ISSN 1022-9205

BIOMETEOROLOGY BULLETIN

International Society of Biometeorology

www.biometeorology.org

Volume 18, Number 2, 2016

President Mark D. Schwartz <mds@uwm.edu>

President Elect Pablo Fernández de Arróyabe Hernáez <pablo.fdezarroyabe@unican.es> Past President Glenn McGregor <glenn.mcgregor@durham.ac.uk>

Vice-Presidents Elena Grigorieva <eagrigor@yandex.ru> Marie R. Keatley <mrk@unimelb.edu.au> Editor-in-Chief Scott Sheridan <ssherid1@kent.edu> Secretary Jonathan M. Hanes <jmhanes@uwm.edu> Treasurer John Gaughan <j.gaughan@uq.edu.au>

Councilor (Africa)

Hesham H. Khalifa <khalifahhk@usa.net>

Councilor (Asia)

Junhu Dai <daijh@igsnrr.ac.cn>

Councilor (Europe)

Simon N. Gosling

<simon.gosling@nottingham.ac.uk>

Councilor (Latin America and the Caribbean)

Luis Bartolomé Lecha Estela

<luis.lecha@gmail.com>.

Councilor (Northern America)

Robert E. Davis <red3u@virginia.edu>

Councilor (Oceania)

Lynda Chambers <phenologist@gmail.com >

Observer to the Board

Wop J. Rietveld <w.j.rietveld@gmail.com>

CONTENTS

1 – Happy 60th Birthday ISB

2 – Commissions and Study Groups

3 – 21th International Congress of Biometeorology

4 – Tromp Fund Report

5 – Conferences and Courses

6 – Members’ Publications

7 – Calling all reviewers

7 – Contributors

BIOMETEOROLOGY BULLETIN 2

Volume 18, Number 2, August 2016 International Society of Biometeorology

The first meeting of the Society was held in

Paris at the UNESCO headquarters from the

29th to 31st August 1956. So Happy Birthday

to the Society.

Phenology

Chair: Prof. Mark D. Schwartz, University

of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, USA,

Email: mds@uwm.edu

Vice-Chairs:

Dr. Xiaoqiu Chen, Peking University,

Beijing, China, Email: cxq@pku.edu.cn

Dr. Elisabeth Koch, ZAMG, Wien, Austria,

Email: elisabeth.koch@zamg.ac.at

Climate, Tourism, and Recreation

Chair:

Prof. Dr. Chris de Freitas, The University

of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand,

Email: c.defreitas@auckland.ac.nz

Animal Biometeorology

Chair: Dr. Nicola Lacetera, Tuscia

University, Viterbo, Italy,

Email: nicgio@unitus.it

Deputy Chair: Dr. Silvia Valtorta,

National Agricultural Technology

Institute, Castelar, Argentina

Email: silvia_valtorta@yahoo.com.ar

Climate and Human Health

Co-Chairs:

Dr. Pablo Fernandez de Arroyabe,

University of Cantabria, Santander,

Spain,

Email: pablo.fdezarroyabe@unican.es

Dr. Adam J. Kalkstein, United States

Military Academy, West Point, USA,

Email: Adam.Kalkstein@usma.edu

BioPhysics of Adaptation and Response

Co-Chairs:

Prof. David Quesada, St. Thomas

University, Miami Gardens, USA,

Email: dquesada@stu.edu

Dr. Dr. Sheila Tavares Nascimiento, State

University of Maringá, Maringá, Brazil,

Email: sheila_tn@terra.com.br

Students and New Professionals

Chair: Dr. Jenni Vanos, Texas Tech

University, Lubbock, USA,

Email: jennifer.vanos@ttu.edu

ICB2017 Congress Theme: Weather and

Climate Information for Risk Management

http://community.dur.ac.uk/icb.2017/

Atmospheric processes exert a strong

influence on a range of human activities,

ecosystem services and hence human

development. Accordingly, there is now a

demand from a variety of sectors for weather

and climate information. In many ways this

has led to the emergence of climate risk

management (CRM) as a distinct field of pure

and applied research. A clear manifestation

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Volume 18, Number 2, August 2016 International Society of Biometeorology

of the global recognition of the potential

significance of climate information for risk

management is the establishment of the

World Meteorological Organization’s Global

Framework for Climate Services (GFCS).

