Thomas E. Lovejoy
2005 recipient of the Ralph W. Schreiber Conservation Award
Thomas E. Lovejoy's contributions as an avian scientist, conservation biologist and activist are especially deserving of recognition as the first recipient of the AOU Conservation Award. His vision, accomplishments and influence have launched important research initiatives in conservation biology, and shaped global actions and thinking about biological diversity and its conservation, and been effective in species preservation.
Dr. Lovejoy earned his Ph.D. at Yale University under the tutelage of G. Evelyn Hutchinson, and conducted pioneering field work on the community ecology of Amazonian rain forest birds that introduced bird banding to Brazil (Lovejoy 1972, 1975). Dr. Lovejoy then worked as one of the first staff scientists at the World Wildlife Fund, where he contributed to early efforts in the conservation of Neotropical migratory birds (Rappole et al. 1983) and conceived the idea for the Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragments (BDFF) Project. While most ecologists in 1979 were trying to study systems where species interactions had not been altered by human influences, Dr. Lovejoy launched what would become a landmark, long-term study to measure and understand the impacts of forest fragmentation in conjunction with The Brazilian National Institute for Amazonian Research (INPA). The BDFF Project generated experimental data that addressed a fierce debate over the value of a single large or several small reserves (SLOSS) and the process of relaxation in mainland islands (e.g., Bierregaard et al. 1992, Laurance et al. 1997). It has produced over 500 papers, 100 theses, and several books (Bierregaard et al. 2001), became a major training facility for Latin American biologists, and recently enjoyed its 25th anniversary. In recognition of this work and his long collaboration with Brazil scientists and research organizations, Dr. Lovejoy was awarded the Order of Scientific Merit from the Brazil Government, one of the very few foreigners to receive such an honor.
Dr. Lovejoy has greatly expanded and shaped the conservation activities of some of the world's most influential scientific and environmental organizations through high-level positions at World Wildlife Fund - U.S., the Smithsonian Institution, the U.S. Department of the Interior, the President's National Science and Technology Council, the World Bank, the United Nations Foundation and now as President of the H. John Heinz III Center for Science, Economics and the Environment. In each case he has used a strong scientific base to build institutional capacity and provide a focus on the tropical conservation. In addition, he has assisted and influenced scores of other conservation institutions through service on Boards of Directors. He was essential in the formation of the Society of Conservation Biology (SCB), serving on its initial Governing Board and as President during its formative years.
Dr. Lovejoy used his role in these organizations to advance the science and conservation of biological diversity. He was partly responsible for coining the now-familiar terms "biological diversity" and "biodiversity" in 1980. He has been a leader in publicizing the rising loss of species worldwide because of growing human population, habitat degradation and loss, climate change, pollution, and exploitation of plants and animals (Lovejoy 1980, Peters and Lovejoy 1992, Lovejoy and Hannah 2005). Moreover, he originated the innovative concept of "debt-for-nature swaps", where debtor nations struggling to meet their financial obligations can reduce foreign debt in exchange for payments in support of in-country conservation activities. Since their inception by the World Wildlife Fund in 1989, debt-for-nature swaps have been implemented in at least 11 countries around the world, providing over $1 billion in funds for conservation and millions of hectares of habitat protection. Finally, Dr. Lovejoy took his conservation message to the general public through lectures and addresses, testimony before Congressional subcommittees, and the creation of the television series Nature, the most popular long-term series on public television in the U.S.
In recognition of his pioneering work in conservation biology and tropical ecology, the AOU presents Thomas E. Lovejoy with the AOU Conservation Award for 2005.