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Bibliography of Christen Raunkiær.By Henning Adsersen, Centre of Macroecology, Institute of Biology, University of Copenhagen Universitetsparken 15, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark. ADSER@BI.KU.DKChristen Raunkiær is one of the most cited plant ecologists from the early history of ecology. His main works are very well known, in Anglophone countries mainly through “The life forms of plants and plant geography “ (Clarendon Press, Oxford 1934). This book is a translation of his most significant scientific contributions from 1903-1934. There are still many references to this work but it is worthwhile to remember that the ideas presented are not from the 1930es when ecology as a discipline had its own professional researchers and several well established scientific periodicals, but from the period when ecology was in its infancy and Darwinian evolution theory was still a matter of dispute amongst professional biologists. Raunkiær was deeply involved with several other aspects of botany and ecology. Most of his production is in Danish, as well as his biographies, and a complete and continuous publication list has to my knowledge not been published in English. Some of the publications present other original ideas than his most acknowledged ones, others deal with problems in the frontier land between botany and nature conservation, and he even crosses the borders to the humanities in a foray into the text analyses of poetry. The purpose of this website is to make these publications known to a global forum, as well as to highlight important facts from his life and career. Christen Christiansen Raunkiær was born in 1860 in the heathlands of western Jutland. His parents were pioneers that established a small farm on virgin heath. During his childhood he participated in both the hard labour in the field and the more extensive work as a shepherd boy. He went to school only in wintertime but was bright and took lectures at the local vicar that prepared him for the high school. He must early have shown extraordinary abilities for he was allowed to a boarding school close to Copenhagen. Here he in 1879 acquired the student exam that gave him access to study natural history at the University in Copenhagen. He defended his masters in botany in 1885. Until 1893 he was teaching at different high schools in Copenhagen. From 1893 – 1911 he held a position as scientific assistant the Botanical Garden of Copenhagen. He became a member of the Royal Danish Academy of Science in 1902. He made a study travel to the Caribbean area in 1905-6, concentrating on the Virgin Islands (at that time a Danish colony), and to the western Mediterranean area in 1909-1910. Jan 1st 1912 he became professor in botany and director for the Botanical Garden at the University of Copenhagen. He succeeded the outstanding E. Warming, his mentor, who was one of the founders of ecology. Warming’s influence (scientifically and politically) must have had an enormous importance for the young Raunkiær, even though they later disagreed so much that Raunkiær should not be regarded as a pupil of Warming (see C. Christensen in the biography list beneath). Raunkiær resigned from his posts in 1923, 63 years old. He continued publishing all through his emeritus years; now paying more attention to other aspects of botany than the scientific approach. In 1928 he was awarded the honorary doctor degree at the University of Copenhagen. As will be seen from the list, Raunkiær is lone author of the vast majority of his publications. In a private correspondence he expressed that it was because he was an individualist and that he did not appreciate to work with others. This does not imply that he was introvert – he enjoyed excursions and discussions with colleagues and students. Raunkiær died in 1938. C. Raunkiær 1902 and around 1930 The bibliographical list is in two parts: a list of Raunkiær’s publications and a list on biographical papers on Raunkiær. Both are based on Carl Christensen’s bibliographical and historical works on botany in Denmark. In the publication list I have followed Christensen’s numbering until 1930 when Raunkiær started his publications on botany in poetry. Christensen apparently found that this activity had no justification in botanical literature. I disagree in this viewpoint: these papers underline Raunkiær’s courage and capacity to use strict and statistic approaches to new fields of science. At the same time they add important fragments to the image we have of an eminent observer and analytic scientist from the first decennia of ecology. His publications were mainly published in the series of the relevant societies in Denmark:
1934-37 he published his papers mainly in his own series Botaniske Studier (no 1-16). The titles of the publications are given in the original language and translated to English. The publications are all present at the Library of the Botanical Museum of the University of Copenhagen. Contributions to encyclopaedias and newspapers are generally not included. Danish geographical names are not translated. In English translations, Danish “ø” and “æ” are most correctly written as “oe” and “ae” , respectively. Good biographies may be found in standard biographical works (e.g. Dansk Biografisk Leksikon) and encyclopedia (including Wikipedia). The biography list does not include these. Literature: Christensen, Carl 1940: Den Danske Botaniske Litteratur 1912-1939. - Munksgaard, København Christensen, Carl 1926: Den danske Botaniks Historie. Fjerde Storhefte. - Hagerup, København Maule, Anne Fox 1979 : Botanik. Københavns Universitet 1479-1979, vol. XII. København
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