Author: ksenija

The 3rd Congress of Ecologists of Macedonia with International Participation took place in Struga, in the period 6–9 October 2007. The Congress, at the same time, marked the 80th birthday and 60th anniversary of active scientific work of Prof. Ljupcho Grupche, PhD.

Congress participants were given three plenary lectures, whereas more than 180 of them presented their scientific research work. Out of these, a total of 80 papers were printed in the Proceedings of the 3rd Congress of Ecologists of Macedonia with International Participation.

The large number of papers presented points both to the deep interest of the scientific community in Macedonia and the region as regards ecological research, but also to the lack of other scientific gatherings in the country from related scientific disciplines.

According to the number of presented papers, session attendance and discussion length, the greatest interest in Macedonia and the region alike, was shown for research activities in biodiversity and conservation ecology, environmental protection and pollution, ecosystem ecology, population and community ecology, etc. In that respect, one may conclude that there is big interest to address issues pertaining to environmental protection and biological diversity, and this is likely owing to the applicability of such research. Another point worth making is that this Congress was also attended by scientific workers in the field of urban ecology and landscape ecology – a novelty to the previous congresses. These two applicative disciplines in environmental management seem to be on the rise in the country.

The 2nd Congress of Ecologists of Macedonia with International Participation was held in Ohrid in the period 25–29 October 2003.

Participants presented results and scientific achievements within nine ecological sections, as follows:

1. Terrestrial ecosystems;
2. Aquatic ecosystems;
3. Conservation of biodiversity and geodiversity;
4. Agroecology;
5. Ecology of populations and biocenology;
6. Ecological monitoring;
7. Pollution and protection of the environment;
8. Ecological education; and
9. Public participation and NGOs.

The presented papers (a total of 101 papers) and plenary lectures were printed in the Proceedings of the 2nd Congress of Ecologists of Macedonia with International Participation, organised into six summary sections:

1. Terrestrial ecosystems: ecology, ecophysiology and biocenology;
2. Aquatic ecosystems and hydrobiology;
3. Biodiversity: research and protection, geodiversity;
4. Agroecology;
5. Environmental protection and monitoring; and
6. Ecological education.

Scientists both from Macedonia and the neighbouring countries, like Serbia and Montenegro, Bulgaria, Slovenia, and Romania, showed interest and took part. Papers presented during the Congress hint to the obvious attention and interest of scientists in studying terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, especially in the field of biodiversity and geodiversity conservation.

Despite the efforts made by MES to encourage and inspire ecological NGOs from Macedonia and the region to partake in such congress, no application and participation took place for the section relevant to their work NGOs and the involvement of the public.

Ohrid, 20-24 September 1998, hosted the 1st Congress of Ecologists of Macedonia with International Participation. Plenary lectures were published and printed in the Book of Plenary Lectures. According to the topic and the field of research, participants through their papers presented their findings and scientific achievements within 10 ecological working sections, as follows:

1. Terrestrial ecosystems;
2. Aquatic ecosystems;
3. Biodiversity, its protection, promotion and sustainable use;
4. Agroecology;
5. Ecological monitoring;
6. Pollution of the environment and ecotoxicology;
7. Urban ecology;
8. Systems and measures for environmental protection;
9. Ecology and society: the role of institutions and NGOs in the system;
10. Ecological education and training.

The congress was attended by over 200 participants from Yugoslavia, Croatia, Bulgaria and Macedonia. A total of 177 papers were presented, out of which only 97 complete papers were published and printed in the two-volume Proceedings of the 1st Congress of Ecologists of Macedonia with International Participation.

Presented findings and interest shown by participants indicate that intense ecological research at ecosystem level had been conducted in the preceding period in Macedonia and the region, with growing interest in the causes of environmental pollution..