Thomas E Lovejoy, a leadingConservation Biologist who was credited with popularizing the term "biological diversity" has died. He died at 80.
He was the director of the Institute for a sustainable Earth at George Mason University.
In the late 1970s, Lovejoy began referring to biological diversity as the rich variety of life on Earth. It has become one of the most important themes of the age of climate crisis.
Lovejoy, a leading extinction researcher, found that habitat destruction, pollution and global warming were killing off species around the world.
He called for restoring forests to encourage regrowth of native plants and animals and for protecting large tracts of water and land.
Nature, a show on US public television featuring stunning footage from the world's ecosystems, was founded by Lovejoy.
He was working for the World Wildlife Fund at the time of the show.
He became a passionate advocate for tropical rainforests after researching in the Amazon in the 1960s. He helped run a project in Brazil.
Lovejoy was given a grant by the National Geographic Society in 1971 to study rainforest birds in the Amazon and he played various roles with the society over the next five decades.
Tom was an extraordinary scientist, professor, adviser and unyielding champion for our planet, according to National Geographic's chief executive officer.
He was a science and environment adviser under several different presidents.
