• We are very pleased to announce the 12^th European Heathland Workshop (12^th EHW) to be held in Spain and Portugal during 12^th-18^th June 2011. This Workshop is organised by the Heathland Ecology Group of the University of León (Spain) in collaboration with researchers from the University of Tras-Os Montes e Alto Douro in Portugal.
• The theme of this Workshop is “Southern European Heathlands – diverse landscapes under global change”. The Workshop will focus on the importance of conserving heathlands situated in their southern distribution limit that are characterised by high values of biodiversity, provide relevant ecosystem services (mainly provisioning and cultural) and are maintained by traditional human activities. The Workshop will bring heathland experts around Europe to share ideas and knowledge on management and conservation of these ecosystems in the new scenario of global change.
• The programme involves six intense days, combining site visits with scientific and technical discussions, which will be focused on the following topics:

• Heathland management and restoration: a key to maintain biodiversity

• Heathland Ecosystem Services

• The future for southern heathlands under global change

• Heathlands: Anthropogenic Landscapes

• Burning- effective heathland management tool?

• We hope that this conference will be a truly significant scientific event and a rewarding cultural experience for all of you. A warm welcome to all conference participants and visitors!

WELCOME TO SPAIN AND PORTUGAL!