On its first Let's Talk it Over (LTIO) Forum for 2017 held on 23 January 2017, the UP Open University (UPOU) Faculty of Management and Development (FMDS) invited collaborators from Universitas Jember (UNEJ) in Indonesia to share on topics related to the role of ecological valuation and global warming.
Dr. Hari Sulistiyowati, Professor at the Universitas Jember, presented "The Role of Ecological Valuation for Conservation Management." Dr. Sulistiyowati started her presentation by defining valuation, specifically ecological valuation. According to her, valuation is usually defined as the monetary worth of something, especially estimated by an appraiser. She goes on to explain the three valuation approaches in ecology, namely, socio-cultural valuation, ecological valuation and economic valuation. In the end, Dr. Sulistiyowati concluded that ecological valuation can be a tool to assess, estimate, evaluate both structure and function in conservation management, ecological valuation is applicable for any level of ecosystem for conservation management, and it can be integrated with both economic and social valuation.
Dr. Wachju Subchan, Vice Rector of Universitas Jember, on the other hand, presented the "Physiological Time of Insect as Early Warning System of Global Warming." Dr. Subchan explained that animals respond to temperature explaining why low temperature slows down activities of the animals as a way to regulate body temperature. In his presentation, he defined physiological time as the combination of the temperature-time determining the development of animals. According to his study, eggs of insects hatch faster at higher temperature, which led him to conclude that the population growth of the insects can be used as an indicator of global warming. It would also mean that insect population growth or insect abundance can be used a natural early warning system of global warming.
Dr. Sulistiyowati and Dr. Subchan are also visiting the university to discuss activities that UPOU and UNEJ can do collaboratively. In 2015, both universities have signed memoranda of agreement for an exchange program for their faculty and students. (Anna Cañas-Llamas)