Theoretically through developing and

incorporating science-based weather and

climate information and prediction into

planning, policy and practice, better

management of the risks and opportunities

arising from climate variability and change

will be enabled. However the question

remains “what type of weather and climate

information and for whom”. Given this, the

purpose of ICB2017 will be to reflect upon

the efficacy of knowledge production in

biometeorology and cognate disciplines in

relation to information provision for

managing weather and climate related risks.

It is expected that such a theme will attract

papers from a wide range of science, social

science, medical and health disciplines that

are likely to touch upon improved methods

for describing the nature (probability,

magnitude, location) of climate events,

weather and climate impacts on society,

developments in the assessment of exposure

and vulnerability to climate extremes, how

climate anomalies may propagate through

socio-ecological systems, the evaluation of

risk management decision support tools,

barriers to the uptake of weather and climate

information and current scientific limitations

related to the production of the requisite

weather and climate information for climate

risk management.

The Venue

ICB2017 will be held at Durham University,

located in the City of Durham in the North

East of England.

Durham is a small and compact city.

Everything is within easy walking distance – it

is essentially a university town with a

population of 47,000 with the University

accounting for a third of that total. The

average daily maximum temperature in June -

September is 18.5°C.

DU has excellent facilities including a world

class library, wireless internet across the

campus and state of the art meeting and

lecture rooms.

The following links will take you to

Information about Durham University

https://www.dur.ac.uk/ and the City of

Durham http://www.thisisdurham.com/

Transport Links to Durham

Durham is located in the heart of the North

East of England, 264 miles north of London. It

has excellent accessibility from across the UK,

Europe and beyond. Durham is 30 minutes

from Newcastle International Airport, which

offers connections to London Heathrow and

Gatwick airports and a range of European and

other destinations. 60 InterCity trains from

most major centres in the country call at

Durham daily including 14 trains from London

and Edinburgh.

Congress Programme

The Congress will run between September 3

and 6, 2017 with optional tours to places of

interest in the “North East” planned for

September 7, 2017.

September 3: Registration from 1600hrs and

Icebreaker event at Durham Castle 1800 –

2000hrs

September 4 - 6: Paper sessions 0830 –

1800hrs.

September 4 (evening): Congress Dinner at

Grey College (optional extra)

September 7: Optional tours to places of

interest in the North East, for example

Lindisfarne (Holy Island:

http://www.english-

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Volume 18, Number 2, August 2016 International Society of Biometeorology

heritage.org.uk/visit/places/lindisfarn

e-priory/

Hadrian’s Wall: http://www.english-

heritage.org.uk/visit/places/hadrians-

wall/?gclid=CPHrgYG3kc4CFYUp0wod

SQULqw&gclsrc=aw.ds

Beamish Museum:

http://www.beamish.org.uk/

Important Dates

Paper and Poster Abstract Submission

September 1 to October 31, 2016: Call for

Symposia and Special Sessions

November 1 to November 30, 2016:

Assessment of calls for Symposia and Special

Sessions

December 1, 2016 to February 28, 2017: Call

for abstracts for papers and posters for

Symposia, Special Sessions and General

Sessions.

February 28, 2017: Absrtact deadline for

papers and posters

March 1, 2017 to April 30, 2017: Assessment

of paper and post abstract submissions

May 1, 2017: Notification of acceptance or

non-acceptance of papers and posters.

