Erast Parmasto
Encyclopedia
Erast Parmasto is a noted Estonia
n mycologist, bioscientist and botanist . He became a member of the Estonian Institute of Zoology and Botany
in 1950 and served as its director from 1985-1990. His establishment of a mushroom herbarium in 1950 has since seen recognition of 160,000 samples, 37,000 of which Parmasto himself collected.
Parmasto has published more than 150 papers and 200 articles during his academic career and his works are commonly used in popular scientific and academic journals in Estonia. His expertise in the field of mycology
has resulted in him being nicknamed "Seenevana", or the "grand old man of mushrooms". As a mycologist, a field in which Parmasto is most associated, he is best known for his establishment and enhancement of databases for species of mushrooms within Estonia. He was also the author of the first Estonian-language textbook on biosystematics in history.
He served as the president of the Estonian Naturalists' Society
between 1973 and 1976 and has been a member of the society since 1988. Between 1973 and 1981 he was also the academic secretary in the Department of Chemical, Geological and Biological Sciences of the Estonian Academy of Sciences
. He would later work as a Professor of Botany and Ecology at the University of Tartu
from 1987 to 1995.
Parmasto currently works as the senior researcher in the Mycology Department of the Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at the Estonian University of Life Sciences
.
for his contributions to Bioscience. Jaanus Kala, Deputy Secretary-General of the Ministry of the Environment and chairman of the award's jury said of the scientist, “Erast Parmasto has dedicated his life’s work to studying nature and to promoting its protection among the public”.
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
n mycologist, bioscientist and botanist . He became a member of the Estonian Institute of Zoology and Botany
Estonian Institute of Zoology and Botany
The Estonian Institute of Zoology and Botany is a zoological and botanical research institute based in Tartu, Estonia. It was founded in 1947...
in 1950 and served as its director from 1985-1990. His establishment of a mushroom herbarium in 1950 has since seen recognition of 160,000 samples, 37,000 of which Parmasto himself collected.
Parmasto has published more than 150 papers and 200 articles during his academic career and his works are commonly used in popular scientific and academic journals in Estonia. His expertise in the field of mycology
Mycology
Mycology is the branch of biology concerned with the study of fungi, including their genetic and biochemical properties, their taxonomy and their use to humans as a source for tinder, medicinals , food and entheogens, as well as their dangers, such as poisoning or...
has resulted in him being nicknamed "Seenevana", or the "grand old man of mushrooms". As a mycologist, a field in which Parmasto is most associated, he is best known for his establishment and enhancement of databases for species of mushrooms within Estonia. He was also the author of the first Estonian-language textbook on biosystematics in history.
He served as the president of the Estonian Naturalists' Society
Estonian Naturalists' Society
Estonian Naturalists' Society is the oldest Estonia-based society of naturalists. It was founded in 1853, and since establishing has been the major scientific organisation focusing on natural history of Estonia....
between 1973 and 1976 and has been a member of the society since 1988. Between 1973 and 1981 he was also the academic secretary in the Department of Chemical, Geological and Biological Sciences of the Estonian Academy of Sciences
Estonian Academy of Sciences
Founded in 1938, the Estonian Academy of Sciences is Estonia's national academy of science. As with other national academies, it is an independent group of well-known scientists whose stated aim is to promote research and development, encourage international scientific cooperation, and...
. He would later work as a Professor of Botany and Ecology at the University of Tartu
University of Tartu
The University of Tartu is a classical university in the city of Tartu, Estonia. University of Tartu is the national university of Estonia; it is the biggest and highest-ranked university in Estonia...
from 1987 to 1995.
Parmasto currently works as the senior researcher in the Mycology Department of the Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at the Estonian University of Life Sciences
Estonian University of Life Sciences
The Estonian University of Life Sciences , located in Tartu, Estonia, is the former Estonian Agricultural University, which was established in 1951 and renamed and restructured in November 2005....
.
Awards
He was a recipient of the Karl Ernst von Baeri medal in 1976. In 1994 he won the National Science Prize from the Yearly Award, Culture and Society, and in 2002, was awarded the honorable Lifetime Achievement Award in Biosciences and the Environment again. In 2008 he was given the Eerik Kumari AwardEerik Kumari Award
The Eerik Kumari Award is a prestigious award given to those who have excelled in bioscience in Estonia since 1989...
for his contributions to Bioscience. Jaanus Kala, Deputy Secretary-General of the Ministry of the Environment and chairman of the award's jury said of the scientist, “Erast Parmasto has dedicated his life’s work to studying nature and to promoting its protection among the public”.
Publications
Some of Parmasto's more important publications include:- D. S. Hibbett, M. Binder, J. F. Bischoff, M. Blackwell, P. F. Cannon, O. E. Eriksson, S. Huhndorf, T. James, P. M. Kirk, R. Lücking, H. T. Lumbsch, F. Lutzoni, P. B. Matheny, D. J. McLaughlin, M. J. Powell, S. Redhead, C. L. Schoch, J. W. Spatafora, J. A. Stalpers, R. Vilgalys, M. C. Aime, A. Aptroot, R. Bauer, D. Begerow, G. L. Benny, L. A. Castlebury, P. W. Crous, Y.-C. Dai, W. Gams, D. M. Geiser, G. W. Griffith, C. Gueidan, D. L. Hawksworth, G. Hestmark, K. Hosaka, R. A. Humber, K. D. Hyde, J. E. Ironside, U. Kõljalg, C. P. Kurtzman, K.-H. Larsson, R. Lichtwardt, J. Longcore, J. Miadlikowska, A. Miller, J.-M. Moncalvo, S. Mozley-Standridge, F. Oberwinkler, E. Parmasto, V. Reeb, J. D. Rogers, C. Roux, L. Ryvarden, J. P. Sampaio, A. Schüßler, J. Sugiyama, R. G. Thorn, L. Tibell, W. A. Untereiner, C. Walker, Z. Wang, A. Weir, M. Weiss, M. M. White, K. Winka, Y.-J. Yao and N. Zhang. A higher-level phylogenetic classification of the fungi. Mycological Research 111: 509-547, 2007
- Distribution maps of Estonian fungi (3. osa) Eesti seente levikuatlas. Pore Fungi. Estonian Academy Publishers, 2004
- Parmasto, E : Integrating molecular and morphological data in the systematics of fungi. - In: Randlane, T/Saag, A (eds.): Book of Abstracts of the 5th IAL Symposium. Lichens in Focus. Tartu University Press, 2004
- Parmasto, E. Hymenochaetoid fungi (Basidiomycota) of North America. Mycotaxon, 79, 107–176, 2001
- M.A.Bondartseva, E.Parmasto, M.V. Gorlenko. Определитель грибов России. Порядок Афиллофоровые. Вып. 2 СПб: Наука, 1998 (in Russian)
- Parmasto, E. Corticioid fungi: a cladistic study of a paraphyletic group. Canadian Journal of Botany, 73, 1995, (Suppl. 1)
- E.Parmasto, I.Parmasto, T.Möls. Variation of Basidiospores in the Hymenomycetes and Its Significance to Their Taxonomy. Bibliotheca Mycologica, Lubrecht & Cramer Ltd, 1987
- Järva, L., Parmasto, E. Eesti seente koondnimestik. Tartu, 1980 (in Estonian)
- Parmasto, E. The Lachnocladiaceae of the Soviet Union. With a key to boreal species. Tartu, 1970