The King awards the 2011 Crafoord Prize in Biosciences to Ilkka Hanski

Professor Hanski is the first Nordic recipient of the Crafoord Prize, and during a career spanning more than thirty years he has earned a reputation as one of the world's leading ecologists. Professor Hanski was awarded the prize for developing a number of new analysis methods and mathematical models that are now used to investigate how species of animals and plants are affected when their habitats are split up by processes such as urbanisation, deforestation and climate change. For many species, these environmental changes often result in inbreeding and extinction. Professor Hanski's commitment to these issues has been of great significance to biological diversity and nature conservation.
 
Illustration of metapopulation ecology and the erratic spread of the Glanville Fritillary butterfly on Åland.
 
More information about the Crafoord Prize 2011.

Find out more about the Crafoord Prize.