Alastair Fitter
Encyclopedia
Alastair Hugh Fitter CBE
FRS (born 20 June 1948) is a British
ecologist at the University of York
. He was educated at Oxford
and at Liverpool
, and came to the Department of Biology in York in 1972. In 2004 he was appointed Pro-Vice-Chancellor, with the Research portfolio. He is a member of Council of the Natural Environment Research Council
.
His research interests include plant
and microbial behaviour in a changing world; functional ecology
of roots and mycorrhizal associations under field conditions; root system architecture; carbon cycling in soil
, especially in relation to mycorrhizas; phenological responses to climate change.
He is the son of the naturalist and author Richard Fitter (1913–2005), and together in 2002 they published an article in Science
on the changing phenology
of wild flowers due to global warming
. They have also collaborated on numerous field guides and other natural history books.
Fitter was elected Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) in 2005. He was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2010 New Year Honours for services to environmental science.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
FRS (born 20 June 1948) is a British
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...
ecologist at 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...
. He was educated at Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
and at Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
, and came to the Department of Biology in York in 1972. In 2004 he was appointed Pro-Vice-Chancellor, with the Research portfolio. He is a member of Council of the 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:...
.
His research interests include plant
Plant
Plants are living organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. Precise definitions of the kingdom vary, but as the term is used here, plants include familiar organisms such as trees, flowers, herbs, bushes, grasses, vines, ferns, mosses, and green algae. The group is also called green plants or...
and microbial behaviour in a changing world; functional ecology
Ecology
Ecology is the scientific study of the relations that living organisms have with respect to each other and their natural environment. Variables of interest to ecologists include the composition, distribution, amount , number, and changing states of organisms within and among ecosystems...
of roots and mycorrhizal associations under field conditions; root system architecture; carbon cycling in soil
Soil
Soil is a natural body consisting of layers of mineral constituents of variable thicknesses, which differ from the parent materials in their morphological, physical, chemical, and mineralogical characteristics...
, especially in relation to mycorrhizas; phenological responses to climate change.
He is the son of the naturalist and author Richard Fitter (1913–2005), and together in 2002 they published an article in Science
Science (journal)
Science is the academic journal of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and is one of the world's top scientific journals....
on the changing phenology
Phenology
Phenology is the study of periodic plant and animal life cycle events and how these are influenced by seasonal and interannual variations in climate...
of wild flowers due to 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...
. They have also collaborated on numerous field guides and other natural history books.
Fitter was elected Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) in 2005. He was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2010 New Year Honours for services to environmental science.