John S. Rodwell facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John Stanley Rodwell
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| Education | University of Leeds |
| Alma mater | University of Southampton |
| Known for | British National Vegetation Classification |
| Awards | IEEM medal, 2009 |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Ecology |
| Institutions | University of Lancaster (1991–2004) |
| Thesis | (1974) |
| Doctoral advisor | Joyce Lambert |
John S. Rodwell is an important ecologist who was born in 1946. An ecologist is a scientist who studies how living things, like plants and animals, interact with their environment. Dr. Rodwell is well-known for his big role in creating the British National Vegetation Classification. This is a special system used to describe and map different types of plant communities across Britain. He also edited five important books called British Plant Communities.
Education and Early Life
John Rodwell studied Botany (the study of plants) at the University of Leeds. He graduated from there in 1968. After that, he went to the University of Southampton. There, he researched plants that grow on limestone rock. He earned his PhD in Biology in 1974, which is a very high university degree. His teacher for this research was Joyce Lambert.
Besides his science studies, John Rodwell also trained to become a priest. He studied at Ripon College Cuddesdon, which is part of the University of Oxford. Since 1974, he has been a priest in the Diocese of Blackburn. He is a "non-stipendiary priest," which means he does not get paid for his church work. He also holds the special title of honorary canon at Blackburn Cathedral.
Career and Achievements
In 1975, John Rodwell started a very important job. He became the person in charge of research for the British National Vegetation Classification (NVC). This big project aimed to create a detailed map and description of all the different plant groups in Britain. He worked at Lancaster University on this project.
Being the editor of the NVC became his main focus for more than 20 years. He was responsible for putting together all five volumes of the books called British Plant Communities. These books describe the NVC system in great detail.
In 1991, he officially joined the teaching staff at Lancaster University. He became a Professor of Ecology in 1997. Even though he retired in 2004, he has continued to teach and write about his work. In 2009, he received a special award called the medal of honour from the Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management. This award recognized his important contributions to ecology.
He was also made an Honorary Member of the International Association for Vegetation Science in 2010. This shows how respected he is by other scientists who study plants around the world.
