest soil surface temperature situations to familiarise themselves with the microclimate output.
16.15-16:45: Ectotherm model overview – brief demonstration of the shiny app.
16.45-17.00: Break
17.00-18.00: Working with R and individual data – allow people to work with their data, and we help troubleshoot. For those interested, we will discuss using microclimate grids and how to run data across a grid to produce a map (and possibly show how to use Ilya Maclean’s package microclima – he may be able to show interested people during this time).
Venue & travel
Conference venue
Address: Fabianinkatu 33, Helsinki
The conference is hosted at the main building of the University of Helsinki in Helsinki, Finland. Registration desk is located at the Foyer Siren 4th floor. All talks are given in lecture halls (Tekla Hultin F3003 3rd floor and Small hall F4050 4th floor). The poster session is held at an inner courtyard which is covered (Agora 1st floor). All the spaces are accessible and are located in the main building in the address Fabianinkatu 33, Helsinki. At the lobby, you can ask the porters for directions.
Lunch
The conference venue is in the city centre, where there are many options for having lunch. Lunch is not included in the registration and it is not organized by the conference.
An affordable option is UniCafe restaurants, which serves on all campuses of the University of Helsinki. You can eat in the restaurant or grab a takeaway lunch to go. The closest UniCafe restaurant to the conference venue is called Unicafe Porthania. Walking from the conference venue to UniCafe Porthania takes c. 2 min.
All UniCafe restaurants on a map
Travel to Helsinki
The conference is held in Helsinki, Finland. You can reach Helsinki from all around the world by flying, e.g. direct flights by Finnair airlines. You can reach Helsinki from other European countries also without flying. In the links, you can find some tips how to plan your travel without flying (the site is only in Finnish but works well with Google Translator).
Travel to Helsinki by ferry from Sweden
Travel to Helsinki by ferry from Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania
Travel in Helsinki
Helsinki has a functional public transport system – metro, trams, busses, ferries, and city bikes. Helsinki is also a nice city to walk around. In the links, you can find more information on how to plan your travels in Helsinki.
Travel in Helsinki by public transportation and by foot
Travel around Finland
Helsinki is the capital, but Finland is much more than just its capital. The land of thousands of lakes has forthy nature reserves from archipelago to forests, wetlands and tundra. In the links, you can find more information on how to plan your travels if you want to travel around Finland.
Stay in Helsinki
The conference organiser has booked room quotas for the conference participants in the following hotels. The prices are only valid for reservations made via the registration form. Early reservation of accommodation is recommended.
To guarantee your hotel reservation, a deposit of one night’s room rate is required. The deposit will be deducted from the total accommodation cost, that is to be settled at the hotel upon departure.
The hotel room rates include VAT and breakfast. Rooms are reserved on a first come – first served basis. For late bookings, availability can’t be guaranteed.
If you have any questions about registration or accommodation, please contact meb2024@confedent.fi
Important
Many conferences are currently being targeted by scams. Please note that Confedent International is the only official congress office and hotel booking agency for MEB2024, and together with the official organizers, the only office sending e-mails to speakers and participants of MEB2024. The official emails come from meb2024@confedent.fi and meb2024@helsinki.fi
Hotels
Radisson RED Helsinki
Vuorikatu 24
00100 Helsinki
Radisson RED Helsinki, opened in 2023, has a vibrant twist on the conventional. From awesome everyday essentials to Instagrammable moments, the modern hotel delivers a stand-out experience. Visit the all-day RED Kitchen & Bar to dine and socialize in style. Keep fit and energized in the 24-hour fitness center and enjoy complimentary access to the sauna. Walking from Radisson RED Helsinki to the conference venue takes c. 8 min. (0.6 km).
Room rates (room/night)
EUR 170 Standard single room
EUR 190 Standard double room
Hotel Arthur
Vuorikatu 19
00100 Helsinki
The private and cozy Hotel Arthur is located in Helsinki city center right next to the Central Railway Station. Helsinki’s most prominent sights, large department stores and theaters are all within walking distance of the hotel. The Helsinki University metro station and tram stops are next to the hotel. Walking from Hotel Arthur to the conference venue takes c. 9 min. (0.6 km).
Room rates (room / night)
EUR 120,00 Standard single room
EUR 130,00 Standard double room
Eurohostel
Linnankatu 9
00160 Helsinki
Cozy atmosphere, friendly staff with a wealth of knowledge on Helsinki – and all for an attractive price. Most sights of Helsinki are within a short walking distance from the hostel. Trams 4 and 5 take you easily to the city center and back. All floors have separate showers and washroom facilities for men and women. NOTE! Showers and bathrooms are located in the corridor. Walking from Eurohostel to the conference venue takes c. 18 min. (1.3 km).
Room rates (room/night)
EUR 101,70 Standard single room
EUR 113,60 Standard double room
Contact
Many conferences are currently being targeted by scams. Please note that Confedent International is the only official congress office and hotel booking agency for MEB2024, and together with the official organizers, the only office sending e-mails to speakers and participants of MEB2024.
Confedent
Questions about registration and accommodation
Organising committee
Questions about everything else
Sponsors & partners
Sponsors
Award sponsors
Partners
