J. Philip Grime
Encyclopedia
John Philip Grime is a prominent British ecologist and emeritus professor at the University of Sheffield
. He is best known for his CSR theory on plant strategies, for the unimodal relationship between species richness and site productivity (the "humped-back model"), for the Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis
, for the DST classification (dominants, subordinates and transients) and, with Simon Pierce (University of Milan, Italy), universal adaptive strategy theory (UAST) and the twin filter model of community assembly and eco-evolutionary dynamics.
Grime's 1979 book Plant Strategies and Vegetation Processes has been cited more than 1,200 times. Together with many influential scientific papers, it has made him a highly cited scientist. In an interview Grime has stated that "Ecology lacks a Periodic Table", quoting Richard Southwood
.
from University of Sheffield
in 1960 and joined the staff of the Department of Botany in 1961. He worked at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station
, U.S.A. from 1963 to 1964. He then returned to the University of Sheffield
and joined the Unit of Comparative Plant Ecology, which had been founded in 1961 by professor Ian H. Rorison. Grime served as deputy director of the unit 1964-1989 and as director from 1989.
from the British Ecological Society
and was awarded honorary membership of the Ecological Society of America
. He was also Distinguished Visiting Ecologist at Pennsylvania State University
in that year. In 1998, he became elected Fellow of the Royal Society and honorary doctor at University of Nijmegen. He has been honorary member of the British Ecological Society
since 1999. He was the first ever recipient of the Alexander von Humboldt Medal
(2011) for his outstanding contribution to the intellectual development of plant community ecology.
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...
. He is best known for his CSR theory on plant strategies, for the unimodal relationship between species richness and site productivity (the "humped-back model"), for the Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis
Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis
The Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis states that local species diversity is maximized when ecological disturbance is neither too rare nor too frequent. At low levels of disturbance, more competitive organisms will push subordinate species to extinction and dominate the ecosystem...
, for the DST classification (dominants, subordinates and transients) and, with Simon Pierce (University of Milan, Italy), universal adaptive strategy theory (UAST) and the twin filter model of community assembly and eco-evolutionary dynamics.
Grime's 1979 book Plant Strategies and Vegetation Processes has been cited more than 1,200 times. Together with many influential scientific papers, it has made him a highly cited scientist. In an interview Grime has stated that "Ecology lacks a Periodic Table", quoting Richard Southwood
Richard Southwood
Sir Thomas Richard Edmund Southwood DL, FRS was Professor of zoology and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford....
.
Career
He obtained his Ph.D.Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
from 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...
in 1960 and joined the staff of the Department of Botany in 1961. He worked at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station
Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station
The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station is the Connecticut state government's agricultural experiment station, a state government component that engages in scientific research and public outreach in agriculture and related fields. It is the oldest state experiment station in the United...
, U.S.A. from 1963 to 1964. He then returned to 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...
and joined the Unit of Comparative Plant Ecology, which had been founded in 1961 by professor Ian H. Rorison. Grime served as deputy director of the unit 1964-1989 and as director from 1989.
Honours
In 1997, he won the Marsh Ecology AwardMarsh Ecology Award
The Marsh Ecology Award is a prize awarded annually from 1996 onwards to recognise outstanding recent discovery or development which has had a significant impact on the development of the science of ecology or its application. The Award is an honorarium of £ 1,000 and is open to ecologists from...
from the British Ecological Society
British Ecological Society
The British Ecological Society is a learned society in the field of ecology that was founded in 1913. It was the first ecological society in the world. The society's original objective was "to promote and foster the study of Ecology in its widest sense" and this remains the central theme guiding...
and was awarded honorary membership of the Ecological Society of America
Ecological Society of America
The Ecological Society of America is a professional organization of ecological scientists. Based in the United States, ESA publishes a suite of publications, from peer-reviewed journals to newsletters, fact sheets and teaching resources. It holds an annual meeting at different locations in the...
. He was also Distinguished Visiting Ecologist at Pennsylvania State University
Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University, commonly referred to as Penn State or PSU, is a public research university with campuses and facilities throughout the state of Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1855, the university has a threefold mission of teaching, research, and public service...
in that year. In 1998, he became elected Fellow of the Royal Society and honorary doctor at University of Nijmegen. He has been honorary member of the British Ecological Society
British Ecological Society
The British Ecological Society is a learned society in the field of ecology that was founded in 1913. It was the first ecological society in the world. The society's original objective was "to promote and foster the study of Ecology in its widest sense" and this remains the central theme guiding...
since 1999. He was the first ever recipient of the Alexander von Humboldt Medal
Alexander von Humboldt Medal
The Alexander von Humboldt Medal is a prize awarded annually from 2011 onwards by the International Association for Vegetation Science ....
(2011) for his outstanding contribution to the intellectual development of plant community ecology.
Selected works
- Grime J.P. & Pierce S. The Evolutionary Strategies that Shape Ecosystems. Wiley-Blackwell. (2012) ISBN 0-470-67481-4
- Vegetation classification by reference to strategies. Nature (1974) 250: 26-31.
- Evidence for the existence of three primary strategies in plants and its relevance to ecological and evolutionary theory. American Naturalist (1977) 111: 1169-1194.
- Plant Strategies and Vegetation Processes. Wiley. (1979) ISBN 0-471-99692-0
- Plant Strategies, Vegetation Processes, and Ecosystem Properties. (2nd much expanded edition of the above) Wiley (2001) ISBN 0-471-49601-4
- Benefits of plant diversity to ecosystems: immediate, filter and founder effects. Journal of Ecology (1998) 86: 902-910.
- Trait convergence and trait divergence in herbaceous plant communities: mechanisms and consequences. Journal of Vegetation Science (2006) 17: 255-260.
- Plant strategy theories: a comment on Craine (2005). Journal of Ecology, 95, 227-230.
External links
- University of Sheffield - staff biographical page for Grime
- ScienceWatch - "University of Sheffield's Philip Grime: Strategic Advances in Plant Ecology" (interview)