Alexander Watt
Encyclopedia
Alexander Stuart Watt was a Scottish botanist and plant ecologist.
farm and went to school at Turriff
Secondary School and Robert Gordon's College
, Aberdeen. He graduated as M.A.
and B.Sc. (in agricultural science) from the University of Aberdeen
in 1913. He then went to University of Cambridge
to work on beech forest under Arthur Tansley
and obtained a M.S.
in 1919 (after interruption by military service 1916-1918). He was appointed lecturer of forest botany
and forest zoology
at the University of Aberdeen
. He continued his research on southern English
beech forest in vacations and obtained a PhD from the University of Cambridge
in 1924. In 1929, he became lecturer of forestry
at this university
and, when this undergraduate subject was given up, lecturer of forest botany
– “a title which scarcely reflected his wide interest in and influence on plant ecology”. He retired from university in 1959, but continued work – publishing in the Journal of Ecology
as late as 1982, 63 years after his first publication in this journal. He accepted to be visiting lecturer at the University of Colorado
in 1963 and visiting professor at the University of Khartoum
in 1965. In 1970, he co-organized a symposium science in nature conservation.
He was president of the British Ecological Society
1946-1947.
Fellow of the Royal Society
since 1957. He was awarded the Linnean Medal
of the Linnean Society in 1975.
, being his presidential address to the British Ecological Society
, is a true citation classic
in scientific ecology
. The paper describes the plant community "as a working mechanism, which maintains and regenerates itself". The view it advocated that a plant community consists of a mosaic of phases differing in the stage of the life cycle of the dominant species, with correlated effects on the accompanying species. One of the examples given by Watt concerns the dynamics between grasses and dwarf-shrubs in sandy heathland. The 50th anniversary of the paper was celebrated by a special issue of the Journal of Vegetation Science
Watt published a long series of scientific papers in the New Phytologist under the collective heading "Contributions to the ecology of bracken
" (1940–1971). Watt was a posthumous co-author of the substantive account on bracken
in the Biological Flora of the British Isles. Watt wrote a series of preliminary drafts that were extended and updated by his co-author.
Much of Watt’s field studies were centred on the Breckland not far from Cambridge
. Here, he studied the effect of grazing and dereliction on grassland vegetation.
Life
Watt was born on an AberdeenshireAberdeenshire
Aberdeenshire is one of the 32 unitary council areas in Scotland and a lieutenancy area.The present day Aberdeenshire council area does not include the City of Aberdeen, now a separate council area, from which its name derives. Together, the modern council area and the city formed historic...
farm and went to school at Turriff
Turriff
Turriff is a town and civil parish in Aberdeenshire in Scotland. It is approximately above sea level, and has a population of 5,708.Turriff is known locally as Turra in the Doric dialect of Scots...
Secondary School and Robert Gordon's College
Robert Gordon's College
Robert Gordon's College is a private co-educational day school in Aberdeen, Scotland. The school caters for pupils from Nursery-S6.-History:...
, Aberdeen. He graduated as M.A.
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
and B.Sc. (in agricultural science) from the University of Aberdeen
University of Aberdeen
The University of Aberdeen, an ancient university founded in 1495, in Aberdeen, Scotland, is a British university. It is the third oldest university in Scotland, and the fifth oldest in the United Kingdom and wider English-speaking world...
in 1913. He then went to University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
to work on beech forest under Arthur Tansley
Arthur Tansley
Sir Arthur George Tansley FRS was an English botanist who was a pioneer in the science of ecology. He obtained his degree in Biological Science in 1896, with specialization in botany and zoology. From the start, he was much influenced by the Danish plant ecologist Eugenius Warming. He championed...
and obtained a M.S.
Master of Science
A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:...
in 1919 (after interruption by military service 1916-1918). He was appointed lecturer of forest botany
Botany
Botany, plant science, or plant biology is a branch of biology that involves the scientific study of plant life. Traditionally, botany also included the study of fungi, algae and viruses...
and forest zoology
Zoology
Zoology |zoölogy]]), is the branch of biology that relates to the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct...
at the University of Aberdeen
University of Aberdeen
The University of Aberdeen, an ancient university founded in 1495, in Aberdeen, Scotland, is a British university. It is the third oldest university in Scotland, and the fifth oldest in the United Kingdom and wider English-speaking world...
