Poster Presentations and Abstracts Submission
Poster abstracts accepted through Friday, September 30, 2011 - note new deadline for submission
Call for Posters: The organizers of the 42nd Annual Binghamton Geomorphology Symposium invite submissions of abstracts for posters related to geomorphology and biogeomorphology, especially those posters related to the symposium themes of zoogeomorphology and ecosystem engineering. Poster abstracts will be published in the conference program and the poster session will be held on Saturday, October 22, 2011.
Students are especially encouraged to present their geomorphology-related research, especially those whose research overlaps the biogeography and geomorphology disciplines. A reduced registration fee is offered to students, with the lowest fee offered to those presenting posters. Students presenting posters are also eligible for a limited number of travel stipends.
Abstract format: Please limit abstracts to under 350 words and use 12-point font with one-inch margins. The abstract should be formatted with the titled centered at top with initial capital lettering, followed by author(s), affiliation(s) (academic department and university), and an e-mail address for the corresponding author. The body of the abstract should be single-spaced. Include up to five keywords at the end of the abstract. A sample abstract is provided below.
Submission: Please submit abstracts after you register for the symposium. Digital submittals (preferred) using MS Word or Adobe pdf format should be sent Carol Sawyer. If you use surface mail, send your abstract to:
Dr. Carol Sawyer |
Earth Sciences |
University of South Alabama |
5871 USA Dr N. Room 136 |
Mobile, AL USA 36688-0002 |
Please include a digital version of the abstract on a CD. You will be receive an email confirming your submission; if you do not please contact the organizers.
Deadline: Poster abstracts are due by no later than Friday, September 30, 2011.
Poster dimensions: Posters should be no larger than 44 inches wide (1.12 meters) by 46 inches long (1.17 meters). Please note that this is a non-standard poster size.
Sample abstract:
Title: Gopher Esker Soil Temperature and Possible Impact on Conifer Establishment in
Subalpine Meadows
Author: Clayton J. Whitesides
Affiliation: Department of Geography, Texas State University-San Marcos
Email address: XXXX@txstate.edu
Abstract: Alpine treeline has long been used as a proxy for global change. Past treeline research
primarily attributed conifer invasion of subalpine meadows and alpine tundra to climate
variability. Despite the strong control of macro-scale climate on treeline location, many
micro-scale factors have been shown to influence treeline pattern and process. Microscale
sites disturbed by animal activity in mountains regions have experienced altered
soil characteristics that directly impacted vegetation. Animal disturbance in subalpine
meadows or alpine tundra may allow conifers to establish in areas that were previously
uninhabitable. Northern pocket gophers (Thomomys talpoides) in Glacier National Park
have created a network of mounds and eskers in subalpine meadows that may contain
dissimilar soil temperature characteristics than the surrounding matrix. Variations in
surface and subsurface temperature may facilitate seedling establishment on eskers as
opposed to undisturbed areas.
Gopher activity was evaluated in a conifer invaded subalpine meadow of Glacier
National Park. Soil temperature of gopher eskers was recorded at surface and
subsurface (depth of 10 cm) levels. The same sampling method was employed to obtain
soil temperature in undisturbed areas adjacent to eskers. A paired t-test was performed
to determine the difference of the average esker temperature compared to the average
temperature of undisturbed areas. The mean temperature difference was significantly
different from zero (two-tail p=0.0006) and suggested that soil temperature at sites
disturbed by gopher activity was higher than soil temperature at undisturbed locations. Elevated soil temperatures due to gopher activity may aid seedling establishment in cooler alpine and subalpine environments.
Keywords: alpine environments, pocket gophers, zoogeomorphology
