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Ludwik Tomiałojć, 1939–2020

Ludwik Tomiałojć, 1939–2020 Ludwik Tomiałojć, the renowned Polish ornithologist and conservationist, passed away June 26, 2020, at the age of 81. Ludwik was best known internationally for two contrasting long-term interests: the adaptation of birds to urban environments and the ecology of birds in primeval forest. He was named an Honorary Fellow (1990) by the American Ornithologists’ Union (now American Ornithological Society). Ludwik’s life spanned a turbulent period in Poland’s history. Born January 1, 1939 at Michałkonie (then Poland, now Michalkoni in Belarus), his family moved to Dobre Miasto (northern Poland) following the post-World War II border changes, where he spent his school years. His passion for birds and nature developed in those early years (he started to watch birds systematically when he was only 15 years old). In pursuit of his interest in birds, Ludwik studied biology, first at Toruń, then at Wrocław University. His entire professional life was to be connected with this institution. He completed undergraduate studies in 1961 and joined the university staff. He defended his doctoral thesis in 1968, was awarded his second higher degree (dr Hab.) in 1979. He became a full professor in 1994. Ludwik never married. After his retirement in 2011, he continued to work at Wrocław University as a volunteer. Ludwik began his scientific work under quite difficult circumstances. An entire generation of scientists had been annihilated during the war, and Poland was an isolated country, cut off from access to the scientific literature and to contacts with scientists abroad. This effectively meant that Ludwik, along with many colleagues from the first postwar generation, was largely self-taught. Due to the decisions taken at the Yalta Conference, Poland shifted its location on the map, losing its eastern parts and moving west to include formerly German territories. The first major task Ludwik undertook was preparation of a synthesis of Polish and German literature and publication of a checklist of birds of this “new” country. The first edition of the Birds of Poland monograph appeared in 1972. Updated versions of the monograph appeared in 1990 and in 2003 (the latter co-authored by T. Stawarczyk). He actively participated (by contributing information from Poland/writing some chapters) in the production of the major European ornithological handbooks (Handbuch der Vögel Mitteleuropas, The Birds of the Western Palearctic, The EBBC Atlas of European Breeding Birds, and Birds in Europe—Their Conservation Status). Despite the difficulties of interacting with biologists outside Poland (he was first permitted to travel beyond the Iron Curtain when he was 35), he became one of Poland’s best-known ornithologists. He managed to establish a wide network of international contacts and became “global envoy” of Polish ornithology. He attended six International Ornithological Congresses (IOCs) and was elected a corresponding member of ornithological societies in Switzerland and Germany. He was also a co-founder of the European Ornithologists’ Union. Open in new tabDownload slide Ludwik Tomiałojć, Radziądz, Poland, 2013 (photo by A. Wuczyński) Open in new tabDownload slide Ludwik Tomiałojć, Radziądz, Poland, 2013 (photo by A. Wuczyński) Ludwik’s work on urban bird populations, including colonization of cities and towns by birds, developed from his 1968 doctoral thesis. He subsequently undertook studies on Woodpigeons (Columba palumbus) that were followed by a series of papers on historical and geographical aspects of the spread of urban bird populations. Results of these studies were presented at co-convened symposia at IOCs in Moscow and Ottawa and in numerous papers. His most recent book (Birds of Wrocław over 200 Years), which appeared just a couple of weeks before his death, was devoted to urban birds as well. In the 1970s, Ludwik proposed that relatively low levels of predation in cities compared with rural areas was a key factor enabling some bird species to attain very high densities in urban environments, an idea well ahead of its time. Ludwik initiated studies of birds in primeval conditions in 1975, after a visit to England. He had noticed that the ecology and behavior of woodland birds in England were strikingly different from those of the birds inhabiting more extensive forests in central Europe. He concluded that in order to understand these differences it would be necessary to study birds living in pristine conditions, in forests free of human intervention. This reasoning led him (along with several colleagues) to establish a program of studies in primeval forests preserved in the Białowieża National Park (eastern Poland). He thought that data collected in such settings would provide a benchmark for comparisons with the results of studies conducted in highly modified forests. This study has grown into a fully-fledged long-term program. Breeding birds have been censused in representative forest plots up to the present day (46 breeding seasons). Intensive studies have been conducted of many species, with Ludwik personally undertaking work on several of them. A distinguishing feature of these studies has been a focus on the crucial role of predation in shaping the ecology, behavior, and numbers of birds in pristine forests, especially on indirect effects of predator presence (Journal of Avian Biology 36:361–367). These conclusions are now widely accepted but were far less popular in the 1970s. Ludwik led this program for the first 25 years, and then passed it on to his successors, though he continued to work on the data collected. Ludwik was also deeply engaged in developing bird census methodology. He served as a Secretary of the International Bird Census Committee (1976–1989) and carried out several field tests of census methods, mostly in Europe, but also in California (Tomiałojć and Verner 1990; The Auk 107:447–450). Conservation issues dominated his attention after 2000, both as a scientific subject (biological conservation) and as an area of social activism. As these activities were directed largely at a Polish audience, his papers were written mostly in Polish, so they are not well known internationally. He participated in several nature conservation bodies, co-organized scores of conferences on different aspects of nature conservation in Poland, and took part in numerous grassroots conservation campaigns. Ludwik was a very generous and friendly person, always finding time to meet and talk to people, ready to share his vast knowledge. And people enjoyed listening to him, because he was a very gifted speaker, able to capture the attention of his audience without any PowerPoint frippery. Perhaps more importantly, he “preached” science, emphasizing what is important in science and how to practice it properly. He paid enormous attention to reliability of data collection, to data verification, to the usage of terms, and to meticulous data presentation in publications. Privately, Ludwik was very cordial and humorous, well versed in literature and music. He could sing opera arias and recite poetry in Polish and Russian. He was also a gifted conversationalist, able to engage listeners with stories from his life. It is no wonder he was often the soul of any gathering. Ludwik Tomiałojć leaves a great legacy for ornithology and will long be remembered for his constant and deep commitment to birds and their conservation. Memorials Editor: Ted Anderson, tanderson@americanornithology.org Copyright © American Ornithological Society 2021. All rights reserved. For permissions, e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com. This article is published and distributed under the terms of the Oxford University Press, Standard Journals Publication Model (https://academic.oup.com/journals/pages/open_access/funder_policies/chorus/standard_publication_model) http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Ornithology Oxford University Press

