| Citation | Fitter is a plant ecologist distinguished for his contribution to our understanding of the structure and function of root systems. Using an architectural approach he has shown that their development can be realistically evaluated only in natural soil where distinctive branching patterns determine the efficiency with which plants acquire nutrients from poorly mobile resources in soil. He has demonstrated that irradiance rather than temperature determines root productivity in grassland and that under elevated CO2, soil organic matter rather than the root system, constitutes the main sink for additional fixed carbon. In elegant field studies Fitter has revealed, for the first time under natural conditions, that colonisation by mycorrhizal fungi is essential for survival of some plant species. His work emphasises the multifunctional basis of the plant-fungus relationship in the mycorrhizal symbiosis. Several very successful books describing the natural history, particularly the flora, of the British Isles have made a significant contribution to the public understanding and appreciation of botanical science in the UK. |