. He continued his research on southern English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
beech forest in vacations and obtained a PhD from the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
in 1924. In 1929, he became lecturer of forestry
Forestry
Forestry is the interdisciplinary profession embracing the science, art, and craft of creating, managing, using, and conserving forests and associated resources in a sustainable manner to meet desired goals, needs, and values for human benefit. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands...
at this university
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
and, when this undergraduate subject was given up, lecturer of forest botany
Botany
Botany, plant science, or plant biology is a branch of biology that involves the scientific study of plant life. Traditionally, botany also included the study of fungi, algae and viruses...
– “a title which scarcely reflected his wide interest in and influence on plant ecology”. He retired from university in 1959, but continued work – publishing in the Journal of Ecology
Journal of Ecology
The Journal of Ecology is a bimonthly peer-reviewed scientific journal covering all aspects of the ecology of plants. It was established in 1913 and is published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the British Ecological Society....
as late as 1982, 63 years after his first publication in this journal. He accepted to be visiting lecturer at the University of Colorado
University of Colorado at Boulder
The University of Colorado Boulder is a public research university located in Boulder, Colorado...
in 1963 and visiting professor at the University of Khartoum
University of Khartoum
The University of Khartoum ia a multi-campus, co-educational university located in Khartoum. It is the largest and oldest university in Sudan. UofK was founded as Gordon Memorial College in 1902 and established in 1956 when Sudan gained independence...
in 1965. In 1970, he co-organized a symposium science in nature conservation.
He was president 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...
1946-1947.
Fellow of the Royal Society
Royal Society
The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, known simply as the Royal Society, is a learned society for science, and is possibly the oldest such society in existence. Founded in November 1660, it was granted a Royal Charter by King Charles II as the "Royal Society of London"...
since 1957. He was awarded the Linnean Medal
Linnean Medal
The Linnean Medal of the Linnean Society of London was established in 1888, and is awarded annually to alternately a botanist or a zoologist or to one of each in the same year...
of the Linnean Society in 1975.
Scientific impact
Watt’s 1947 paper Pattern and process in the plant community in the Journal of EcologyJournal of Ecology
The Journal of Ecology is a bimonthly peer-reviewed scientific journal covering all aspects of the ecology of plants. It was established in 1913 and is published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the British Ecological Society....
, being his presidential address to 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...
, is a true citation classic
Citation index
A citation index is a kind of bibliographic database, an index of citations between publications, allowing the user to easily establish which later documents cite which earlier documents. The first citation indices were legal citators such as Shepard's Citations...
in scientific 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...
. The paper describes the plant community "as a working mechanism, which maintains and regenerates itself". The view it advocated that a plant community consists of a mosaic of phases differing in the stage of the life cycle of the dominant species, with correlated effects on the accompanying species. One of the examples given by Watt concerns the dynamics between grasses and dwarf-shrubs in sandy heathland. The 50th anniversary of the paper was celebrated by a special issue of the Journal of Vegetation Science
Watt published a long series of scientific papers in the New Phytologist under the collective heading "Contributions to the ecology of bracken
Pteridium aquilinum
Pteridium aquilinum is a species of fern occurring in temperate and subtropical regions throughout much of the northern hemisphere....
" (1940–1971). Watt was a posthumous co-author of the substantive account on bracken
Pteridium aquilinum
Pteridium aquilinum is a species of fern occurring in temperate and subtropical regions throughout much of the northern hemisphere....
in the Biological Flora of the British Isles. Watt wrote a series of preliminary drafts that were extended and updated by his co-author.
Much of Watt’s field studies were centred on the Breckland not far from Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
. Here, he studied the effect of grazing and dereliction on grassland vegetation.
Biographies and obituaries
- Chrono-Biographical Sketch
- Gimmingham,C.H. (1986) Dr Alexander Stuart Watt, F.R.S. 1982-1985. Journal of Ecology 74 (1): 295-300..
- Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
- Bracken database