Information of Organization
Home >
Ramon Margalef Prize > Presentation of the Prize
Starting from the second half of the 20th century, ecology evolves as a distinct science. In the last quarter of the century, the leading principles and concepts of this science have led to the development of many technical and scientific skills relevant to the management of natural resources and land use, and at the same time have contributed to reveal new approaches to socio-economic knowledge.
Professor Ramon Margalef i Lopez (1919-2004) has been one of the leading scholars and thinkers in the ecological sciences, who would undertake to the very end an intellectual contribution of the highest order. In a very unfavourable socio-economic context, in post-war Spain and under the Franco regime, Margalef was able to place ecological research and thinking in Catalonia at the highest international level and thus create a true school of thought. In fact, the personality of Ramon Margalef has contributed decisively to the development of modern ecological science, to the point of his being considered one of the highest figures in the scientific world, in a great measure thanks to having been able to interpret natural systems in terms of information theory.
With this background, the Presidency of the Autonomous Government of Catalonia has decided to honour the memory of Ramon Margalef by establishing an international prize in his name. The Ramon Margalef Prize in Ecology and Environmental Sciences, worth 100.000 euros, is the most important prize awarded by this institution, aiming at recognizing those persons from different places in the world distinguished in the field of ecology or the environmental sciences.
Professor Ramon Margalef i Lopez (1919-2004) has been one of the leading scholars and thinkers in the ecological sciences, who would undertake to the very end an intellectual contribution of the highest order. In a very unfavourable socio-economic context, in post-war Spain and under the Franco regime, Margalef was able to place ecological research and thinking in Catalonia at the highest international level and thus create a true school of thought. In fact, the personality of Ramon Margalef has contributed decisively to the development of modern ecological science, to the point of his being considered one of the highest figures in the scientific world, in a great measure thanks to having been able to interpret natural systems in terms of information theory.
With this background, the Presidency of the Autonomous Government of Catalonia has decided to honour the memory of Ramon Margalef by establishing an international prize in his name. The Ramon Margalef Prize in Ecology and Environmental Sciences, worth 100.000 euros, is the most important prize awarded by this institution, aiming at recognizing those persons from different places in the world distinguished in the field of ecology or the environmental sciences.