An article written by Dr. Frank S. Gilliam, a professor in Marshall University’s Department of Biological Sciences, will be published in the Tansley Review series in the December issue of New Phytologist – one of the top plant science journals in the world.
New Phytologist publishes a Tansley Review as part of each monthly issue in memory of Sir Arthur Tansley, the English plant ecologist who coined the term “ecosystem.”
“Tansley was a true visionary for our field, and we still embrace many of the concepts he developed in his career, the most famous, of course, being the ecosystem concept,” Gilliam said. “He helped found the British Ecological Society (in 1913) and New Phytologist (in 1902).”
Gilliam’s Tansley Review is on the biogeography and ecology of global temperate forests, which occur primarily throughout the Northern Hemisphere (North America, Europe and Asia), but are sparsely represented in the Southern Hemisphere.
“West Virginia is certainly well within this, and some of the work out of my lab here at Marshall University is highlighted in the review where appropriate,” he said. “Two of the themes of the review are (1) use of temperate forests by human populations since even ancient times (e.g., ~7,000 years ago in Europe, ~6,000 years ago in China, by Native Americans here in North America), and (2) the current serious threat of anthropogenic climate change.”
The Tansley Review series in New Phytologist was initiated in 1985 to provide a service to the international community of plant scientists. These specially invited, in-depth reviews have proved to be both authoritative and accessible – all are written by scientists engaged in the most exciting, ground-breaking research and, in keeping with Tansley’s philosophy, a personal perspective, with lively and thought-provoking discussion, is encouraged.
A typical Tansley Review is 6,000 to 8,000 words, with up to 150 references.
“These are initiated by invitation only, so receipt of the invitation is quite an honor,” Gilliam said. “Invitation alone, however, does not guarantee publication. The manuscript must undergo the intense scrutiny of peer review for acceptance. This is a particular honor for me because Tansley has always been a professional ‘hero’ of mine.”