Charles Henry Gimingham (28 April 1923 – 19 June 2018)Charles Henry Gimingham
/ref> was a British

botanist Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek wo ...

at the

University of Aberdeen The University of Aberdeen ( sco, University o' 'Aiberdeen; abbreviated as ''Aberd.'' in List of post-nominal letters (United Kingdom), post-nominals; gd, Oilthigh Obar Dheathain) is a public university, public research university in Aberdeen, Sc ...

, patron of the

Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management An institute is an organisational body created for a certain purpose. They are often research organisations ( research institutes) created to do research on specific topics, or can also be a professional body. In some countries, institutes ca ...

, former president of the

British Ecological Society The British Ecological Society is a learned society in the field of ecology that was founded in 1913. It is the oldest ecological society in the world. The Society's original objective was "to promote and foster the study of Ecology in its widest ...

, and one of the leading researchers of

heathlands A heath () is a shrubland habitat (ecology), habitat found mainly on free-draining infertile, acidic soils and characterised by open, low-growing woody vegetation. Moorland is generally related to high-ground heaths with—especially in Great B ...

and

heathers ''Heathers'' is a 1989 American black comedy film written by Daniel Waters and directed by Michael Lehmann, in both of their respective film debuts. The film stars Winona Ryder, Christian Slater, Shannen Doherty, Lisanne Falk, Kim Walker, and ...

Early life and education

Gimingham was the son of Conrad Theodore Gimingham, of

Harpenden Harpenden () is a town and civil parish in the City and District of St Albans in the county of Hertfordshire, England. The population of the built-up area was 30,240 in the 2011 census, whilst the population of the civil parish was 29,448. Har ...

Hertfordshire Hertfordshire ( or ; often abbreviated Herts) is one of the home counties in southern England. It borders Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire to the north, Essex to the east, Greater London to the south, and Buckinghamshire to the west. For govern ...

, and Muriel Elizabeth (née Blake).GIMINGHAM, Prof. Charles Henry
at xreferplus.com from

Who's Who ''Who's Who'' (or ''Who is Who'') is the title of a number of reference publications, generally containing concise biography, biographical information on the prominent people of a country. The title has been adopted as an expression meaning a gr ...

online (accessed 11 November 2007) He was named after his grandfather, another Charles Henry Gimingham, an eminent British

entomologist Entomology () is the scientific study of insects, a branch of zoology. In the past the term "insect" was less specific, and historically the definition of entomology would also include the study of animals in other arthropod groups, such as arach ...

who was President of the Association of Applied Biologists. Gimingham was educated at

Gresham's School Gresham's School is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school (English Independent school (United Kingdom), independent Day school, day and boarding school) in Holt, Norfolk, Holt, Norfolk, England, one of the top thirty International Bac ...

Holt Holt or holte may refer to: Natural world *Holt (den), an otter den * Holt, an area of woodland Places Australia * Holt, Australian Capital Territory * Division of Holt, an electoral district in the Australian House of Representatives in Vic ...

, and

Emmanuel College, Cambridge Emmanuel College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college was founded in 1584 by Sir Walter Mildmay, Chancellor of the Exchequer to Elizabeth I. The site on which the college sits was once a priory for Dominican mon ...

, where he was an open Scholar and graduated BA in 1944, then at

Aberdeen University , mottoeng = The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom , established = , type = Public research universityAncient university , endowment = £58.4 million (2021) , budget ...

, graduating

Doctor of Philosophy A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common Academic degree, degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields ...

Career

Gimingham began his career as a Research Assistant, first at

Imperial College, London Imperial College London (legally Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine) is a public research university in London, United Kingdom. Its history began with Prince Albert, consort of Queen Victoria, who developed his vision for a cu ...

from 1944–1945, then at the

from 1946–1948. He continued his academic career in Aberdeen, becoming a lecturer in 1948, a senior lecturer in 1961, a Reader in Botany in 1964, a Professor in 1969, and a Regius Professor in 1981, a post he held until 1988. He was also a member of several governing bodies and advisory boards related to his field, including the

Countryside Commission for Scotland The Countryside Commission for Scotland was a statutory body in Scotland that was established by the Countryside (Scotland) Act 1967. Its role was to provide, develop and improve facilities for the enjoyment of the Scottish countryside, and to cons ...

(1980–92), the Board of Management of the

Hill Farming Research Organisation A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. It often has a distinct summit. Terminology The distinction between a hill and a mountain is unclear and largely subjective, but a hill is universally considered to be not a ...

(1981–87), the Council of Management of the

Macaulay Institute The Macaulay Institute, formally the Macaulay Land Use Research Institute and sometimes referred to simply as The Macaulay, is a research institute based at Aberdeen in Scotland, which is now part of the James Hutton Institute. Its work covers ...

for Soil Research (1983–87), the Governing Body of the Macaulay Land Use Research Institute (1987–90), the Advisory Board of

Robert Gordon University Robert Gordon University, commonly called RGU, is a public university in the city of Aberdeen, Scotland. It became a university in 1992, and originated from an educational institution founded in the 18th century by Robert Gordon (philanthropist), ...

