15-16 April 2010, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford
- Introduction
- Programme - Podcasts of talks now available! (see below)
- Contact Information
- Current Conference
Introduction
Welcome to the first Oxford Interdisciplinary Desert Conference bringing together UK researchers interested in dryland people and environments. The goal is to stimulate debate and collaboration across academic departments, share knowledge and expand desert paradigms. With the theme of 'Integrating Research, Expanding Knowledge' we look forward to papers and discussion that bring together the different approaches and perspectives applied to desert research.
This meeting highlights the multiple disciplines that work in desert environments and presents original research combinations through including social and natural scientists working in shared topics or environments in different dimensions and timecales. We look forward to session presentations in fields from Archaeology and Geography through History, Development and Zoology. One section will feature desert perspectives beyond academia to present the NGO / business / government view that makes use of and funds academic study and can have major dryland impacts.
This event provides an excellent opportunity to visit Oxford, enjoy the vibrant surroundings and learn more about desert research. Your participation will contribute to the conference and promote desert research and knowledge throughout the UK. It is hosted at the School of Geography and the Environment and St Cross College at the University of Oxford � we look forward to welcoming you in April.
Programme
Thursday 15 April 2010
| Registration | 09:00-10:00 | |
| Welcome | 10:00-10:15 | Troy Sternberg |
| Introductory Address | 10:15-10:45 | The significance of deserts in shaping the evolutionary history of Homo sapiens Michael Petraglia Listen to podcast MP3: 30.1MB / 32:04 mins (Apologies - missing first few minutes of talk) |
| Tea break | 10:45-11:00 | |
| Session 1 | 11:00-11:15 | Interpreting geo-proxies of late Quaternary climate change in African drylands I. David Thomas |
| 11:15-11:30 | Interpreting geo-proxies of late Quaternary climate change in African drylands II. Sallie Burrough | |
| 11:30-11:45 | Groundwater age and renewability in NW China. Mike Edmunds | |
| 11:45-12:00 | Livelihood sustainability in drylands. Andy Dougill Listen to podcast MP3: 13.7MB / 14:38 mins | |
| 12:00-12:15 | Rejecting authenticity in the desert landscapes of the modern Middle East (Oman). Dawn Chatty Listen to podcast MP3: 14.5MB / 15:30 mins | |
| 12:15-12:30 | Questions | |
| Lunch break | 12:30-13:30 | |
| Session 2 | 13:30-13:45 | Dust in the Sahara. Richard Washington |
| 13:45-14:00 | Climate change and cultural transitions over the last 160,000 years in NW Africa. Angela Vaughan Listen to podcast MP3: 13.0MB / 13:50 mins | |
| 14:00-14:15 | SW Libya between development and conservation. Marina Gallinaro | |
| 14:15-14:30 | Human economic impacts on the Saharan interior: the case of the addax. Tim Wacher | |
| 14:30-14:45 | The Niger inland delta region: land-surface feedbacks and wetland inundation. Simon Dadson | |
| 14:45-15:00 | Questions | |
| Tea break | 15:00-15:30 | |
| Session 3 | 15:30�15:45 | Groundwater and irrigation in Balochistan, Pakistan. Daanish Mustafa Listen to podcast MP3: 13.9MB / 14:47 mins |
| 15:45-16:00 | Inferences on retrospective climate of Thar desert through luminescence dating of aeolian and lacustrine sequences. Ashok Singhvi Listen to podcast MP3: 17.8MB / 19:01 mins | |
| 16:00-16:15 | Living off uncertainty (pastoralism). Saverio Kratli | |
| 16:15-16:30 | The role of NGOs in the Drylands Development Paradigm. Mike Mortimore Listen to podcast MP3: 18.6MB / 19:55 mins | |
| 16:30-16:45 | Questions | |
| Keynote address | 17:00�17:45 | From Dick to the Desert: a short (and incomplete) history of Oxford geography's contributions to desert science. David Thomas Listen to podcast MP3: 32.4MB / 34:34 mins |
| Reception | 17:45-19:15 | |
| Dinner | 19:15-late | St Cross College, St Giles, Oxford |
Friday 16 April 2010
| Session 1 | 09:30-09:45 | Hominid dispersals and the Middle Palaeolithic of Arabia. Huw Groucutt Listen to podcast MP3: 17.2MB / 18:18 mins |
| 09:45-10:00 | The role of the desert in forming the ancient Egyptian civilisation. Mohamed Abouelata Listen to podcast MP3: 15.3MB / 16:15 mins | |
| 10:00-10:15 | Water infrastructure and innovative techniques in arid climates. (Presented by Lisa Mol). Aziza Chaouni | |
| 10:15-10:30 | Landscape learning as a measure of social interaction in a semi-arid environment. Linda Hulin | |
| 10:30-10:45 | "The cake will be shared by all" in the urban desert: the Black Panthers of Israel, 1971-1975. Anne-Marie Angelo | |
| 10:45-11:00 | Questions | |
| Tea | 11:00-11:30 | |
| Session 2 | 11:30-11:45 | Environmental change in oasis systems. Caroline King |
| 11:45-12:00 | Wet rocks, big trouble? Using novel techniques to assess rock art deterioration. Lisa Mol Listen to podcast MP3: 13.2MB / 14:04 mins | |
| 12:00-12:15 | A new estimate about the evaporation in the deserts of northwestern China. Xiaoping Yang Listen to podcast MP3: 19.4MB / 20:41 mins | |
| 12:15-12:30 | Gateway of India: the implications of palaeoenvironmental change in the Thar desert, NW India, for the dispersal of Homo Sapiens. James Blinkhorn Listen to podcast MP3: 15.8MB / 16:51 mins | |
| 12:30-12:45 | Water landscapes in central Sahara. Savino di Lernia Listen to podcast MP3: 15.6MB / 16:41 mins | |
| 12:45-13:00 | Questions | |
| Lunch break | 13:00-14:00 | |
| Session 3 | 14:00-14:15 | Aeolian research. Marcelo Zarate Listen to podcast MP3: 15.8MB / 16:48 mins |
| 14:15-14:30 | Modelling the emission and transport of Saharan dust. Jamie Banks Listen to podcast MP3: 12.0MB / 12:44 mins | |
| 14:30-14:45 | Casting new light on Late Quaternary environmental and palaeohydrological change in the Namib desert: a review of the application of optically stimulated luminescence. Abi Stone Listen to podcast MP3: 11.8MB / 12:30 mins | |
| 14:45-15:00 | Minimum carbon payment along an aridity gradient for dryland forestation. Henri Rueff Listen to podcast MP3: 15.3MB / 16:19 mins | |
| 15:00-15:15 | Soil moisture and feedback cycles; southern Africa as a carbon sink. Andrew Thomas Listen to podcast MP3: 16.7MB / 17:49 mins | |
| 15:15-15:30 | Questions | |
| Closing | 15:15-15:30 | Troy Sternberg |
Read more about the conference on Dr Abi Stone's blog: Day one of deserts...
Contact Information
The School of Geography and the Environment is located in the University Science Area, South Parks Road, Oxford. For directions, please see the School's contact information.
For further queries please contact the Conference Team:
Dr Troy Sternberg or Lisa Mol
Oxford Interdisciplinary Desert Conference
School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford
South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QY, UK
Tel: +44 (0)1865 285070
Email: deserts@ouce.ox.ac.uk