Henri Gaussen

Marcel Henri Gaussen , born with Aigues Cabrières- (Vaucluse) the July 14th 1891 and died in Toulouse the July 27th 1981, is a French Botaniste and biogéographe.

In 1926, it supports its thesis which relates to “the vegetation of the Eastern half of the the Pyrenees”, which poses the bases of its future work, at the border between Biogéographie and Cartographie of the vegetation. Gaussen is at the origin of the concept of stages and successions of the vegetation, founder of the Phytogéographie. Its work allowed for example the realization of a chart of the vegetation of France the 1/200 000 (completed after its death by the service of CNRS that it had created and directed) and of many similar projects in other countries. Its work of phytogeography led to a great number of advanced and tools such as the Indice of Gaussen and the xerothermic Indice. Like recognition for its scientific work in the cartography of the vegetable carpet and the ecology, it accepted in 1971 the Grand Prix of the Company of geography for geographical work and publications.

One owes him also the sylvo-pastoral Laboratory of Jouéou (future forest Laboratory), created in 1922, and the dynamism and the fame of the lesson and research in botany at the university of Toulouse. Large traveller, he was also the creator of a science section at the French Institute of Pondichéry.

Henri Gaussen was all his life professor in Toulouse, where he was elected maintenor of the Académie of the floral Plays in 1958.

Having accumulated a number impressing of personal photographs, it made gift of its collection to the Departmental records of the Haute-Garonne, where they can be consulted today.

Principal publications

terrace cultivation in the Western Mediterranean basin in Yearly of geography , volume 36,1927
current and fossil gymnospermes , Work of the forest laboratory of Toulouse 2,1946-1979
dynamism of the vegetable biocénoses , International symposium of CNRS on ecology. P., February 1950
Mountains, life with high-altitudes , Horizons of France, 1955 (with Paul Barruel)
human Dwellings in the Pyrenees and the Alps , in the Mountain , alpine Club French, December 1966

Henri-Gaussen price

Decreed by, the inscription Academy of Science and humanities of Toulouse, this price rewards each year a scientific work on the chain for the Pyrenees.

External bond

Database Henri Gaussen, being pressed on photographs taken by itself

Random links: