Previous Fora / 2003
Speakers
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Professor Thomas Rosswall |
| Executive Director ICSU |
Executive Director of International Council of Scientific Union (ICSU http://www.icsu.org/)
Before joining ICSU in 2002, he was Director of International Foundation for Science (IFS http://www.ifs.se/).
The first major research project Thomas Rosswall was involved with was at the International Biological Programme (IBP) during the early 1970s. This was the first terrestrial ecosystem project in Sweden; in particular, his work quantified carbon and nitrogen flows through the communities of a subarctic mire and documented for the first time the importance of methane production in subarctic mires. Rosswall was also instrumental in the international effort as Secretary to the International Steering Committee for the Programme. The collaborative work resulted in a number of common field experiments and Rosswall edited two synthesis volumes and published several papers on this work.
The Swedish Natural Science Research Council (NFR) decided to put priority on ecosystem research in the early 1970s, and Rosswall was one of the key people responsible for the development of the Swedish Coniferous Forest Research Project. Apart from managerial functions, he was responsible for studies on interactions between microorganisms-soil/animals-plant roots and their role for the mineralization of carbon and nitrogen. In order to describe changes in bacterial communities, a finger-printing method was developed, which was later utilized to describe communities in the different IBP tundra biome sites; lakes with different degrees of eutrophication; pesticide applications or soil acidification; and to describe the use of factor analysis in such studies.
Rosswall's work on C and N cycling in tundra and coniferous forest ecosystems led to his involvement in the development of a SCOPE http://www.icsu-scope.org/ project on global biogeochemical cycles. Rosswall became head of the SCOPE/UNEP International Nitrogen Unit at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences 1978-1980. Rosswall served on the SCOPE Executive Committee for many years and was its Secretary-General 1986-1988.
Rosswall continued to focus his research on nitrogen cycling and joined in 1980 the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) as Principal Investigator on the project Ecology of Arable Land. Rosswall organized two major international symposia to summarize current knowledge on the N cycle. An important part of the work was the quantification of denitrification losses after the early developments on an acetylene assay methodology later developed to distinguish between nitrous oxide losses from nitrification and denitrification. Nitrous oxide production was considered especially important, since its role as a greenhouse gas had become evident. Special attention was given to the regulatory role of water content and cropping system on the gaseous losses. Methods were developed to correlate soil moisture monitored through remote sensing (IR-band) with denitrification estimates.
Rosswall was appointed Assistant Professor in Microbiology (1980) and Associate Professor in Soil Ecology (1984). In 1984, he was appointed professor at the University of Linkšping. In this new capacity, in a department with both natural and social scientists, his research focused on two major issues: (1) land and water use management in the tropics, with special emphasis on C and N cycling, and (2) the effect of microbial processes on metal mobility in terrestrial ecosystems.
As a continuation of his early work on global biogeochemical cycles, Rosswall was a co-organizer of a SCOPE workshop in 1985 to address the issue of scales as a means of understanding the functioning of the global ecosystem. In 1987, Rosswall became the first Director of the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme - A Study of Global Change (IGBP http://www.igbp.kva.se/cgi-bin/php/frameset.php), where he established an institutional framework, with linkages to international political agreements following UNCED in Rio de Janeiro, for scientists to promote a better understanding of the global ecosystem. During his leadership, this major international research programme was defined and its early implementation phase was successfully initiated. He played a crucial role in developing links between different scientific disciplines, between natural and social sciences as well as between the science and the policy communities.
Rosswall has been active as a researcher, an educator, and an adviser and manager for a number of major scientific programmes and collaboration efforts at the national and international levels for more than three decades. His research has focused on microbial ecology, soil nutrient dynamics and land and water use management in temperate and tropical regions.
During 1992-1993 he developed plans for START. START is a plan for the development of an international network of regional research centres and sites to gather data and study global change problems in their regional contexts. These regions are identified. Issues to be addressed are: How changes in land use and industrial practices alter the water cycles, atmospheric chemistry and ecosystems dynamics; how regional changes affect global biogeochemical cycles and climate; and how global change leads to further regional change in the biospheric life support system. (System for Analysis, Research and Training) of the IGBP, the World Climate Research Programme, and the Human Dimensions of Global Environmental Change Programme. He became the first Director of the International START Secretariat located in Washington, DC. A major effort was made to develop regional networking to strengthen the abilities of developing countries to take part in the international research collaboration dealing with global issues and underpinning the work on the climate convention, biodiversity convention, etc.
In 1994, Rosswall was appointed Rector (President) of the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU http://www.slu.se/). The university has a total staff of 3,500 and four major campuses. Under his guidance, SLU developed a strategy plan to become one of the foremost agricultural universities in Europe. It is the largest Swedish university in the biological and environmental sciences research. He has also been instrumental in developing close collaborative links and a common organizational framework for universities and faculties of agriculture, forestry, and veterinary medicine in the Nordic countries. He also serves on the Executive Committee of ICA, the organization linking all agricultural universities in Europe.
During recent years he has had many national appointments at the governmental level and continued his interest in international scientific collaboration, through major appointments for OECD and UNESCO.
Rosswall has been instrumental, in the development of microbial ecology, both nationally and internationally. His leadership in major ecosystem projects has been important not only for ecosystem sciences in Sweden, but also for the development of international networks that have fostered intensive collaboration between scientists in many countries. His efforts to link scientists in the North to those in the South as well as to promote South-South networks should also be noted.
It is a challenge not only for the S&T community (The Science and Technology Community) but also for governments to break down sectoral barriers and develop programmes of work that integrates the three pillars of sustainable development. We can make this happen, if we work closely together and learn from each other. We pledge the commitment of our community in the daunting challenge of moving from words to action.
"We need to create a science for sustainable development." says Thomas Rosswall
If all nations of the world are to move towards ecologically sustainable societies, wise management of our natural resource base is of paramount importance. Only by sustainable use of biological resources can we provide food security and equitable rural development, while conserving the resource base for generations to come.
More http://www.ifs.se/Newsletter/IfsNews/IFS_news_7.pdf
The role of science and technology in sustainable development
(Report of the Scientific and Technological Community to the World Summit on Sustainable Development)
http://www.icsu.org/index2.htm?http.icsu.org/events/WSSD/CSD11.html
http://www.icsu.org/index2.htm?http&&&www.icsu.org/events/WSSD/CSD11.html
Science, Traditional Knowledge and Sustainable Development
(Report of the Scientific and Technological Community to the World Summit on Sustainable Development)
http://www.icsu.org/index2.htm
Scientific research and technological innovations are essential drivers of economic development and poverty reduction