Arthur Roy Clapham
Encyclopedia
Arthur Roy Clapham, CBE FRS (24 May 1904 - 18 December 1990), was a British botanist.
Born in Norwich and educated at Downing College, Cambridge
, Clapham worked at Rothamsted Experimental Station
as a crop physiologist (1928–30), and then took a teaching post in the botany department at Oxford University. He was Professor of Botany at Sheffield University 1944-69. He coauthored the Flora of the British Isles, first published in 1952 and followed by two later editions in 1962 and 1987. In response to a request from Arthur Tansley
, he coined the term ecosystem
in the early 1930s .
Clapham was president of the Linnean Society
from 1967 to 1970, and received the Linnean Medal
in 1972.
Born in Norwich and educated at Downing College, Cambridge
Downing College, Cambridge
Downing College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college was founded in 1800 and currently has around 650 students.- History :...
, Clapham worked at Rothamsted Experimental Station
Rothamsted Experimental Station
The Rothamsted Experimental Station, one of the oldest agricultural research institutions in the world, is located at Harpenden in Hertfordshire, England. It is now known as Rothamsted Research...
as a crop physiologist (1928–30), and then took a teaching post in the botany department at Oxford University. He was Professor of Botany at Sheffield University 1944-69. He coauthored the Flora of the British Isles, first published in 1952 and followed by two later editions in 1962 and 1987. In response to a request from 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...
, he coined the term ecosystem
Ecosystem
An ecosystem is a biological environment consisting of all the organisms living in a particular area, as well as all the nonliving , physical components of the environment with which the organisms interact, such as air, soil, water and sunlight....
in the early 1930s .
Clapham was president of the Linnean Society
Linnean Society of London
The Linnean Society of London is the world's premier society for the study and dissemination of taxonomy and natural history. It publishes a zoological journal, as well as botanical and biological journals...
from 1967 to 1970, and received 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...
in 1972.
Books
- (with W.O. James) The biology of flowers. Oxford : Clarendon Press, 1935.
- (with T.G. Tutin and E.F. Warburg) Excursion flora of the British Isles. Cambridge : Cambridge University Press 1959.
- Flora of Derbyshire. Derby Museum and Art Gallery. 1969.
- The Oxford book of trees, (illustrations by B.E. Nicholson). London : Oxford University Press, 1975.
External links
- Clapham papers, at Sheffield University
- Royal Society certificate of election