Ecuadorian geobotanist, ecologist and avid promoter of forest conservation. Misael Acosta-Solís was amongst the most active botanists in his country, the first Ecuadorian to gain a doctorate in natural sciences and an extremely prolific writer, especially producing works on the use of natural resources. Growing up in Ambato he was a passionate autodidactic, and after graduating from university undertook postgraduate courses at the University of Michigan in the U.S.A. Working as a botany lecturer at the Universidad Central in Ecuador he was one of the first directors of what is now the Servicio Forestal (Forestry Service). The heart and soul of the Ecuadorian Institute of Natural Sciences, Acosta-Solís was its principal supporting member and frequently held its meetings in his own house.
As a collector Acosta-Solís covered much of Ecuador, sending many specimens to herbaria in the U.S.A., and was renowned for his tireless fieldwork. Between 1936 and 1953 he campaigned passionately for the institutionalisation of a conservation ethic, criticising the government for not sufficiently developing its policies in education, agronomy and the environment. Taking an economic and patriotic standpoint he promoted the reforestation of the country in order to make Ecuador self sufficient in its timber market and encouraged the sustainable exploitation of Ecuador's natural resources through agriculture and silviculture. All of this was accomplished through the publication of hundreds of articles in popular periodicals, particularly El Comercio. He also published many works on the flora of Ecuador as a research botanist.
Unfortunately Acosta-Solís' reputation was somewhat tarnished by his inability to work well with fellow colleagues and barely any of his numerous papers were written alongside co-authors. He produced many rambling and disorganised publications, repeating himself, using foreign terminology and often failing to provide any references for the points he raised. In this respect his zealous idealism and patriotism may have been his downfall, however, Acosta-Solís managed to raise important environmental issues and popularise his views to the point where he was known publicly by a pseudonym, 'Dr. Masandro Ecuador'.
Sources:
Anon, 1994, Fallecio Misael Acosta-Solís, Diario Hoy:
http://www.hoy.com.ec/noticias-ecuador/fallecio-misael-acosta-solis-41730-41730.html, accessed December 2009
N. Cuvi, 2005, "Misael Acosta-Solís y el conservacionismo en el Ecuador, 1936-1953", Revista Electrónica de Geografía y Ciencias Sociales, 9(191):
http://www.ub.es/geocrit/sn/sn-191.htm, accessed December 2009
F. Ortiz Crespo, 1994, "En memoria de Misael Acosta Solis", Explored: Arcivo digital de noticias desde 1994:
http://www.explored.com.ec/noticias-ecuador/en-memoria-de-misael-acosta-solis-40137-40137.html, accessed December 2009.
