Federico Carlos Lehmann Valencia (March 23, 1914 – 1974) was a Colombian

ornithologist Ornithology is a branch of zoology that concerns the "methodological study and consequent knowledge of birds with all that relates to them." Several aspects of ornithology differ from related disciplines, due partly to the high visibility and th ...

, plant collector, and

conservation biologist Conservation biology is the study of the conservation of nature and of Earth's biodiversity with the aim of protecting species, their habitats, and ecosystems from excessive rates of extinction and the erosion of biotic interactions. It is an int ...

Early years

Lehmann Valencia was born in the city of Popayán, in Cauca, Colombia. His grandfather,

Friedrich Carl Lehmann Friedrich Carl Lehmann (27 November 1850 – 23 November 1903) was a German Consul to Colombia, mining engineer, amateur botanist and mycologist, and botanical collector. Career Lehmann conducted explorations in search of specimens of flora in th ...

, a Colombia-based German explorer, had died while crossing the Río Timbiqui; his father, Federico Carlos Lehmann Mosquera was widowed when his son was born, and Lehmann Valencia was largely brought up by his grandmother who encouraged his interest in geography and natural history. Lehmann Valencia studied at the

University of Cauca The Universidad del Cauca is a public institution of higher education located in the city of Popayán, capital of the department of Cauca, Colombia. It was created on April 24, 1827, by Decree by the President Francisco de Paula Santander, civ ...

in Popayán from 1929 to 1934.

Career

Museo de Ciencias Naturales Federico Carlos Lehmann 19

In 1938 Lehmann Valencia accepted a job in the Institute of Botany at the

National University of Colombia The National University of Colombia () is a national public research university in Colombia, with general campuses in Bogotá, Medellín, Manizales and Palmira, and satellite campuses in Leticia, San Andrés, Arauca, Tumaco, and La Paz, Ces ...

Bogotá Bogotá (, also , , ), officially Bogotá, Distrito Capital, abbreviated Bogotá, D.C., and formerly known as Santa Fe de Bogotá (; ) during the Spanish period and between 1991 and 2000, is the capital city of Colombia, and one of the larges ...

. There he was put in charge of the

collection Collection or Collections may refer to: * Cash collection, the function of an accounts receivable department * Collection (church), money donated by the congregation during a church service * Collection agency, agency to collect cash * Collectio ...

of animal specimens, travelling throughout the country to build up the collection, and becoming increasingly interested in ornithology and in environmental protection. He became involved with the International Council for Bird Preservation (now

BirdLife International BirdLife International is a global partnership of non-governmental organizations that strives to conserve birds and their habitats. BirdLife International's priorities include preventing extinction of bird species, identifying and safeguarding ...

) and during the 1940s and 1950s worked to promote conservation legislation.JSTOR Plant Science From 1956 to 1961 Lehmann Valencia was the assessor of natural resources for the Ministry of Agriculture in the departments of

Valle Valle may refer to: * Valle (surname) Geography *"Valle", the cultural and climatic zone of the dry subtropical Interandean Valles of the Andes of Peru, Bolivia, and northwest Argentina *University of Valle, a public university in Cali, Colombia ...

and Cauca, his work leading to the creation of new protected areas, the Laguna de Sonso Nature Reserve, the

Farallones de Cali National Natural Park Farallones de Cali is a cluster of mountains in the West Andes of Colombia. It is located west of the city of Cali and gives rise to many of the rivers that provide water and electricity to Cali. The PNN Farallones de Cali encompasses in t ...

, the Puracé National Natural Park, and the Los Nevados National Natural Park. He also took part in a project at the

University of Valle The University of Valle ( es, Universidad del Valle), also called Univalle, is a public, departmental, coeducational, research university based primarily in the city of Cali, Valle del Cauca, Colombia. It is the largest higher education inst ...

Cali Santiago de Cali (), or Cali, is the capital of the Valle del Cauca department, and the most populous city in southwest Colombia, with 2,227,642 residents according to the 2018 census. The city spans with of urban area, making Cali the second ...

, collecting and classifying the birds of western Colombia. In 1963 he founded the departmental Museum of Natural Sciences in Cali which was named after him after his death in 1974.

Legacy

Lehmann Valencia is commemorated in the scientific name of a species of lizard, '' Alopoglossus lehmanni'', which is endemic to Colombia. He is also commemorated in the names of three species of frogs: '' Eleutherodactylus lehmanvalenciae'' (junior synonym of '' Pristimantis moro''), '' Hyloxalus lehmanni'', and ''Oophaga lehmanni'' ( Lehmann's poison frog).Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2013). ''The Eponym Dictionary of Amphibians''. Exeter, England: Pelagic Publishing Ltd. xiii + 262 pp. . ("Lehmann(-Valencia)", p. 122).

Personal life

He married Ana Luisa Olano Arboleda. Together they had three children.

References

Notes

Sources

* (In Spanish) * {{DEFAULTSORT:Lehmann, Federico Carlos 1914 births 1974 deaths People from Popayán University of Cauca alumni Academic staff of the National University of Colombia Colombian ornithologists 20th-century Colombian zoologists