THE FATHER OF THE SPANISH FOREST FLORA MÁXIMO LAGUNA Y VILLANUEVA

SUMARY 1.- BIOGRAPHY 2.- WORKS 3.-VALUATION AND HONORS

1.- BIOGRAPHY (1826-1902) Máximo Laguna Villanueva was born in 1826 in Sta Cruz de Mudela

HIS HOUSE WHERE HE SPENT ALL HIS HOLIDAYS

HE STUDIED FORESTRY ENGINEERING AT THE UNIVERSITY IN MADRID HE STUDIED FORESTRY ENGINEERING AT THE UNIVERSITY IN MADRID . AFTERWARDS HE WAS A TEACHER AND HEADMASTER

-HE TRAVELLED THROUGH SEVERAL COUNTRIES IN ORDER TO STUDY ABOUT EUROPEAN FOREST AND PLANTS. AFTERWARDS HE PUBLISHED A LOT OF WORKS RELATED TO THE SPANISH FLORA. -HE WAS ABLE TO SPEAK ENGLISH, FRENCH, GERMAN AND RUSSIAN - HE BELONGED TO THE SPANISH ACADEMY OF PHYSICAL SCIENCES -HE WAS A MEMBER OF THE SPANISH SOCIETY OF NATURAL HISTORY

He died in 1902 in Sta Cruz de Mudela

2.- WORKS HE PUBLISHED A LOT OF BOOKS ABOUT FLORA AND FAUNA AND SEVERAL ARTICLES AND LECTURES.

HIS MAIN WORK WAS THE SPANISH FOREST FLORA

It is a revision and deep study of the species of Abies, Pinus and Quercus between others. In total 553 forest species are enumerated and described. But it was not only simple flora, since he included the cultivation and use of them, specially of the arboreal ones, describing their applications for the civil, naval and industrial construction. The essencial of this work is that for every species he presented the information of scientific and vulgar names, sheets representing the principal species, a detailed description, the area of distribution, conditions of the season and brief indications on their culture and use.

THERE IS AN ARBORETUM IN SEGOVIA WITH HIS NAME

3.- VALUATION AND HONORS -HE IS CONSIDERATED THE FATHER OF DE SPANISH BOTANIC. -HIS STUDIES HAVE BEEN A REFERENCE TO OTHER INVESTIGATORS. -It is the principal precedent of the conservation and theories of the sustainability.

He is one of principal teachers and inspirators of the Forest Naturalism, based on the Regeneracionism of the end of the 19th century and beginning of the 20th century, and of the current movements of conservation of the nature.

The Spanish Government awarded him with medals THE CROSS OF CATHOLIC ISABEL THE CROSS OF CARLOS III

IN HIS HONOR, IN SANTA CRUZ DE MUDELA THERE IS A STREET WITH HIS NAME THERE IS A HIGH SCHOOL THERE IS A PORTRAIT AND SCULPTURE

MÁXIMO LAGUNA (St)

OUR SCHOOL RECEIVED ITS NAME

PHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST

HIS PORTRAIT IS IN THE LIBRARY