While plants and animals are rather well known and documented in tropical Africa, fungi are still far from being adequately investigated. Ectomycorrhizal (EcM) fungi, in particular, play a crucial role for the vitality and regeneration of tropical African woodlands in addition to their socio-economic importance for local inhabitants either as food, drugs or source of cash incomes. Their ecological significance is largely unknown and taxonomic confusions lead to fatal deaths, mainly because of the lack of expert taxonomists able to make reliable taxonomic identifications. In order to accelerate the documentation of biodiversity of tropical African fungi along with their utility, a capacity building program is offered since 2015 with the ultimate goal to secure a next generation of young mycologists for tropical Africa. The summer school 2017 will focus on the taxonomy, ecology and anatomo-morphological documentation of ectomycorrhizal fungi.

WHO CAN APPLY?

For the summer school 2017, we will select German and West African students and junior scientists in the fields of mycology, botany, forest ecology, and agronomy. We will give priority to PhD students who envisage mycological research and teaching at their home institution in future. A total of 16 students will be selected for the 2017 summer school. Successful candidates will obtain full support including return flight tickets and accommodation.

HOW TO APPLY ?

Send a motivation letter plus one page CV to:

Dr. Nourou S. YOROU & Gérard LAOUROU

Laboratory of Ecology, Botany and Plant Biology (LEB), Faculty of Agronomy, University of Parakou.

Email. Dr. NS YOROU, n.s.yorou@gmail.com

Email. Gérard LAOUROU, kassifa02@yahoo.fr

Deadline: Friday, March 31st, 2017

TRAINING SCHEDULES AND SCENARIO

Coaching team

Teachers will be expert mycologists and botanists from Goethe University Frankfurt (Germany) and from the University of Parakou (Benin), with a worldwide reputation in tropical mycology, including among others Prof. Dr. Meike Piepenbring, Dr. Ralph Mangelsdorff and Dr. Nourou S. Yorou .

The course is scheduled in two phases

First phase: approx. 24th to 30th July, sampling + taxonomy + documentation of EcM fungi from gallery forests and woodlands around Taneka hills.

Second phase: approx. July 31th to August 09th , sampling + documentation + laboratory works on EcM fungi from the Okpara parks

Financial support of :

VolskwagenStiftung