“Acceptance Speech” Frontiers of Knowledge Award 2021 in Ecology and Conservation Biology

Acceptance speech by Mark Westoby, winner of the 2021 Frontiers of Knowledge Award in Ecology and Conservation Biology, who was honored alongside Sandra Díaz and Sandra Lavorel for their pioneering contributions to the study of plant functional diversity. Their research has linked physical characteristics of plant species, such as leaf size, height and seeds, to their roles in ecosystems, establishing global patterns that help explain biodiversity and predict the effects of environmental change.

Westoby proposes developing a classification of ecological strategies comparable to a periodic table, capable of explaining the diversity of plant forms and functions. To illustrate this approach, he describes the leaf economics spectrum, which relates the construction cost of leaves to their lifespan and ability to capture energy. Through this comparison, he explains how different plant

Acceptance speech by Mark Westoby, winner of the 2021 Frontiers of Knowledge Award in Ecology and Conservation Biology, who was honored alongside Sandra Díaz and Sandra Lavorel for their pioneering contributions to the study of plant functional diversity. Their research has linked physical characteristics of plant species, such as leaf size, height and seeds, to their roles in ecosystems, establishing global patterns that help explain biodiversity and predict the effects of environmental change.

Westoby proposes developing a classification of ecological strategies comparable to a periodic table, capable of explaining the diversity of plant forms and functions. To illustrate this approach, he describes the leaf economics spectrum, which relates the construction cost of leaves to their lifespan and ability to capture energy. Through this comparison, he explains how different plant strategies determine ecosystem functioning and argues that, in the face of climate change, conservation must be complemented by the knowledge needed to build the ecosystems of the future.