David Thomas (geographer)
Encyclopedia
David S. G. Thomas is a scientist and geographer. He was born in Dover
, Kent
, UK
in 1958. He is Professor of Geography
at the University of Oxford
, and a Professorial Fellow of Hertford College, Oxford
. His research deals with desertification
, dryland environments
, climate change
and other environmental phenomena. He received his DPhil from the University of Oxford
. Between 1984 and 1998 he taught at the University of Sheffield
.
Dover
Dover is a town and major ferry port in the home county of Kent, in South East England. It faces France across the narrowest part of the English Channel, and lies south-east of Canterbury; east of Kent's administrative capital Maidstone; and north-east along the coastline from Dungeness and Hastings...
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in 1958. He is Professor of Geography
Geography
Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
at the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
, and a Professorial Fellow of Hertford College, Oxford
Hertford College, Oxford
Hertford College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It is located in Catte Street, directly opposite the main entrance of the original Bodleian Library. As of 2006, the college had a financial endowment of £52m. There are 612 students , plus various visiting...
. His research deals with desertification
Desertification
Desertification is the degradation of land in drylands. Caused by a variety of factors, such as climate change and human activities, desertification is one of the most significant global environmental problems.-Definitions:...
, dryland environments
Natural environment
The natural environment encompasses all living and non-living things occurring naturally on Earth or some region thereof. It is an environment that encompasses the interaction of all living species....
, climate change
Climate change
Climate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in average weather conditions or the distribution of events around that average...
and other environmental phenomena. He received his DPhil from the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
. Between 1984 and 1998 he taught at the University of Sheffield
University of Sheffield
The University of Sheffield is a research university based in the city of Sheffield in South Yorkshire, England. It is one of the original 'red brick' universities and is a member of the Russell Group of leading research intensive universities...
.
Books
- Thomas, David S. G. Desertification: exploding the myth / David S. G. Thomas and Nicholas J. Middleton. Chichester; New York: WileyJohn Wiley & SonsJohn Wiley & Sons, Inc., also referred to as Wiley, is a global publishing company that specializes in academic publishing and markets its products to professionals and consumers, students and instructors in higher education, and researchers and practitioners in scientific, technical, medical, and...
, c1994. xii, 194 p.: ill., maps; 24 cm. ISBN 0-471-94815-2 - Sustainable livelihoods in Kalahari environments: a contribution to global debates / edited by Deborah Sporton and David S.G. Thomas. Oxford; New York: Oxford University PressOxford University PressOxford University Press is the largest university press in the world. It is a department of the University of Oxford and is governed by a group of 15 academics appointed by the Vice-Chancellor known as the Delegates of the Press. They are headed by the Secretary to the Delegates, who serves as...
, 2002. xix, 231 p.: ill., maps; 24 cm. ISBN 0-19-823419-8 (alk. paper) - Arid zone geomorphology / edited by David S.G. Thomas. London: Belhaven Press; New York: Halsted Press, 1989. vi, 372 p.: ill.; 26 cm. ISBN 0-470-21341-8 (Halsted Press)
- United Nations Environment Programme. World atlas of desertification / UNEP; co-ordinating editors, Nick Middleton and David Thomas. 2nd ed. London; New York: Arnold; New York: Copublished in the US, Central and South America by John Wiley, c1997. 1 atlas (x, 182 p.): ill. (some col.), maps (some col.); 37 cm. ISBN 0-340-69166-2 (UNEP), ISBN 0-470-24972-2 (Wiley)
- The Kalahari Environment/ David S.G. Thomas and Paul A. Shaw Cambridge University PressCambridge University PressCambridge University Press is the publishing business of the University of Cambridge. Granted letters patent by Henry VIII in 1534, it is the world's oldest publishing house, and the second largest university press in the world...
, 1991. xiii, 275 p.: ill., maps. ISBN 0-521-37080-9