Ecologist Carlos M. Herrera participates in the new edition of the Ramon Margalef Forum at the Faculty of Biology

Carlos M. Herrera (Seville, 1952), a researcher at the Doñana Biological Station (EBD, CSIC), received the distinction from the Government of Catalonia on 8 October in recognition of his merits “for combining his naturalistic vision with fundamental scientific principles”. The jury highlighted the expert’s contributions to evolutionary ecology, especially in the interactions between plants and animals: “Based on the detail of specific concrete interactions, Professor Herrera has developed general eco-evolutionary principles and has become an international reference in research on eco-evolutionary processes”.

Herrera began his research career with studies on the consumption of fruit by birds in Mediterranean ecosystems, and he later broadened these lines with the study of seed dispersal and pollination ecology. He has been one of the first experts to appreciate the importance of phylogenetic inertia and historical contingency in understanding patterns of interaction between plants and animals, beyond the ecological context. More recently, Herrera has also opened up new perspectives by identifying the ecological importance of plant epigenetics.

Ramon Margalef Awards: a scientific event at the Faculty of Biology

The Ramon Margalef Forum is now a classic scientific event at the UB’s Faculty of Biology. The initiative aims to facilitate dialogue and scientific debate between the winners of the prize — inspired by Professor Margalef, the first professor of Ecology in Spain — and the students of the Faculty of Biology who study subjects related to the environment. It is organized by the Ecology Section of the UB’s Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences in collaboration with the Government of Catalonia.

The new edition of the Forum is called “Perspectives of Ecology and Evolution”, and will begin with an event chaired by Rosina Gironès, Dean of the Faculty of Biology, and Santi Sabaté, Director of the Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences and also a member of the Centre for Ecological Research and Forestry Applications (CREAF).

The programme includes a colloquium with the participation of the laureate Carlos M. Herrera; Anna Traveset, from the Mediterranean Institute for Advanced Studies (IMEDEA, CSIC-UIB); Jordi Bascompte, from the University of Zurich (Switzerland); Juli G. Pausas, from the Desertification Research Centre (CIDE, CSIC), and Laura Baldo, from the Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences and the Biodiversity Research Institute of the UB (IRBio).

Young students, researchers and experts will also be able to debate and share knowledge with the expert Carlos M. Herrera in the afternoon session (from 4.00 p.m. to 6.00 p.m.), which will be led by Professor Pol Capdevila, from the Faculty of Biology and IRBio. It will also be possible to visit a scientific exhibition of Herrera's research work in the spaces of the CRAI Biology Library, as part of an exhibition initiative promoted by Professor Narcís Prat.

Twenty years of awards in ecological sciences

Coinciding with the twentieth anniversary of the Ramon Margalef Award, on Thursday 10 October at 10.00 a.m., the Aula Magna of the Faculty of Biology will host a scientific session in which five winners of the award will speak: the experts Josep Peñuelas (2016), Jordi Bascompte (2021), Gretchen Daily (2022), Marten Scheffer (2023) and Carlos M. Herrera (2024). Dean Rosina Gironès, Santi Sabaté (UB, CREAF), Joandomènec Ros (Institute for Catalan Studies), Jaume Terrades (CREAF) and Marta Estrada (Institute of Marine Sciences, CSIC) will open the session, titled “Perspectives and challenges of ecology in a fast-changing biosphere”. It will be open to debate and discussion with the audience and will be moderated by the expert Sandra Nogué (UAB, CREAF).

Since 2004, the Government of Catalonia has awarded the Ramon Margalef Ecology Prize in recognition of scientific careers or discoveries in ecological sciences that promote the progress of scientific knowledge and the improvement of the management of natural resources, the territory or the ecosystems that surround us. The award is inspired by the figure of Professor Ramon Margalef, Emeritus Professor at the University of Barcelona — and the first Professor of Ecology in Spain — and a reference for generations of ecologists around the world.