Oliver Gilbert
- Born
- 7 September 1936
- Died
- 15 May 2005 (age 68)
Oliver Gilbert was a pioneer ecologist who specialised in urban ecology and post-industrial landscapes, lichenology and exotic plants. He carried out work on lichens as indicators of air pollution at a time when very little was known about these plants.
Gilbert was fascinated by plants by the age of three, and by his late teens, he had searched for alpine flowers across Britain and the Alps. He read Botany at Exeter University and then went on to study fungal diseases at Imperial College in London.
Gilbert became deputy warden at Malham Tarn Field Centre in Yorkshire and his interest in lichens was sparked when he met Arthur Wade, who ran courses there. Gilbert registered for a PhD in 1964 at Newcastle and his thesis, Biological Indicators of Air Pollution, was published in 1968. This showed how the diversity of flora decreased the closer one moved to an area of pollution. He became editor of the British Lichen Society’s twice yearly bulletin in 1979.
Gilbert was interested in ‘alien’ species, urban woodlands, and the flora that was found on post-industrial sites. He pioneered interest in urban ecology and habitats, along with George Barker. He was one of the first academic ecologists to study the urban environment in depth, and he coined the term ‘the urban commons’. His book, The Ecology of Urban Habitats, is still a key text.
Gilbert and his band probably came as close as any in modern times to the spirit of the bygone plant-hunters. Thanks to their work, carried out over three decades, the British lichen flora is now among the best studied and recorded in the world.
Peter Marren, Obituary in the Independent, Weds 18 May 2005
He was able to find rare plants and lichens that many others overlooked and challenged conventional wisdom that particular habitats, such as urban habitats, were not interesting. He also challenged conventional thinking on ‘alien’ species such as sycamore and Japanese Knotweed.
Gilbert undertook many journeys to find lichen species and camped out on remote islands. There are almost 2000 species in Britain. He wrote Lichens in 2000 and The Lichen Hunters in 2004.