Elton, Charles (1900-1991)

British ecologist, a pioneer of the study of animal and plant forms in their natural environments, and of animal behaviour as part of the complex pattern of life. He defined the concept of food chains and was an early conservationist, instrumental in establishing the Nature Conservancy Council 1949, and much concerned with the impact of introduced species on natural systems. Elton carried out a 20-year research project of interrelationships of animals in meadows, woods, and water near Oxford. He originated the concept of the 'pyramid of numbers' as a method of representing the structure of an ecosystem in terms of feeding relationships. His books include Animal Ecology and Evolution 1930 and The Pattern of Animal Communities 1966.