Registration

February 1, 2017: Publication of Schedule of

Registration Fees

February 1 to July 31, 2017: Early Registration

August 1 to August 31, 2017: Registration

September 3 to September 6: Late

Registration

Accommodation

An accommodation booking system will open

in conjunction with the launch of the ICB2017

online registration system

Bed and Breakfast accommodation will be

offered in a number of Durham University’s

Colleges namely Collingwood College,

University College (Durham Castle) and

Hatfield College. University accommodation

rates on a bed and breakfast basis will range

between approximately £32 and £45 per

night for standard non-en-suite and en-suite

rooms respectively in Collingwood College

and up to £65 per night for an en-suite room

in Hatfield or University College. Links to the

websites for the various Colleges can be

found here

Collingwood College:

https://www.dur.ac.uk/collingwood/

Hatfield College:

https://www.dur.ac.uk/hatfield.college/

University College:

https://www.dur.ac.uk/university.college/

A limited number of rooms have been reserved at the nearby Marriot Hotel (https://www.marriott.co.uk/hotels/travel/xvudm-durham-marriott-hotel-royal-county/) for those wishing to not stay in University accommodation. These rooms will also be booked through the online accommodation booking system as part of the ICB2017 registration system.

“Workshop on Global Change impact on

diseases and alien species expansion”

The ISB supported through its Climate and

Health Commission the organization of the

International “Workshop on Global Change

impact on diseases and alien species

expansion” developed in the African Institute

for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) in

Muzemberg, Cape Town, South Africa, in May

2-6 2016.

The international workshop was coordinated

by Dr. Christiane Rousseau from the

University of Montreal in Canada, and by

Jacek Banasiak from the University of

Pretoria. The proposal was related to ICSU

strategic priorities in Future Earth and Urban

Health and Wellbeing and related projects by

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Volume 18, Number 2, August 2016 International Society of Biometeorology

focusing on how the spreading of infectious

diseases and invasive species are influenced

in the context of global environment change,

and how society must prepare and/or fight

against new diseases or invasive species, with

Special emphasis on African diseases and

invasive species, as well as the characteristics

of changing environment in Africa.

The supporting partner were: International

Mathematical Union (IMU); International

Union of Biological Sciences (IUBS);

International Union of Immunological

Societies (IUIS); International Union of

Microbiological Societies (IUMS);

International Social Science Council (ISSC):

International Council of Industrial and

Applied Mathematics (ICIAM); ICSU Regional

Office for Africa (ICSU ROA); ecoHEALTH from

Future Earth; International Society for

Biometeorology (ISB); African Institute for

Mathematical Sciences (AIMS); South African

Mathematical Society (SAMS); DST-NRF

Centre of Excellence for Invasion Biology

(CIB); Mathematics of Planet Earth (MPE).

The assistance to the workshop of 40

delegates from different developing

countries, mainly from African countries, was

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Volume 18, Number 2, August 2016 International Society of Biometeorology

supported by the different partner presented

above and by the International Council for

Science Union (ICSU).

There were more than 15 African Institute for

Mathematical Science (AIMS) who joined the

different lectures too. There were speakers

and representatives from the different

societies and institutions that supported the

event.

International Society of Biometeorology (ISB)

played an important role as part on the

proposal and in the organization and in the

scientific committee of the event.

The scientific content of the lectures and

workshops was very diverse. Lectures from

Dr. Abba Gumel (Arizona State University)

and Andrea Pugliese (Università di Trento)

were mainly focused on Epidemiological

Modelling with an “Introduction to

Epidemiological Modeling:” with different

courses on:

- Kermack-McKendrick SIR/SEIR/SEIRS

epidemic and endemic models

- Mathematical and Statistical

Software (software for solving ODE

system; Data Fitting techniques and

least squares)

- Modeling Vector-borne Diseases

(VBDs): basic model for dynamics of

aquatic/immature mosquitoes; basic

model for the epidemiology of a VBD

- Modeling Macroparasitic Diseases,

particularly Schistosomiasis

- Modeling Effect of Climate Change on

the Epidemiology of VBDs (group

projects)

A second group of lectures related to

“Invasion science for society: Challenges and

opportunities” was started by David M.

