GENERAL INFORMATION
     
  Overview
Ultramafic rocks (known as serpentine in the botanical and ecological literature), and the soils derived from them, occur throughout the globe. They form specialized habitats that host unique species and communities. In 1991, scientists studying ultramafic sites first gathered together on an international scale to share their research findings on the campus of the University of California, Davis, USA. The success of that first symposium, along with its attendant field trip to local ultramafic sites, inspired the several international conferences that have been held since then. These were situated at widely separated sites with nearby ultramafic locales: at ORSTOM headquarters in Noumea, New Caledonia (1995), at Kruger National Park in South Africa (1999) and at the National Botanical Garden in Havana, Cuba in 2003. The 2006 conference will be held in Europe for the first time, at the University of Siena, Italy.
  
     
  Conference venue (have a look at the Siena city map)  
     
 
How to reach Siena (click here)
  
     
  Accademia dei Fisiocritici - Prato S. Agostino - Siena  
     
  Organizing secretariat Scientific secretariat  
 
Università di Siena
Servizio Congressi
Banchi di Sotto 46, 53100 Siena
Tel +39-0577-232132
e-mail: corsir@unisi.it
Dr. Cristina Gonnelli
Dipartimento di Biologia Vegetale,
Università di Firenze,
Via La Pira 4, 50121 Firenze, Italy;
Fax: +39 055 282358
e-mail: cristina.gonnelli@unifi.it		  
 
 
  Registration and deadline
  
  An on-line registration form is available in the “registration” page.
Deadline for registration and submission of abstracts is 28 February 2006.		  
     
  Abstract Submission  
  Web-based abstract submission is now closed.
Please contact
A. Chiarucci (chiarucci@unisi.it) or
C. Gonnelli (cristina.gonnelli@unifi.it) for last minute requests.		  
     
 
Accommodation for foreign delegates:
Please keep in mind that that Siena is a tourist town and we strongly recommend that delegates arrange hotel reservations as soon as possible.

Siena Hotel Promotion can help you with your hotel reservation. A on line hotel reservation form is avalaible.