Ludger Kappen

{{Short description|Ecophysiologist, botantist and lichenologist}}

{{Infobox scientist | honorific_prefix = | name = Ludger Kappen | honorific_suffix = | native_name = | native_name_lang = | image =  | image_size = | image_upright = | alt = | caption = | birth_name = | birth_date = {{birth date |1935|03|09}} | birth_place = [[Boppard]] am Rhein | death_date =  | death_place = | death_cause = | resting_place = | resting_place_coordinates =  | other_names = | siglum = | pronounce = | citizenship = | fields = | workplaces = University of Göttingen; University of Kiel | patrons = | education = | alma_mater = University of Göttingen; University of Würzburg | thesis_title = Heat, cold and desiccation resistance of ferns and their gametophytes. (Hitze-, Kälte und Austrocknungsresistenz von Farnen und ihren Gametophyten.) | thesis_url =  | thesis_year = 1963 | thesis2_year = | doctoral_advisors = | academic_advisors = | doctoral_students = | notable_students = | known_for = ecophysiology; lichenology | influences = | influenced = | awards = Acharius Medal | author_abbrev_bot = | author_abbrev_zoo = | spouse = | partner =  | children = | parents = | father = | mother = | relatives = | signature =  | signature_alt = | website =  | footnotes = }}

'''Ludger Kappen''' is an [[ecophysiologist]], [[botanist]] and [[lichenologist]]. He was director of the Botanic Institute and [[Botanischer Garten der Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel|Botanical Garden]] at the [[Kiel University|University of Kiel]], and chairman and director of the university's Polar Ecology Institute.<ref name="IAL2022">{{cite web |title=Acharius Medallists Ludger Kappen |url=http://www.lichenology.org/Awards/Acharius_Kappen.html |website=International Association for Lichenology |access-date=20 September 2022}}</ref>

==Early life and education== Kappen studied within the biological sciences at [[Freiburg im Breisgau|Freiburg]] and [[Göttingen]], and was awarded a doctorate in 1963 for his work on the effects of environmental stress on ferns.<ref name="Zobodat-biog-2022">{{cite web |title=Ludger Kappen |url=https://www.zobodat.at/personen.php?id=24697&bio=full |website=Zobodat |access-date=20 September 2022}}</ref>

==Career== Kappen's first academic post was at the Forest Botanical Institute of the [[University of Göttingen]] investigating cold tolerance in fir trees, grape vines, lichens and marine algae.<ref name="Zobodat-biog-2022" /> In 1974 he gained his [[habilitation]] at [[University of Würzburg]] for his further research into the mechanisms of cold tolerance in plants. In 1981 he joined University of Kiel as the established professor of ecophysiology and director of the Botanic Institute, which included the university's botanical garden. In 1984 Kappen became the chair and director of the new Polar Ecology Institute at the university and in later years took on several other organisational roles. These included directing the Center for Ecosystem Research at the Bornhöveder lakes in [[Schleswig-Holstein]] from 1987. He retired in 2000 to become an emeritus professor at the university.<ref name="IAL2022" /><ref name="Zobodat-biog-2022" />

His research involved studying the effects of [[abiotic stress]], especially cold, heat, drought and light on plants. He was particularly interested in the response of polar and tropical lichens to their habitats. His research took him to locations around the world including deserts, tropical rainforests and also seven expeditions to polar regions. During these visits he contributed to plant surveys and collected lichens as well as making ecophysiological observations. He also collected paleobotanical fossils and this collection is now in the Heimatverein Willershausen archives in Lower Saxony.<ref name="Heimatverein Willershausen">{{cite web |title=The Geological Collection of Prof. Dr. Ludger Kappen |url=https://kulturerbe.niedersachsen.de/sammlung/slg0219/ |website=Kulturerbe Niedersachsen |access-date=20 September 2022}}</ref> He also studied aspects of photosynthesis in these stressful environments.<ref name="Zobodat-biog-2022" />

==Publications== Kappen is the author, co-author or editor of over 210 books and scientific publications. These include: * Kappen, L. (1973): Response to extreme environments. In: Ahmadjian, V, Hale, M.E. (eds.) ''The Lichens'' Chapter III,10, p. 311 - 380. * Kappen, L. (1985): Vegetation and ecology of ice-free areas of Northern Victoria Land, Antarctica. 1 The lichen vegetation of Birthday Ridge and an inland mountain. ''Polar Biology'' 4: 213 - 225. * Kappen, L. (1988): Ecophysiological relationships in different climatic regions. In: Galun, M. (ed.), ''CRC Handbook of Lichenology'' Vol.2 p. 37 - 100. CRC Press, Boca Raton * Kappen, L. (1993): Lichens in the Antarctic region. In: Friedmann, E.I. (ed.) ''Antarctic Microbiology'' p. 433 - 490. Wiley-Liss Inc., New York * Sancho, L.G., Schulz, F., Schroeter, B., Kappen, L. (1999) Bryophyte and lichen flora of South Bay (Livingston Island: South Shetland Islands, Antarctica). ''Nova Hedwigia'' 68: 301-337 * Ludger Kappen, Fernando Valladares (2007) Opportunistic Growth and Desiccation Tolerance: The Ecological Success of Poikilohydrous Autotrophs in ''Functional Plant Ecology'', second edition

==Honours and awards== In 1999 the [[Kappen Cliffs]] in the south edge of [[Kar Plateau]] on [[Scott Coast]], [[Victoria Land]], Antarctica were named after him by the [[New Zealand Geographic Board]]. In 2000 a [[festschrift]] was held for his retirement on the subject of the biology of lichens and mosses.<ref name="Festschrift-Kappen- 2000">{{cite book |last1=Schroeter |first1=Burkhard |last2=Schlensog |first2=M |last3=Green |first3=T.G.A |title=New Aspects in Cryptogamic Research Contributions in Honour of Ludger Kappen |date=2000 |publisher=Bibliotheca Lichenologica, Band 75 |location=Berlin Stuttgart |isbn=978-3-443-58054-4 |pages=464 |url=https://www.schweizerbart.de/publications/detail/isbn/9783443580544/New-Aspects-in-Cryptogamic-Research}}</ref> In 2004 he was awarded the [[Acharius Medal]] by the [[International Association for Lichenology]] in recognition of his lifetime's work.<ref name="AchariusMedalists">{{cite web |title=Acharius Medallists |url=http://www.lichenology.org/ |website=International Association for Lichenology |access-date=21 September 2022}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kappen, Ludger}} [[Category:1935 births]] [[Category:German lichenologists]] [[Category:Ecophysiologists]] [[Category:21st-century German biologists]] [[Category:Living people]]