CNPS 2009 Conservation Conference: Strategies and Solutions

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Contributed Papers and Posters:
Instructions for Submittal of Abstracts

DEADLINE EXTENDED

The Conference Program Committee will be accepting abstracts for oral and poster presentations between March 1 and JULY 25, 2008. The program will focus on strategies and solutions for plant conservation and will include a keynote address, plenary sessions, concurrent sessions that include of a mix of invited and contributed oral presentations, and poster sessions. Posters will be prominently displayed during the entire meeting. A special session dedicated to posters will allow in-depth discussion between authors and conference attendees. CNPS will publish the conference proceedings, and speakers are invited to submit their papers for inclusion in the proceedings. Papers will be due March 1, 2009.

Please adhere to the following guidelines when preparing your abstract for an oral presentation or poster:

• Contributed oral and poster presentations will be grouped into sessions organized around identified topics. See Session Topics. Please indicate on your abstract which of these general topic areas is most appropriate for your presentation.
• Most oral presentations will be limited to 20 minutes, with 15 minutes for presentation and 5 minutes for questions.
• The subject matter of the presentation should have a clear connection to native plant or natural vegetation conservation.
• The abstract should include specific information about the results and conclusions of the study. Abstracts that state "results will be discussed" will not be accepted.
• All presenters should discuss the actual or potential conservation relevance (e.g., solutions or strategies) supported by the study or work.
• If your abstract is accepted but cannot be accommodated as an oral presentation due to time constraints, you will be notified as soon as possible so that you will have ample time to prepare a poster.

ABSTRACT REVIEW PROCESS

CNPS is committed to high quality science, thus abstracts will be submitted to a thorough review process. Abstracts will be reviewed by members of the Abstract Review Committee, composed of professionals with extensive experience in plant conservation in academic, government, and private sector occupations. Submitted abstracts will be allocated to contributed talks, poster presentations, or rejected.

ORAL PRESENTATIONS

If your abstract is selected you will be notified with an acceptance email by August 30, 2008. All oral presentation rooms will be equipped with a computer and a data projector. Those who are selected to present will be required to submit their presentations in PowerPoint format by 9:30 a.m., Saturday January 17, 2009. Accepted posters should be set up by 12:00 noon, Saturday, January 17, 2009.
Detailed information and instructions will be provided to presenters approximately 3 months prior to the Conference.

REGISTRATION

Presenting authors (oral or poster) should register for the meeting by October 17, 2008.
Because late cancellation excludes others who might have presented, authors who fail to notify the Program Committee of their withdrawal by September 15, 2008 may be excluded from giving a presentation at future CNPS Conferences.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR PREPARING ABSTRACTS

Abstracts should be submitted for oral and poster presentations. Please follow the instructions carefully, including all requested information and formatting. Abstracts with errors or omissions may be returned to the sender for correction and runs the risk of missing the abstract submission deadline. Abstracts must be submitted by email to abstractscnps.org. You will receive a confirmation email reply indicating your abstract was received. The abstract and author information should be attached as a Microsoft Word file, and the subject line of the email should read "Abstract for CNPS 2009 Conservation Conference" and in the same format of the instructions for abstract submission found below.

All abstracts must be received by July 25, 2008. The Program Planning Committee will begin to notify all authors by August 25, 2008 of the outcome. Abstracts must be submitted according to the following format.

ABSTRACT FORMAT

See Abstract Example.

1. Student presentation. To be considered for Best Student Paper or Poster Award, indicate whether the presentation will be given by a student.
2. Type of presentation. Indicate whether the abstract is intended for an Oral, Poster, or Either Oral or Poster.
3. Please indicate if you have been invited to present a paper, and at which session.
4. Authors. List all authors with the name of the presenting author in CAPITAL LETTERS. Order should be last name first for the first author, but first name first for all other authors. Write out full first names.
5. Addresses. List the institutional affiliations and addresses, for each author in the same order as above. For the presenting author only, include an email address in parentheses at the end of their address. If there are multiple addresses, place the initials of the author in parentheses at the end of each address.
6. Title. List the title in CAPITAL LETTERS. Titles are limited to 150 characters.
7. Abstract. No more than 1,500 characters (around 200 words). Begin with a clear statement of the problem or objectives, give brief methods and major results, and end with a substantial conclusion supporting a conservation solution or strategy. Do not use statements such as "results will be discussed." Abstracts that exceed the limit will be returned to the author for revision.
8. Comments. List any necessary comments pertaining to your abstract submission.
9. Contact. Provide the name of the contact person for correspondence, including notification of abstract acceptance and program position. Include the contact person's complete mailing address, email address and telephone number.
10. Topic areas. Please choose from the list of general topic areas (in bold) to assist us in selecting an appropriate session for your presentation. Indicate your first, second, and third choices. Please give us your three choices in order of priority. See Session Topics. (Please see #3 above if you have been invited to submit an abstract for a specific session.)