Page 24 - Botany_2015_Proceeding

Special Lectures

Plenary Lecture

Ken Thompson
University of Sheffield

Botany is cool; so why doesn't
the public know that?
Sunday, July 26
7:30 pm- Hall A

Ken Thompson did his PhD with Phil Grime at Sheffield University in the 1970s
and returned to Sheffield in 1990, where he has been ever since, eventually
becoming senior lecturer in ecology, before recently retiring.

He has broad interests in plant ecology, has published over 150 papers, and is
senior editor of the British Ecological Society journal Functional Ecology. He
is the author (with Jan Bakker and Renee Bekker) of 'The Soil Seed Banks of
North-West Europe: Methodology, Density and Longevity' (1997, Cambridge
University Press) and (with Mike Fenner) of 'The Ecology of Seeds' (2005,
Cambridge University Press).

Ken is increasingly interested in the science of gardening, and has published four
popular gardening books. He writes a gardening column for the Daily Telegraph
and frequently speaks to gardening clubs and socie ties. In 20 10 he published a
popular book about biodiversity: 'Do We Need Pandas ? - the uncomfortable
truth about biodiversity' (Green Books). A new book on alien species (Where
Do Camels Belong?), published (in Canada) by Greystone Books, came out last
year, and a book of collected gardening columns is due later this year.

To be followed by the All-Society Mixer - Hall D

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