Richardson, Centre for Invasion Biology,

Department of Botany & Zoology,

Stellenbosch University. Two more lectures

on this topic were given by Dr. Sabrina

Kumschick and Dr. John Measey on:

- Towards a global classification system

of alien taxa according to their

impacts

- Counting chirps: acoustic monitoring

of cryptic frogs

A third group of mini courses was organised

by Prof. Jacek Banasiak, University of Pretoria

on “Basic Mathematical Models in

Epidemiology and Species Invasion”

- Principles of mathematical modelling

- Common epidemiological models

- Invasion modelling

The fourth group of mini courses was

proposed by Mark Lewis (University of

Alberta) on “Structured dynamical models

for biological invasions” and included

lectures on

- Stage structured models including

matrix models, eigenvalues, elasticity,

net reproductive rate, etc., with

examples taken from invasive species

- Spatially structured models involving

integro-difference equations with

long distance dispersal and the

analysis of spreading speeds

- Study of models in the computer lab

The next two groups of lectures were focused

on the topics “Analysis of Infectious Diseases

Risk Using Weather, Climate, and Climate

Change Data” by Cory Morin (NASA Marshall

Space Flight Center) and “Global Change

impacts on diseases and Biometeorology” by

Prof. Pablo Fernandez de Arroyabe

(International Society of Biometeorology)

- Weather/Climate Sensitive Infectious

Diseases

- Availability and Use of Weather,

Climate, and Climate Change Data

- Group Exercise with An Introduction

to Systems Modeling

- Use of GIS and Mobiles App in order

to develop health-relate customized

early warning systems

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Volume 18, Number 2, August 2016 International Society of Biometeorology

- Influenza spreading with weather

variability

The rest of lectures and mini courses were

related to “Invasive species and climate

change”. Prof. Yury Dgebuadze (International

Union of Biological Sciences and Russian

Academy of Science) was leading this group

of presentations

- Global changes and biological

invasion of alien species

- The effects of global climate change

on Vector-Borne Diseases: putting

the V back into VBD by John Hargrove

(SACEMA),

- Rotational stocking in savanna

rangelands by Henri Laurie

(University of Cape Town)

A specific lecture was offered by National

ecosystem assessments using the IPBES

process and approaches by Dr. Min Jet Loo,

from the United Nations Environment

Programme-International Ecosystem

Management Partnership. At the end of the

workshop a Wrapping-up Round Table was

chaired by Kesh Govinder (University of

Kwazulu-Natal) to all the participants in the

event and a list of conclusion was written by

all the participants

The contents of the presentations and videos

can be found at this link

https://www.aims.ac.za/en/research-

centre/workshops-conferences/past

Submitted by Dr. Pablo Fdez-Arroyabe

Workshop “Enhancing the Teaching and

Learning of Biometeorology in Higher

Education“: The Students and New Professionals Group of

the International Society of Biometeorology

hosted a workshop funded by the ISB and the

Tromp Foundation. The workshop, entitled

“Enhancing the Teaching and Learning of

Biometeorology in Higher Education“, was

organized by Jennifer Vanos, Michael Allen,

and Jeremy Spencer of the Students and New

Professionals Group of ISB and was held on

July 28th–Aug 1st, 2016 in Norfolk Virginia,

hosted by Old Dominion University. ISB SNP

participants were funded to attend the

workshop and represented 7 different

countries.

2017 American Meteorological Society Meeting Seattle, WA, January 22–26, 2017

Themed Joint Session & Core Science Keynote El Niño and Health Featuring Glenn McGregor (University of Durham) and Jean-Paul Chretien (US Navy)

Speakers in this session will improve understanding of the ways in which health outcomes respond to the full El Niño Southern Oscillation cycle.

Session Co-Chairs: Jennifer Vanos: jennifer.vanos@ttu.edu,

Kristie Ebi: krisebi@uw.edu

Joint Sessions Hosted by 8HEALTH:

• NASA Earth Observations and Climate Change.

Chair: Sue Estes (NASA).

