Neural Networks Workshop

[Sovan LEK]

INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP ON APPLICATIONS OF ARTIFICIAL NEURAL NETWORKS TO
ECOLOGICAL MODELLING (2nd circular)

14-17 December 1998, Toulouse (FRANCE)


Local Organizing Committee:
Dr. Sovan Lek, CESAC, UMR 5576 du CNRS, UPS, Bât IVR3, 118 route de
Narbonne, F-31062 Toulouse cedex 4, France
Phone: 33-5 61 55 86 87           Fax: 33-5 61 55 60 96
E-mail: lek at cict.fr

Dr. Jean-François Guégan, ORSTOM, Département Biologie, Ecologie &
Evolution, Laboratoire d'Hydrobiologie marine et Continentale, Université de
Montpellier II (USTL), C.C. 093, place E. Bataillon, 34095 Montpellier cedex
05, France.
Phone: 33 4 67 14 37 51          Fax : 33 4 67 14 46 46
E-mail : guegan at crit.univ-montp2.fr


BACKGROUND
You are cordially invited to attend the first "International Workshop on the
Application of Artificial Neural Networks to Ecological Modelling" to be
held at the Centre d'Ecologie des Systèmes Aquatiques Continentaux in
Toulouse (France). Toulouse is France's fourth largest city (650,350 people
with suburbs), and is the European Space capital. It is situated on the
Garonne river in very lush surroundings. The Toulouse of today is a lively
university town (with more than 100,000 students) and has a rich medieval
history. 

OBJECTIVES:
Predictive modelling is a major concern in theoretical ecology, evolution
and environmental sciences. Relationships between variables in natural
systems are frequently non-linear, and thus conventional modelling tools
could appear to be inappropriate to capture the complexity of such systems.
This International Workshop will bring together theoretical and applied
biological research, practitioners, and developers, as well as domain
scientists from multiple ecological disciplines, for the presentation and
exchange of current research and on concepts, tools and techniques for
scientific and non linear statistical application in ecology, evolution and
environmental sciences.
The objectives are:
Ø To promote collaboration among scientists of different interested
countries and research fields encouraging both teaching and research
collaboration.
Ø To consider recent advances in Artificial Neural Networks to modelling
data (identification, control, prediction, classification problems,...).

INVITED SPEAKERS:
Dr. S.E. Jorgensen (DK): Ecological Modelling: State of the Art.
Pr. R. Tomassone (Fr): Dynamic systems and experimental planning: from data
to modelling
Dr. P. Bourret (Fr): Non -supervised classification: from observations to
assumption.
Dr. A. Teriokhin (Russia): On Neural Networks capable to realize
evolutionarily optimal animal strategies of growth and reproduction in a
seasonal environment.
Pr. P. Auger (Fr): Non-linear Modelling in Ecology: from Individuals to
Populations.
Dr. F. Recknagel (Australia): Elucidation and Prediction of Aquatic
Ecosystems by Artificial Neural Networks

THEMES (you need to report your choice in the reply form, section
Publication, which sub-theme?):
o Pattern Recognition
o Pattern Classification
o Clustering and Classification
o Diagnosis and Monitoring
o Prediction and Control
o Signal Processing
o Temporal and Spatial Sequences

PUBLICATION
Final Instructions for Submission of Abstracts:
o Abstract deadline: Abstracts must be submitted in English style, and
received by the organisers before 1 April 1998. All abstracts will be
refereed before final acceptance.
o Please give complete name of your institution, followed by town and country.
o The text of your abstract must be informative and contain:
1) a statement of the study's specific aims; 2) a statement of the method
used; 3) a summary of results obtained; 4) a statement of conclusion. Avoid
non-informative sentences.
o Format: Abstracts must not exceed one page (format A4) and be sent
directly by electronic mail to Drs. Lek or Guégan. If your abstract is too
long it will be shortened by the organisers.

The publication of the oral contributions is being considered. Please
indicate if you are interested in submitting your paper for consideration in
a special volume.
Original papers will be published on merit in a special volume of the
Springer Verlag Environmental Science Series. Other papers will form a
special issue of Ecological Modelling. Both Editing Houses have been
contacted and have accepted to co-edit these two special volumes. All
contributions will be reviewed by at least two referees before acceptance
for publication. 

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES OF PAPER(S)
All contributions must be submitted by September 30th of 1998 to the
Organizing Committee. Research papers should be up to 8,000 words long. All
papers for publication should be sent by electronic mail (Ms-Word) or by
post (4 hard-copies are needed) to Dr. Sovan Lek. All papers will be
acknowledged of receipt. A notification of acceptance, modification or
refusal will be sent by November 15th of 1998 to delegates having submitted
a contribution with details given on which publication (hard volume of
Springer Verlag or special issue of Ecological Modelling) the paper will be
proposed.

GENERAL INFORMATION:
Languages: French and English will be the two official languages during the
Conference, but abstracts, posters, and published papers will be exclusively
written in English style.

Venue: The Conference venue will be the Conference Centre of Toulouse
University. This venue is ideal for a medium conference (about 150 people),
with excellent, modern facilities which will allow for productive exchanges
of ideas.

Dates: Monday 14 December 1998 to Thursday 17 December 1998.

Travel: Destination is Toulouse. Delegates must make their own travel
arrangements to at least this destination.