Renowned tropical ecologist Thomas Lovejoy discusses his half-century of research in the Amazon in a lecture at Paepcke Auditorium on March 8, 2016 entitled “The Land of Cinnamon and Gold: 500 Years of Amazon Exploration and Science.” Lovejoy presents an overview of exploration and science in the Amazon basin from the first non-indigenous navigation of the world’s biggest river to issues of possible die-back today.
At the core his work are Lovejoy’s seminal ideas, which have formed and strengthened the field of conservation biology. He was the first to use the term “biological diversity” in 1980. In the 1980’s he brought international attention to the world’s tropical rainforest, and in particular, the Brazillian Amazon, where he has worked since 1965.
