Ramon Margalef facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ramon Margalef
|
|
|---|---|
Ramon Margalef
|
|
| Born | 16 May 1919 |
| Died | 23 May 2004 (aged 85) Barcelona
|
| Nationality | Spanish |
| Scientific career | |
| Institutions | University of Barcelona |
| Author abbrev. (botany) | Margalef |
Ramon Margalef i López (born in Barcelona on May 16, 1919 – died May 23, 2004) was a famous Spanish biologist and ecologist. A biologist studies living things, while an ecologist studies how living things interact with each other and their environment.
Ramon Margalef was a professor of Ecology at the University of Barcelona. He was one of Spain's most important scientists. He worked at different research places, including the Institute of Applied Biology and the Fisheries Research Institute. He also started the Department of Ecology at the University of Barcelona. There, he taught many students who became ecologists, limnologists (people who study fresh water), and oceanographers (people who study oceans). In 1967, he became the first professor of ecology in Spain.
Ramon Margalef's Amazing Career
From 1954 to 1974, Margalef wrote for a magazine called Iberica. In 1957, his ideas became known worldwide. This happened when his speech, "Information Theory in Ecology," was translated into English. This speech talked about how ideas from information theory could be used to understand nature.
He wrote another important article in 1963 called "On certain unifying principles in ecology." His book, "Perspectives in Ecological Theory" (1968), also made him a top thinker in modern ecology. In 1958, he taught about marine ecology in Puerto Rico. There, he wrote a book called Comunidades Naturales, which means "Natural Communities."
Key Ideas and Awards
Ramon Margalef's most important work included using information theory to study ecosystems. He also created mathematical models to understand how groups of living things change.
Some of his most important books are:
- Natural Communities (1962)
- Perspectives In Ecological Theory (1968)
- Ecology (1974)
- The Biosphere (1980)
- Limnology (1983)
- Theory of Ecological Systems (1991)
He received many science awards for his work. These include the A.G. Huntsman Award for Excellence in the Marine Sciences and the Naumann-Thienemann Medal. He also received the Ramón y Cajal Award from the Spanish Government and the Gold Medal of the Generalitat of Catalonia.
To honor him, the Government of Catalonia created the Ramon Margalef Prize in Ecology in 2004. Also, in 2008, the Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography started the Ramón Margalef Award for Excellence in Education.
See Also
- Ramon Margalef Prize in Ecology
- In Spanish: Ramón Margalef para niños
