John Lawton (scientist)
Encyclopedia
Professor Sir John Hartley Lawton, FRS (born 24 September 1943) is a British ecologist and RSPB
Vice President and Chair of the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust
.
He has previously been a trustee of WWF
UK and head of Natural Environment Research Council
(NERC) and was the last chair of the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution
. In October 2011, he was awarded the RSPB Medal.
from 1968, moving to the University of York
in 1971. He was awarded a Personal Chair at York in 1985. He founded, and was the first Director of, the NERC Centre for Population Biology at Imperial College, Silwood Park
.
In October 1999, he was appointed the Chief Executive of NERC, retaining an honorary professorship at Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine. Following his retirement from NERC in March 2005, he was appointed Chairman of the Royal Commission on Environment Pollution from 1 April 2005, and was reappointed for a second three year term in 2008.
His interests have focused on the population dynamics and biodiversity
of birds and insects, with emphasis over the last decade on the impacts of global environmental change on wild plants and animals. He was instrumental in establishing The Royal Society for the Protection of Bird's strategy for protecting landscapes. He has made major contributions to environmental NGOs, including a five year period as Chairman of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and a trustee of WWF/UK.
He shared the Japan Prize
for Science and Technology for Conservation of Biodiversity in 2004 "for observational, experimental and theoretical achievements for the scientific understanding and conservation of Biodiversity".
In 2009 he published an official review of the Meteorological Office's Hadley Centre. In 2010 he reported an official review of England’s protected areas, published as Making Space for Nature.
Lawton has been outspoken on the issue of global warming
and is reported to have said, in the context of hurricane Katrina
:
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
Bird Notes and News was first published in April 1903.The title changed to 'Bird Notes' in 1947. In the 1950s, there were four copies per year . Each volume covered two years, spread over three calendar years...
Vice President and Chair of the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust
Yorkshire Wildlife Trust
The Yorkshire Wildlife Trust is a wildlife trust covering the traditional county of Yorkshire, England.The Trust is part of the UK-wide partnership of 47 Wildlife Trusts.It was formed in 1946, as the Yorkshire Naturalists’ Trust, essentially to preserve its first nature reserve Askham Bog on the...
.
He has previously been a trustee of WWF
WWF
WWF may refer to:*World Wide Fund for Nature, a nature conservation organisation previously named World Wildlife Fund WWF may refer to:*World Wide Fund for Nature, a nature conservation organisation previously named World Wildlife Fund WWF may refer to:*World Wide Fund for Nature, a nature...
UK and head of Natural Environment Research Council
Natural Environment Research Council
The Natural Environment Research Council is a British research council that supports research, training and knowledge transfer activities in the environmental sciences.-History:...
(NERC) and was the last chair of the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution
Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution
The Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution in the United Kingdom was created under Royal Warrant in 1970 to advise the Queen, Government, Parliament and the public on environmental issues...
. In October 2011, he was awarded the RSPB Medal.
Early life
As a child, Lawton was a member of the Young Ornithologists’ Club, and later helped run the RSPB Members’ Group in York. In his youth, he volunteered for the RSPB's Operation Osprey at Loch Garten.Career
Lawton studied at the University of Durham, completing his PhD in 1969. He was Demonstrator in Ecology in the Department of Zoology at the University of OxfordUniversity 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...
from 1968, moving to the University of York
University of York
The University of York , is an academic institution located in the city of York, England. Established in 1963, the campus university has expanded to more than thirty departments and centres, covering a wide range of subjects...
in 1971. He was awarded a Personal Chair at York in 1985. He founded, and was the first Director of, the NERC Centre for Population Biology at Imperial College, Silwood Park
Silwood Park
Silwood Park is the rural campus of Imperial College London, England. It is situated near the village of Sunninghill, near Ascot in Berkshire. Since 1986, there have been major developments on the site with four new college buildings...
.
In October 1999, he was appointed the Chief Executive of NERC, retaining an honorary professorship at Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine. Following his retirement from NERC in March 2005, he was appointed Chairman of the Royal Commission on Environment Pollution from 1 April 2005, and was reappointed for a second three year term in 2008.
His interests have focused on the population dynamics and biodiversity
Biodiversity
Biodiversity is the degree of variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or an entire planet. Biodiversity is a measure of the health of ecosystems. Biodiversity is in part a function of climate. In terrestrial habitats, tropical regions are typically rich whereas polar regions...
of birds and insects, with emphasis over the last decade on the impacts of global environmental change on wild plants and animals. He was instrumental in establishing The Royal Society for the Protection of Bird's strategy for protecting landscapes. He has made major contributions to environmental NGOs, including a five year period as Chairman of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and a trustee of WWF/UK.
He shared the Japan Prize
Japan Prize
is awarded to people from all parts of the world whose "original and outstanding achievements in science and technology are recognized as having advanced the frontiers of knowledge and served the cause of peace and prosperity for mankind."- Explanation :...
for Science and Technology for Conservation of Biodiversity in 2004 "for observational, experimental and theoretical achievements for the scientific understanding and conservation of Biodiversity".
In 2009 he published an official review of the Meteorological Office's Hadley Centre. In 2010 he reported an official review of England’s protected areas, published as Making Space for Nature.
Lawton has been outspoken on the issue of global warming
Global warming
Global warming refers to the rising average temperature of Earth's atmosphere and oceans and its projected continuation. In the last 100 years, Earth's average surface temperature increased by about with about two thirds of the increase occurring over just the last three decades...
and is reported to have said, in the context of hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
:
The increased intensity of these kinds of extreme storms is very likely to be due to global warming… If this makes the climate loonies in the States realize we've got a problem, some good will come out of a truly awful situation.
Honours and awards
- President's Gold Medal of the British Ecological Society (1987)
- Japan PrizeJapan Prizeis awarded to people from all parts of the world whose "original and outstanding achievements in science and technology are recognized as having advanced the frontiers of knowledge and served the cause of peace and prosperity for mankind."- Explanation :...
(2004) - Knight BachelorKnight BachelorThe rank of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. It is the most basic rank of a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not as a member of one of the organised Orders of Chivalry...
(2005) - Ramon Margalef Prize in Ecology and Environmental SciencesRamon Margalef Prize in Ecology and Environmental SciencesThe Ramon Margalef Prize in Ecology is a prize awarded annually to recognize an exceptional scientific career or discovery in the field of ecology or other environmental science. The award was created to honor the life and work of Dr. Ramon Margalef , one of the founding fathers of modern ecology...
(2006) - Foreign Associate, US National Academy of Sciences (2008)
- Foreign Honorary Member, American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2008)
- RSPB Medal (2011)