Species on the Move 2019

International Conference Series

Monday 22 to Friday 26 July 2019

Nombolo Mdhluli Conference Centre

Skukuza Rest Camp, Kruger National Park, South Africa

Following the successful inaugural conference in 2016, the 2019 Species on the Move conference will be held in Kruger National Park from Monday 22nd to Friday 26th July 2019.

The global redistribution of our planets’ species is widely recognised as a fingerprint of climate change, however, the mechanisms that underpin such range shifts are poorly understood. Additionally, the pervasiveness of range shifts, from poles to the equator, and depths of oceans to tops of mountains, provides us with unique opportunity to advance our theory of biogeography, evolutionary ecology and macroecology.

Our move into the ‘anthropocene’ allows unprecedented opportunity to understand the mechanisms that drive species distributions across ecosystems and address the fundamental tenet of ecology: what lives where and why?  However, such dramatic changes also pose significant challenges for sustainable management of our natural resources.

The conference brings together scientists and natural resource managers working in the disciplines of global change, biogeography and evolution, and relevant in contexts of natural resource management, biodiversity management and conservation, and theoretical ecology.

Species responses to climate change is a rapidly evolving research field, however, much of our progress is being made in independent research areas: e.g. understanding the process vs responding to the implications, terrestrial vs marine ecosystems, global meta-analyses vs in depth species-specific approaches. This interdisciplinary conference develops connections between these parallel streams, and across temporal and spatial scales.

Associate Professor Gretta Pecl & Professor Warwick Sauer

Conference Co-Convenors

Travelling to Kruger National Park

Attendees are able to fly directly into Kruger National Park from both Johannesburg and Cape Town. Many flights from Australia, Europe and the US arrive in the early morning to Johannesburg’s O.R. Tambo International Airport allowing a connection directly to Skukuza Airport in Kruger National Park. More information.

Nombolo Mdhluli Conference Centre

The 2019 Species on the Move Conference will be held in Kruger National Park in north-eastern South Africa. The Nombolo Mdhluli Conference Centre is in Skukuza, the largest rest camp and administrative centre for Kruger National Park. The rest camp is situated in the southern part of the park on the bank of the Sabie river. The Skukuza camp has a range of accommodation options, including camps, huts and a hotel.

All the Big Five game animals (Lion, Leopard, Rhinoceros, Elephant, Cape Buffalo) are found in Kruger National Park, which has more species of large mammals than any other African game reserve (at 147 species). The park is safe for travellers – all the people you’ll meet are either tourists or staff working for the tour operators, accommodations or park authorities. Skukuza rest camp is fenced and gated, so you can walk to and from the conference centre, accommodation and restaurant.

Supporting SOTM 2019

Species on the Move is an interdisciplinary conference series crossing many research areas that are focussed on climate-driven changes in biodiversity and human well-being. As such, the conference is not supported by an individual association or organisation. If you or your association or organisation would like to support the conference, including broadening the participation of early career attendees and researchers from lower income countries, please see our Supporting SOTM 2019 page formore information.