Heritage Unit, the Scientific Advisory Committee of

Scottish Natural Heritage NatureScot ( gd, NàdarAlba), which was formerly known as Scottish Natural Heritage, is an executive non-departmental public body of the Scottish Government responsible for the country's natural heritage, especially its natural, genetic and ...

(1996–99), the Scientific Advisory Panel of RSK Environment Ltd, and the Mar Lodge Estate Management Committee of

National Trust for Scotland The National Trust for Scotland for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, commonly known as the National Trust for Scotland ( gd, Urras Nàiseanta na h-Alba), is a Scottish conservation organisation. It is the largest membership organ ...

. He was also the convenor of the

English Nature English Nature was the United Kingdom government agency that promoted the conservation of wildlife, geology and wild places throughout England between 1990 and 2006. It was a non-departmental public body funded by the Department for Environmen ...

Heathlands Committee from 1981 to 1995. He was also a member of the Governing Body of Aberdeen College of Education (1979–87), and served as editor of the ''Outline Studies in Ecology'' series, and on the editorial board of the ''Botanical Journal of Scotland''.

Honours

*1938-1940: President of the Association of Applied Biologists *1961: Fellow of the

Royal Society of Edinburgh The Royal Society of Edinburgh is Scotland's national academy of science and letters. It is a registered charity that operates on a wholly independent and non-partisan basis and provides public benefit throughout Scotland. It was established i ...

*1967: Fellow of the Institute of Biology *1974: Member of the

Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

*1977: ScD degree,

Cambridge University , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

*1982–1984: President of the

Botanical Society of Edinburgh The Botanical Society of Scotland (BSS) is the national learned society for botanists of Scotland. The Society's aims are to advance knowledge and appreciation of flowering and cryptogamic plants, algae and fungi. The Society's activities includ ...

*1986: President of the

*1988: Emeritus Professor,

*1990: Officer of the Order of the British Empire *2000: Patron of th
Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management
ref name=ww/> *2004: Honorary British Fellow
Botanical Society of Scotland
ref name=ww/> *2004: President of the Heather Trust *2004: Honorary Member of the

Family

In 1948, Gimingham married Elizabeth Caroline, the only daughter of J. Wilson Baird, DD, Minister of

St Machar's Cathedral St Machar's Cathedral usually called Old Machar (Scottish Gaelic: Cathair-eaglais Naomh Machar), (or, more formally, the Cathedral Church of St Machar) is a Church of Scotland church in Aberdeen, Scotland. It is located to the north of the c ...

Aberdeen Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), and ...

, and they have three daughters.

Books

*Ecology of Heathlands (Chapman and Hall, London, 1972) *An Introduction to Heathland Ecology (Oliver & Boyd, 1975) *Methods for the Measurement of the Primary Production of Grassland (with C. Milner, R. E. Hughes, G. R. Miller and R. O. Slayter, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 1968) *The Lowland Heathland Management Handbook (English Nature, Peterborough, 1992) * Ecology, Conservation and Land Use of the Cairngorms (Packard Publishing, 1999, ed.)

Publications

* A Note on Water-Table, Sand Movement and Plant Distribution in a North African Oasis *Tussock Formation in Ammophila arenaria (with P. Greig-Smith and A. R. Gemmell, New Phytologist, Vol. 46, 1947) *The Use of Life Form and Growth Form in the Analysis of Community Structure as Illustrated by a Comparison of Two Dune Communities (Journal of Ecology, 1951) * Investigation of Correlations between Growth Form and Habitat in Mosses (with Miss E.M. Burnett, British Bryological Society, 1952) *Development of a Soil Microflora in Relation to Plant Succession on Sand- Dunes, Including the Rhizosphere Flora Associated with Colonizing Species (with D. M. Webley and D. J. Eastwood, Journal of Ecology, 1952) * A Note on the Behaviour of Ammophila arenaria (L) Link. in relation to sand-dune formation (with A. R Gemmell and P. Greig-Smith,

Transactions of the Botanical Society of Edinburgh The Botanical Society of Scotland (BSS) is the national learned society for botanists of Scotland. The Society's aims are to advance knowledge and appreciation of flowering and cryptogamic plants, algae and fungi. The Society's activities includ ...

