Person

Webb, Leonard James (1928 - 2008)

AO

Born
28 October 1928
Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia
Died
25 November 2008
Queensland, Australia
Occupation
Botanist and Ecologist

Summary

Leonard Webb was a botanist and ecologist who was widely recognised for his expertise in Australia's rainforest plants. Most of his career was with the CSIRO Rainforest Ecology Section, from which he retired in 1980 as Senior Principal Research Scientist. After an initial period involved with the Australian Phytochemical Survey, the object of which was to identify potential sources of drugs in tropical plants, Webb moved to studying. factors that controlled the nature and distribution of rainforest. With colleagues, he made extensive field surveys. They determined that the growth of eastern Australian rainforests was dependent on more than just climate, and provided the beginning of a system for forest classification. Webb played a leading role in the crusade to protect Australia's rainforests as a non-renewable resource, and provided advice to governments on proposals to exploit fragile rainforest regions.

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Details

Chronology

1947
Education - Bachelor of Science (BSc(Hons)), University of Queensland
1948
Education - Master of Science (MSc), University of Queensland
1956
Education - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), University of Queensland
1963
Career position - Vice-President, Queensland Wildlife Preservation Society
1965
Career position - Member of Council, Australian Conservation Foundation
1974 - 1980
Career position - Member, Australian National Man and Biosphere (MAB) Committee
1975 - 1976
Career position - Member, UNESCO National Commission, Australia
1979 - 1990
Career position - Member, Commission on Ecology, International Union for the Conservation of Nature
1980 -
Career position - Honorary Professor, Division of Environmental Studies, Griffith University
1980
Life event - Retired as Senior Principal Research Scientist. CSIRO Rainforest Ecology Section
1983
Award - Ecological Society of Australia Gold Medal
1983
Award - Mueller Medal, Australian and New Zealand Association for the Advancement of Science
1984
Award - BHP Pursuit of Excellence (Environment) Prize
1987
Award - Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for service to conservation, particularly in the field of rainforest ecology
1991
Award - Doctor of the University, Griffith University
2001
Award - Centenary Medal for service to conservation and the environment in Queensland

Archival resources

Queensland Herbarium

  • Leonard J. Webb - Records, 1945 - 1965; Queensland Herbarium. Details

Published resources

Edited Books

  • Webb, L. J.; and Kikkawa, J. eds, Australian tropical rainforests : science - values -meaning (Melbourne: CSIRO, 1990), 185 pp. Details

Resources

Resource Sections

See also

Gavan McCarthy [P004098] and Helen Cohn

Created: 20 October 1993, Last modified: 6 October 2023

EOAS ID: biogs/P001463b.htm

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