Coupled Biogeochemical Cycles

Catchments are fundamental landscape units for understanding water quality and managing water resources. Contemporary environmental problems are being approached more than ever by stakeholders on the geographic basis of catchments, where the underlying physical, biological, and chemical science is complex. This Gordon Research Conference focuses on catchment science, exploring the interactions among hydrology, biology and geochemistry that shape terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. An understanding of ecosystem processes is required in order to consider responses of catchments and water chemistry to climate warming, atmospheric deposition, land use shifts and other drivers of environmental change. Conference participants typically include scientists (e.g., hydrologists, ecologists, biogeochemists) from colleges, universities, and agencies around the world.

Gordon Research Conferences (GRCs) are unique among scientific meetings given the small size, cutting edge-science, and schedule allowing for informal interactions and unhampered discussions. A hallmark of GRCs is the free sharing of ideas and the presentation of new or unpublished work in the field; this is achieved largely due to GRCs off the record policy that prohibits photography or tape recording of sessions or the publication of any conference proceedings. Conference attendance is limited to 135 participants, so early applications are encouraged. Oral presentations are by invitation, and poster presentations are contributed. Partial funding is available to support participation by graduate students and scientists from less developed countries.