Ludwik Tomiałojć, 1939–2020

Ornithology , Volume Advance Article – Apr 23, 2021

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Copyright
Copyright © 2021 American Ornithological Society
eISSN
2732-4613
DOI
10.1093/ornithology/ukab030
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Abstract

Ludwik Tomiałojć, the renowned Polish ornithologist and conservationist, passed away June 26, 2020, at the age of 81. Ludwik was best known internationally for two contrasting long-term interests: the adaptation of birds to urban environments and the ecology of birds in primeval forest. He was named an Honorary Fellow (1990) by the American Ornithologists’ Union (now American Ornithological Society). Ludwik’s life spanned a turbulent period in Poland’s history. Born January 1, 1939 at Michałkonie (then Poland, now Michalkoni in Belarus), his family moved to Dobre Miasto (northern Poland) following the post-World War II border changes, where he spent his school years. His passion for birds and nature developed in those early years (he started to watch birds systematically when he was only 15 years old). In pursuit of his interest in birds, Ludwik studied biology, first at Toruń, then at Wrocław University. His entire professional life was to be connected with this institution. He completed undergraduate studies in 1961 and joined the university staff. He defended his doctoral thesis in 1968, was awarded his second higher degree (dr Hab.) in 1979. He became a full professor in 1994. Ludwik never married. After his retirement in 2011, he continued to work at Wrocław University as a volunteer. Ludwik began his scientific work under quite difficult circumstances. An entire generation of scientists had been annihilated during the war, and Poland was an isolated country, cut off from access to the scientific literature and to contacts with scientists abroad. This effectively meant that Ludwik, along with many colleagues from the first postwar generation, was largely self-taught. Due to the decisions taken at the Yalta Conference, Poland shifted its location on the map, losing its eastern parts and moving west to include formerly German territories. The first major task Ludwik undertook was preparation of a synthesis of Polish and German literature and publication of a checklist of birds of this “new” country. The first edition of the Birds of Poland monograph appeared in 1972. Updated versions of the monograph appeared in 1990 and in 2003 (the latter co-authored by T. Stawarczyk). He actively participated (by contributing information from Poland/writing some chapters) in the production of the major European ornithological handbooks (Handbuch der Vögel Mitteleuropas, The Birds of the Western Palearctic, The EBBC Atlas of European Breeding Birds, and Birds in Europe—Their Conservation Status). Despite the difficulties of interacting with biologists outside Poland (he was first permitted to travel beyond the Iron Curtain when he was 35), he became one of Poland’s best-known ornithologists. He managed to establish a wide network of international contacts and became “global envoy” of Polish ornithology. He attended six International Ornithological Congresses (IOCs) and was elected a corresponding member of ornithological societies in Switzerland and Germany. He was also a co-founder of the European Ornithologists’ Union. Open in new tabDownload slide Ludwik Tomiałojć, Radziądz, Poland, 2013 (photo by A. Wuczyński) Open in new tabDownload slide Ludwik Tomiałojć, Radziądz, Poland, 2013 (photo by A. Wuczyński) Ludwik’s work on urban bird populations, including colonization of cities and towns by birds, developed from his 1968 doctoral thesis. He subsequently undertook studies on Woodpigeons (Columba palumbus) that were followed by a series of papers on historical and geographical aspects of the spread of urban bird populations. Results of these studies were presented at co-convened symposia at IOCs in Moscow and Ottawa and in numerous papers. His most recent book (Birds of Wrocław over 200 Years), which appeared just a couple of weeks before his death, was devoted to urban birds as well. In