• Climate change, extreme weather, and infectious disease transmission: Emerging links and opportunities for adaptation and research.

Chairs: Jean-Paul Chretien, Mary Hayden.

• Staying Alive: Integrated Modeling of Health System and Urban infrastructure Responses to Extreme Weather Events.

Chair: John Balbus.

• Climate Services and Integration of Data – Enhancing National Climate Services (ENACTS)

Chair: Madeleine Thomson

BIOMETEOROLOGY BULLETIN 8

Volume 18, Number 2, August 2016 International Society of Biometeorology

• Extreme Heat I: Understanding the Social, Physiological, and Climatological Mechanisms Driving Health Outcomes in Extreme Heat.

Chairs: Jennifer Vanos & Hunter Jones

• Extreme Heat II: The National Integrated Heat Health Information System (NIHHIS): Domestic and International Partnerships for Building Resilience to Extreme Heat.

Chairs: Juli Trtanj & Kim Knowlto

A One Health Perspective:

• Applying a Systems-level Approach to the Phytobiome: Can We Create a Better Future?

Chairs: Andrew Jones & Kelly Eversole

Featured Session by the Center for Disease Control:

• Climate Change & Associated Diverse Health Impacts: Highlights of Ongoing Research at CDC

Chair: Shubhayu Saha

We also welcome any and all submissions dealing with Environment and Health (see Statement of the American Meteorological Society).

Student Travel Awards & Presentation

Awards Available

(contact: auw882@mail.harvard.edu)

Session Co-Chairs:

Jennifer Vanos: jennifer.vanos@ttu.edu

Kristie Ebi: krisebi@uw.edu

Abstract submission and list of planned

session

here: https://ams.confex.com/ams/97Annual

/oasys.epl

Agrometeorologists for farmers in hotter,

drier, wetter future

This workshop will be held in Ljubljana,

Slovenia and hosted by ARSO 9-10 November

2016.

The workshop is organized by Slovenian

Environment Agency, Meteorological Office

through the budget of the foundation

promoting biometeorology and is primarily

addressed to agrometeorologists of Central

and Southern European countries, where

agrometeorology bears a significant role in

providing guidance for farming and

agriculture.

The purpose of this workshop is to:

1) Enhance networking among

agrometeorologists

2) Share examples of good practice in

providing agrometeorological services

3) Define gaps in knowledge and existing

practices

4) Collect recommendations for future

research, development and networking

More detailed information is regularly

updated on the Eumetcal web site

(http://eumetcal.eu/event/agrometeorologis

ts-for-farmers-in-hotter-drier-wetter-

future/), nevertheless we invite interested

people to get in touch already at this early

stage, because the number of participants is

limited to 40.

Contact at the Slovenian Environment

Agency: Tanja Cegnar, e-mail:

tanja.cegnar@gov.si

Eumetcal management team:

info@eumetcal.eu

BIOMETEOROLOGY BULLETIN 9

Volume 18, Number 2, August 2016 International Society of Biometeorology

11th International Congress on Aerobiology 3 - 7 September 2018, Parma, Italy

ADVANCES IN AEROBIOLOGY FOR THE PRESERVATION OF HUMAN AND ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH: A MULTIDISCIPLINARY APPROACH

The Congress is promoted by the IAA (International Association for Aerobiology) and AIA (Italian Association of Aerobiology). MV Congress is in charge of the Organising Secretariat.

The Congress will take place in Parma from 3rd to 7th September 2018.

For Italian aerobiologists it is a major achievement and a welcome return (after Perugia 1998). Italy has, in fact, a long tradition of Aerobiology.