, 1953) *Ecological Studies on Growth-Form in Bryophytes: I. Correlations Between Growth-Form and Habitat (with Evelyn M. Birse, Journal of Ecology, 1957) *Biological Flora of the British Isles: Calluna vulgaris (Journal of Ecology, 1960) *Calluna Salisb. (Journal of Ecology, 1960) *North European Heath Communities: A Network of Variation (Journal of Ecology, 1961) * The Effects of Fire on Regeneration of Calluna Vulgaris (with E. Whittaker, Journal of Ecology, 1962) *Litter Production by Calluna Vulgaris (L.) Hull (with E. Cormack, Journal of Ecology, 1964) *The Monoculture of Heather Calluna Vulgaris and its effects on Hill Grazings (1960) *Vegetative Regeneration of Calluna Vulgaris after Fire (with A. J. Kayll, Journal of Ecology, Vol. 53, 1965) *Interpretation of a Vegetational Mosaic on Limestone in the Island of Gotland (with N. M. Pritchard and R. M. Cormack, Journal of Ecology, 1966) *Quantitative Community Analysis and Bryophyte Ecology on Signy Island (Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London, 1967) *The Description and Interpretation of Cyclical Processes in a Heath Community: I. Vegetational Change in Relation to the Calluna Cycle (with P. Barclay-Estrup, Journal of Ecology, 1969) *The Morphology of Vegetative Regeneration in Calluna vulgaris (with B. F. Mohamed, New Phytologist, 1970) * The Loch of Strathbeg (with W. R. P. Bourne, N. C. Morgan and R. H. Britton, Nature 242, 1973) * Some Effects of Fire and Grazing on Heath Vegetation (with R.J. Hobbs, Bulletin of Ecology, 1980) *Conservation: European Heathlands (in Ecosystems of the World, ed. R.L. Sprecht, Elsevier, Amsterdam, 1981) *The Effects of Planting Technique on the Growth of Ammophila arenaria (with R. J. Hobbs and W. T. Band, Journal of Applied Ecology, 1983) *Ecological Effects of Heather Burning: I. Water Infiltration, Moisture Retention and Porosity of Surface Soil (with A. U. Mallik and A. A. Rahman, Journal of Ecology, 1984) *Germination and Establishment of Seedlings in Different Phases of the Calluna Life-Cycle in a Scottish Heathland (with E. Dehullu, Vegetatio, 1984) *Studies on Fire in Scottish Heathland Communities: I. Fire Characteristics (with R. J. Hobbs, Journal of Ecology, 1984) *Studies on Fire in Scottish Heathland Communities II. Post-Fire Vegetation Development (with R. J. Hobbs, Journal of Ecology, 1984) *Studies on Fire in Scottish Heathland Communities: III. Vital Attributes of the Species (with R. J. Hobbs and A. U. Mallik, Journal of Ecology, 1984) *The Use of Thermocolour Pyrometers in the Study of Heath Fire Behaviour (with R. J. Hobbs and J. E. P. Currall, Journal of Ecology, 1984) *Ecological Effects of Heather Burning: II Effects on Seed Germination and Vegetative Regeneration (with A. U. Mallik, Journal of Ecology, 1985) *Vegetation, Fire and Herbivore Interactions in Heathland (with R. J. Hobbs, Advances in Ecological Research, 1987) *Harnessing the Winds of Change: Heathland Ecology in Retrospect and Prospect: Presidential Address to the British Ecological Society, December 1986 (Journal of Ecology, 1987) *Experimental Investigation of Bryophyte Interactions on a Dry Heathland (with E. Scandrett, Journal of Ecology, 1989) *A Model of Calluna Population-Dynamics - the Effects of Varying Seed and Vegetative Regeneration (with E. Scandrett, Vegetatio, 1989) *Coastal Sand Dunes, proceedings of the Symposium organised by the Royal Society of Edinburgh (with W Ritchie, BB Willetts and AJ Willis, Royal Society of Edinburgh, 1989) *Succession from Heather Moorland to Birch Woodland: I Experimental Alteration of Specific Environmental Conditions in the Field (with A. J. Hester and J. Miles, Journal of Ecology, 1991) *Succession from Heather Moorland to Birch Woodland: II Growth and Competition Between Vaccinium Myrtillus, Deschampsia Flexuosa and Agrostis Capillaris (with A. J. Hester and J. Miles, Journal of Ecology, 1991) * The Effect of Heather Beetle Lochmaea Suturalis on Vegetation in a Wet Heath in NE Scotland (with Eurig Scandrett, Ecography, 1991) *Succession from Heather Moorland to Birch Woodland: III Seed Availability, Germination and Early Growth (with A. J. Hester and J. Miles, Journal of Ecology, 1991) *Seed-Shedding in a Scottish Heath Community (with P. Barclay-Estrup, Journal of Vegetation Science, 1994) * An Overview of Scottish Habitats (Botanical Journal of Scotland, 2002)

References

External links

Professor C.H. Gimingham at Aberdeen UniversityFellows of the Royal Society of EdinburghThe Heather Trust
* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20060427003336/http://www.snh.org.uk/publications/on-line/corporate/AnnRep98-99/p1-ar18.asp Scottish Natural Heritage {{DEFAULTSORT:Gimingham, Charles Henry 1923 births 2018 deaths Alumni of Emmanuel College, Cambridge 20th-century British botanists People educated at Gresham's School Alumni of the University of Aberdeen Officers of the Order of the British Empire Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh Academics of the University of Aberdeen Fellows of the Royal Society of Biology Presidents of the Association of Applied Biologists