the 1970s, Ludwik proposed that relatively low levels of predation in cities compared with rural areas was a key factor enabling some bird species to attain very high densities in urban environments, an idea well ahead of its time. Ludwik initiated studies of birds in primeval conditions in 1975, after a visit to England. He had noticed that the ecology and behavior of woodland birds in England were strikingly different from those of the birds inhabiting more extensive forests in central Europe. He concluded that in order to understand these differences it would be necessary to study birds living in pristine conditions, in forests free of human intervention. This reasoning led him (along with several colleagues) to establish a program of studies in primeval forests preserved in the Białowieża National Park (eastern Poland). He thought that data collected in such settings would provide a benchmark for comparisons with the results of studies conducted in highly modified forests. This study has grown into a fully-fledged long-term program. Breeding birds have been censused in representative forest plots up to the present day (46 breeding seasons). Intensive studies have been conducted of many species, with Ludwik personally undertaking work on several of them. A distinguishing feature of these studies has been a focus on the crucial role of predation in shaping the ecology, behavior, and numbers of birds in pristine forests, especially on indirect effects of predator presence (Journal of Avian Biology 36:361–367). These conclusions are now widely accepted but were far less popular in the 1970s. Ludwik led this program for the first 25 years, and then passed it on to his successors, though he continued to work on the data collected. Ludwik was also deeply engaged in developing bird census methodology. He served as a Secretary of the International Bird Census Committee (1976–1989) and carried out several field tests of census methods, mostly in Europe, but also in California (Tomiałojć and Verner 1990; The Auk 107:447–450). Conservation issues dominated his attention after 2000, both as a scientific subject (biological conservation) and as an area of social activism. As these activities were directed largely at a Polish audience, his papers were written mostly in Polish, so they are not well known internationally. He participated in several nature conservation bodies, co-organized scores of conferences on different aspects of nature conservation in Poland, and took part in numerous grassroots conservation campaigns. Ludwik was a very generous and friendly person, always finding time to meet and talk to people, ready to share his vast knowledge. And people enjoyed listening to him, because he was a very gifted speaker, able to capture the attention of his audience without any PowerPoint frippery. Perhaps more importantly, he “preached” science, emphasizing what is important in science and how to practice it properly. He paid enormous attention to reliability of data collection, to data verification, to the usage of terms, and to meticulous data presentation in publications. Privately, Ludwik was very cordial and humorous, well versed in literature and music. He could sing opera arias and recite poetry in Polish and Russian. He was also a gifted conversationalist, able to engage listeners with stories from his life. It is no wonder he was often the soul of any gathering. Ludwik Tomiałojć leaves a great legacy for ornithology and will long be remembered for his constant and deep commitment to birds and their conservation. Memorials Editor: Ted Anderson, tanderson@americanornithology.org Copyright © American Ornithological Society 2021. All rights reserved. For permissions, e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com. This article is published and distributed under the terms of the Oxford University Press, Standard Journals Publication Model (https://academic.oup.com/journals/pages/open_access/funder_policies/chorus/standard_publication_model)

Journal

OrnithologyOxford University Press

Published: Apr 23, 2021

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