8 SHORT REVIEW AND CONCLUSIONS OF THE INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM (“Conceptions and Methods of Nature Conservation in Europe”, Cluj-Napoca, September 16–19th, 2004) 1 1 2 Vasile CRISTEA , Dan GAFTA , John R. AKEROYD 1. “Babe -Bolyai” University, Department of Taxonomy and Ecology, Republicii str., 42, 400015 Cluj-Napoca (ROMANIA) 2. Plant Talk, Lawn Cottage, West Tisbury, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP3 6SG, UK 1. General review of the symposium Organized by the Chair of Taxonomy and Ecology of the University „Babe -Bolyai” (Cluj-Napoca, Romania), in co-operation with the Romanian Society of Phytosociology and the International Federation of Phytosociology, this international symposium was dedicated to Prof. dr. h.c. Franco PEDROTTI th (University of Camerino, Italy), on the occasion of his 70 birthday. Drawn from four continents, the 84 participants (of whom over 50% were young people under 35 years old) represented 12 countries: Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Germany, Italy, Japan, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovenia, UK and USA, thus covering a large part of Earth’s bio-geographical regions. The opening ceremony took place in the University’s imposing Aula Magna and included two welcome speeches on behalf of the Rector and the President of the Nature Monument Committee, a Laudatio to Prof. F. Pedrotti and a short folk music recital. The symposium programme was composed of two plenary sessions, four short communication sessions (divided into two sections: A – General aspects of nature protection; B – Nature conservation in practice) and a poster session. The seven plenary lectures, presented by R. Pott (Hannover, Germany), E.