Daniel E. Atha
| Daniel E. Atha | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1952 |
| Fields | botanist |
| Institutions | New York Botanical Garden |
| Alma mater | City University of New York |
| Known for | Floristics, Plant Collections, Acalypha, Polygonaceae. |
| Author abbrev. (botany) | Atha |
Daniel Atha (born 1952) is a botanist. In his work as a botanist he has collected plants in all 50 states, as well as several additional countries. Atha's work is focused on three areas: "floristics—what plants grow in a particular region; taxonomy—how to tell one plant from another, what to call it and what it's related to; and applied botany—how plants are used for food, medicine, shelter and other useful purposes."[1] Atha is a prominent regional botanist, and the high-profile botanical projects with which has been involved (such as the recent Spontaneous Flora of Central Park project) have garnered national and international attention.
Biography
Daniel Atha is the Conservation Program Manager at New York Botanical Garden, where he is also a Research Associate. Atha is also the Associate Editor for Brittonia.
Atha's parents were artists,[2] and he has been involved in several community projects related to the intersection of botany and art.[2] Atha is involved in work related to invasive plants in the greater-New York City region, including Westchester County.[1]
Spontaneous Flora of Central Park
One of Atha's research projects involves documenting and collecting every naturally occurring plant in Central Park. The quote below comes from an interview Atha gave to The New York Times in 2015[3]
"We thought, 'Wow, Central Park is right in the middle of New York City, in the densest urban metropolitan region in North America,'" recalled Mr. Atha, who has studied plants in all 50 states, as well as Bolivia, Russia and Vietnam. "'And yet there is nobody documenting the flora today. How crazy is that?'"
Selected Bibliography
- Atha, D. E. 2008. A new species of Acalypha (Euphorbiaceae: Acalyphoideae: Acalypheae) from Belize and adjacent Mexico and Guatemala. Brittonia 60: 185-189.
- Kikodze, D., M. Tavartkiladze, T. Svanidze, D.E. Atha (editor of English text). 2007. Plants of Georgia. Field Guide. Tsignis Sakhelosno, Tbilisi, Georgia. 224 pp.
- Bridgewater, S.G.M., D.J. Harris, C. Whitefoord, A.K. Monro, M.G. Penn, D.A. Sutton, B. Sayer, B. Adams, M. Balick, D.E. Atha, J. Solomon, B. Holst. 2006. A preliminary checklist of the vascular plants of the Chiquibul Forest, Belize. Edinb. J. Bot. 63: 269-321.
References
- 1 2 "Daniel Atha". The New York Botanical Garden. The New York Botanical Garden. Retrieved 15 June 2016.
- 1 2 "Flowers in the Gallery: A Melding of Art, Botany, and Politics". Science Talk Blog. New York Botanical Garden. Retrieved 15 June 2016.
- ↑ Foderaro, Lisa. "A Mission to Catalog Hidden Life in Central Park". The New York Times. The New York Times. Retrieved 15 June 2016.
- ↑ IPNI. Atha.
External links
- Atha, Daniel. Author page on Harvard University's Index of Botanists
- Atha, Daniel. Author Detail page on the International Plants Names Index