Symposium "Precious resources in arid areas - soil and plants"

The Commission of Agriculture Development for Arid Lands, the Japanese Association for Arid Land Studies, Japan holds a symposium once a year. Even in arid areas such as desert, various forms of life survive on soil, which is one of fundamental bases for food production and ecosystem services. Concurrently with IYS2015, we are planning a symposium entitled as " Precious resources in arid areas - soil and plants" which focuses on soil and plants that are indispensable element of arid ecosystems. The symposium will provide the following topics concerning soil-plant systems in arid area; properties and distribution of arid soil, responses of plant against heat stress and salt stress, and management of soil salinity.