The challenge of ICA2018 will be to ensure a

multidisciplinary approach to improve

recognition of aerobiology in society and

amongst public authorities and politicians to

spread and to support information on

regional, national and international levels of

aerobiological monitoring networks. It will be

important to consider that pollen, fungal

spores and allergens can be biological

pollutants and all knowledge about this as a

fundamental aspect of the assessment of

every aspect of air quality. It is very

important a close collaboration between

aerobiologists and clinicians with botanists,

hygienists, environmentalists, nurserymen,

urban designers, public authorities,

associations of patients to collaborate in

order to broaden our horizon to improve the

health and life quality of patient with allergic

respiratory diseases reducing direct and

indirect sanitary costs. Advances in

aerobiology researches have not only led to

improvements in aerobiology, but have also

had important impact in other fields, such as

agriculture, environmental hygiene, forensics,

global changes, management of indoor air

quality, phytopathology, preservation of

cultural heritage, urban planning etc.

The themes of the Congress will explore the following main topics:

Agricultural applications

Allergens

Organic

Organisms

Cultural heritage

Environmental Forensics

Fundamental mechanisms

General aerobiology

Health impact Indoor

Monitoring, Networks

Palynology

Ragweed and news invasive allergenic plants

STAY TUNED: www.ica2018.eu

Phenology 2018 Conference: One Planet,

Two Hemispheres, Many Regions is planned

for Melbourne, Australia in September 2018,

under the leadership of the ISB Phenology

Commission.

Further information is available from

http://www.biometeorology.org/phenology/

Phenology_2018_Melbourne_Australia.pdf

BIOMETEOROLOGY BULLETIN 10

Volume 18, Number 2, August 2016 International Society of Biometeorology

This is a new addition to the Bulletin that we

are trialling. Publications listed here will be

peer reviewed only those published since the

previous Bulletin.

Beggs PJ (forthcoming November) Impacts of Climate Change on Allergens and Allergic Diseases. Cambridge University Press.

de Freitas CR and Grigorieva EA (2016) A

comparison and appraisal of a comprehensive

range of human thermal climate indices.

International Journal of Biometeorology, DOI

10.1007/s00484-016-1228-6

Dixon PG, Allen M, Gosling SN, Hondula DM,

Ingole V, Lucas R, and Vanos J (2016)

Perspectives on the Synoptic Climate

Classification and its Role in Interdisciplinary

Research. Geography Compass, 10: 147–164.

doi: 10.1111/gec3.12264

Urban A, Burkart K, Kyselý J, Schuster C,

Plavcová E, Hanzlíková, H, Štěpánek P, Lakes

T (2016) Spatial Patterns of Heat-Related

Cardiovascular Mortality in the Czech

Republic. International Journal of

Environmental Research and Public Health,

13, 284: http://www.mdpi.com/1660-

4601/13/3/284

To date no members have taken up this

offer.

The Society in conjunction with Springer is

offering members the opportunity to review

the new books in the broad area of

Biometeorology and have their review of 500

– 800 words published in the Bulletin. Once

the review is published a print version will be

supplied to the reviewer. A Springer Account

is needed to access an Online Book Review

Copy.

Could anyone who is interested please

contact Marie Keatley

mrk@unimelb.edu.au or

Elena Grigorieva eagrigor@yandex.ru

first with the title they are interested in.

This is so we can liaise with Springer.

Many thanks to everyone who forwarded

information to be included in the Bulletin.

Tanja Cegnar, Slovenian Environment Agency, Ljubljana, Slovenia

Pablo Fernández de Arróyabe Hernáez, Depto. de Geografía, ETSI Caminos, Universidae de Cantabria, Spain

Glenn McGregor, Department of Geography, Durham University,UK

Matt Smith, IAANewsletter editor, email: iaanewslettereditor@gmail.com

Mark Schwartz, Department of Geography, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Milwaukee, WI, USA

Jennifer Vanos, Texas Tech University,

Lubbock, USA

Dear ISB members,

We are preparing for the next issue of the ISB

Bulletin. Please provide us with any

information you may have on upcoming

conferences, workshops or other relevant

ISB-related events or activities.

Editors,

Elena Grigorieva eagrigor@yandex.ru and Marie R. Keatley mrk@unimelb.edu.au

BIOMETEOROLOGY BULLETIN 11

ISSN 1022-9205