author
F. A. (François Alphonse) Forel
1841–1912
A Swiss physician and naturalist, he transformed close observation of Lake Geneva into a new science. His work helped establish limnology, the study of inland waters, and gave later researchers a model for understanding lakes as living systems.
1 Audiobook
Die Tier- und Pflanzenwelt des Süsswassers. Erster Band.
by F. A. (François Alphonse) Forel, August Gruber, Friedrich Ludwig, W. (Walter) Migula, Ludwig Plate, Julius Vosseler, Wilhelm Weltner
About the author
Born in Morges, Switzerland, in 1841, François-Alphonse Forel trained in science and medicine before teaching at the Academy of Lausanne, later the University of Lausanne. Although he worked as a physician and professor, he became best known for his long, careful study of Lake Geneva.
Forel is widely regarded as a founder of limnology, the science of lakes and inland waters. By bringing together biology, chemistry, physics, and geology, he treated the lake as a whole system rather than a set of isolated facts. His major work on Lake Geneva, Le Léman, helped define the field and made his name known far beyond Switzerland.
He died in 1912, but his influence has lasted far longer than his lifetime. Readers interested in nature, water, and the history of science may find his story especially appealing: it is the story of someone who looked closely at one lake and changed how people study all of them.