Iowa State University

"Plants and Climate Change"
ISU Plant Sciences Institute Mini-Conference
Friday, April 25, 1-5 p.m. (FREE!)
Sun Room, Memorial Union

Relationship of Plants and Climate Change is Subject of Upcoming ISU 
Conference

AMES, Iowa -- Whether you believe that human activity is the cause of global 
warming or not, one fact stands undisputed -- our climate is changing. As 
carbon dioxide levels in our atmosphere continue to rise, global 
temperatures are following suit. Changes in precipitation patterns and 
levels, emerging plant pests and altered soil tilth are just some of the new 
stresses today's agriculturalists are already facing.

To better understand the problems that come with climate change and to lay a 
foundation for developing solutions, Iowa State University's Plant Sciences 
Institute is convening a mini-conference "Plants and Climate Change."

"Iowa's farmers will not have to face these daunting problems alone because 
Plant Sciences Institute researchers are working to make Iowa State a leader 
in the areas of plants and climate change," says Stephen Howell, director of 
the Plant Sciences Institute.

The conference will provide information from a panel of experts to help 
Iowans plan ways to contribute effectively to climate change solutions.

The half-day conference will welcome experts from around the country and is 
set for 1-5 p.m., April 25 in the Sun Room, Memorial Union, Iowa State 
University, Ames. The event is free and open to the public.

The conference will be valuable for anyone with ties to agriculture. 
Farmers, agri-business people, students and anyone interested in plants 
should find something of value in the presentations, said Howell.

With experts visiting from California, Ohio, New York and Illinois, Howell 
stressed that this is a good chance to get different perspectives.

"We want to see what the rest of the world is doing about climate change," 
he said.

"How can we better understand the problem and contribute effectively to the 
solution? How can Iowa State become a leader in the areas of plants and 
climate change," said Howell. "These are some of the questions we hope to 
address."

Gene Takle, a professor in atmospheric science and agricultural meteorology 
at Iowa State, will begin the conference with his presentation "Climate 
Change: A Quick Overview." He will evaluate effects of changes in Midwest 
agroecosystems.

Stephen Long, professor of crop sciences and plant biology at the University 
of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, will discuss "Crop Responses to Climate 
Change." Long is the deputy director and lead investigator of the Energy 
Biosciences Institute, a joint effort with the University of California at 
Berkeley and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

A professor of plant cell biology at the University of California Riverside, 
Jian-Kang Zhu, will present "Plant Responses to Environmental Stresses." His 
laboratory conducts research on the molecular mechanisms that underlie plant 
responses to harsh environments such as soil salinity.

Rattan Lal, professor in the School of Natural Resources and director of the 
Carbon Management and Sequestration Center at Ohio State University, will 
talk about "Carbon Sequestration." Lal is editor-in-chief of the 
Encyclopedia of Soil Science and former president of Soil Science Society of 
America.

Francesco Tubiello will present "Adaptation of Agriculture, Global Food 
Supply and Security to Climate Change." Tubiello is a research scientist at 
the Center for Climate Systems Research at Columbia University in New York 
City where he researches the interactions between climate and agriculture 
and the implications for food supply, carbon and water.

The conference is sponsored by Iowa State's Plant Science Institute, Center 
for Carbon-Capturing Crops, Center for Metabolic Biology, Center for Plant 
Responses to Environmental Stresses, Institute for Food Safety and Security 
and Department of Genetics, Development and Cell Biology.

Contacts:
Stephen Howell, Plant Sciences Institute, (515) 294-5252, [log in to unmask]
Gene Takle, Geological and Atmospheric Sciences, (515) 294-9871, 
[log in to unmask]
Meg Gordon, Plant Sciences Institute, (515) 294-3945, [log in to unmask]
Dan Kuester, News Service, (515) 294-0704, [log in to unmask]

For more information, go to 
www.plantsciences.iastate.edu/plantsclimatechange. 

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