Dansereau, Pierre

Pierre Dansereau, in full Pierre Mackay Dansereau, (born October 5, 1911, Outremont [now part of the city of Montreal], Quebec, Canada—died September 28, 2011, Montreal), French Canadian plant ecologist who was a pioneer in the study of the dynamics of forests and who attempted to extend ecological concepts to the modern human environment.

Dansereau attended St. Mary’s College, affiliated with the University of Montreal, and earned a bachelor of arts degree in botany in 1932. He then attended the Agricultural Institute of Oka, also affiliated with the University of Montreal, and earned a bachelor of science degree in 1936. He was awarded a doctorate in plant taxonomy from the University of Geneva in 1939.

Dansereau spent most of his career at the University of Montreal (1940–50, 1955–61, and 1968–71). He also assisted in establishing the Montreal Botanical Garden (1940–42) and spent periods at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor (1950–55); the New York Botanical Garden and Columbia University in New York City (1961–68); and the University of Quebec, Montreal (1972–76), where he became professor emeritus in 1976.

Dansereau wrote papers on the taxonomy, cytology, and evolution of rock roses (Cistus), cinquefoils (Potentilla), violets (Viola), and maples (Acer). His books include Biogeography: An Ecological Perspective (1957); Contradictions et biculture: communications 1955–1961 (1964; Contradictions & Biculture: Communications 1955–1961); Challenge for Survival: Land, Air, and Water for Man in Megalopolis (as editor; 1970); Harmony and Disorder in the Canadian Environment (1975; Harmonie et désordre dans l’environnement canadien); and L’Envers et l’endroit: le désir, le besoin et la capacité (1991; “The Wrong Side and the Right Side: Desire, Need, and Capacity”). He published a portion of his autobiography as La Lancée, 1911–1936 (2005). A documentary, An Ecology of Hope (2001), featured scenes from his travels and meditations on his life.

In 1949 Dansereau was named a member of the Royal Society of Canada, and in 1969 he was named a Companion of the Order of Canada.