Howard T. Odum and wetland ecology

Abstract

Howard Thomas Odum (1924-2003) was an important transitional figure in the development of wetland ecology in the United States. Although he was educated before wetland ecology became a recognized subdiscipline of ecology, his research during the first half of his academic career (ca. 1950 to 1975) was focused primarily on wetlands. By the early 1970s, he was self-identifying as a wetland ecologist, e.g., by establishing the Center for Wetlands at the University of Florida. Although Odum was interested in much more than wetlands, especially during the last half of his lengthy career, he contributed significantly to increasing the visibility of wetlands and to the development of wetland ecology in four principal ways: (1) his innovative and influential research on the trophic structure of Silver Springs, a riverine wetland; (2) his highly visible research on the use of Cypress Domes to treat waste water; (3) his establishment of a major academic, wetland research institute, the Center for Wetlands; and (4) his many graduate students who obtained influential jobs in academia, government agencies and private companies. When Odum started his academic career wetland ecology did not exist. Halfway through it, wetland ecology began to arise as a distinct discipline and Odum was one of the major reason why this happened.