by malaria contracted in Cameroon and Dar-es-Salaam, and he died of complications of malaria at the age of 45 in 1901. Publications Schimper is best known for Pflanzengeographie auf physiologischer Grundlage, published at the University of Jena in 1898 where he aimed to explain the expansion and ecology of plants based on the ecological knowledge of the time. In this book he coined the terms tropical rainforest and sclerophyll. He wrote in the preface: "Nur wenn sie in engster Fühlung mit der experimentellen Physiologie verbleibt, wird die Ökologie der Pflanzengeographie neue Bahnen eröffnen können, denn sie setzt eine genaue Kenntnis der Lebensbedingungen der Pflanze voraus, welche nur das Experiment verschaffen kann"(1898: IV). His classification of plant formations was important for the development of the botanical sciences: „Nach dem Vorhergehenden sind zwei ökologische Formationsgruppen zu unterscheiden, die klimatischen oder Gebietsformationen, deren Vegetationscharakter durch die Hydrometeore beherrscht, und die edaphischen oder Standortsformationen, wo derselbe in erster Linie durch die Bodenbeschaffenheit bedingt ist“ (1898:175–176). At the same time as his Russian soil science colleagues, Schimper discussed the hypothesis of vegetation being limited to climate zones versus those that are azonal, which was later elaborated by Frederic Edward Clements (1916) and geobotanist Heinrich Walter (1954) amongst others. In 1894, Schimper was one of the 4 original authors of the textbook of botany Lehrbuch der Botanik (named. "Strasburger") and until the 5th edition 1902 editor of the chapter spermatophyta or seed-bearing plants. Rudolf Marloth wrote an account of the Cape floral region for Chun's proposed Wissenschaftliche Ergebnisse der deutschen Tiefsee-Expedition auf dem Dampfer Valdivia 1898-1899. and Schimper contributed two chapters on "Gebiet der Hartlaubgehölze" (Region of hardwood trees) and "Der Knysnawald". Honours and distinctions Schimper is commemorated in specific names such as Acokanthera schimperi and Harpachne schimperi. In 1892, he was voted a member of the Deutsche Akademie der Naturforscher Leopoldina gewählt. References External links Books by and about A.F.G. Schimper on WorldCat Digital edition: "Anleitung zur mikroskopischen Untersuchung der vegetabilischen Nahrungs- und Genussmittel" 2nd ed. (1900) by the University and State Library Düsseldorf Plant-geography upon a physiological basis by A.F.W. Schimper, 1903 Biodiversity Heritage Library Botanical Exploration of Southern Africa Mary Gunn & LE Codd (Balkema 1981) 1856 births 1901 deaths Alsatian-German people 19th-century German botanists Botanists active in the Caribbean Botanists active in South America German ecologists French histologists German histologists German phytogeographers Scientists from Strasbourg Symbiogenesis researchers University of Strasbourg alumni Academic