biology

Leif Tibell

Leif Tibell is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Leif Tibell rather than just read about it. In short: Leif Tibell (born 16 November 1944) is a Swedish lichenologist and Emeritus Professor at the University of Uppsala. He is known for his expertise on calicioid lichens.

Key takeaways

Leif Tibell belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Leif Tibell to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Leif Tibell from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Leif Tibell (born 16 November 1944) is a Swedish lichenologist and Emeritus Professor at the University of Uppsala. He is known for his expertise on calicioid lichens. He was awarded the Acharius Medal in 2012 for lifetime achievements in lichenology.

Biography Tibell was born in Gothenburg, Sweden, in 1944. He developed an interest in lichens at a young age after meeting the prominent lichenologist Gunnar Degelius through the Gothenburg Botanical Garden, where they were both members. Degelius mentored Tibell, and recommended to him that he should study the subject at Uppsala University, which he did after moving there in the mid 1960s.

He continued with graduate studies under the supervision of Rolf Santesson after accompanying him on a research excursion to Norway's Varanger Peninsula in 1966. Santesson was Curator of the Herbarium at the Botany Department. He was also the father of Johan Santesson, who knew Tibell through an organic chemistry research group they were both part of. Rolf Santesson, who became Tibell's Ph.D. supervisor and second main mentor, suggested he should study genera of the family Caliciaceae – the pin lichens. Tibell followed his advice and ultimately developed a long career that was largely dedicated to the study of this group. After earning a Ph.D. in 1975, Tibell accepted a position at the Swedish Research Council that he held for many years. In 1978, he started to edit the exsiccata series Caliciales exsiccatae. Tibell was later promoted to Senior Lecturer and ultimately Professor in 2000. As of 2021, he is an Emeritus Professor with the Department of Organismal Biology at Uppsala University.

Recognition Tibell was awarded the Acharius Medal in 2012. Swedish botanist Mats Wedin noted that another prominent Swedish lichenologist, Erik Acharius (for whom the medal is named), published one of the earliest taxonomic monographs in lichenology also on the subject of calicioid lichens. Tibell had a Festschrift dedicated to him in celebration of his 60th birthday in 2004.

Eponyms Several taxa have been named in honour of Tibell. These include: Leifidium Wedin (1993); Tibellia Vězda & Hafellner (1992); Atla tibelliorum Pykälä & Myllys (2016); Caloplaca tibellii S.Y.Kondr. & Kärnefelt (2009); Chaenothecopsis leifiana Titov, Kuzn. & Himelbr. (2004); Chaenothecopsis tibellii Titov (2000); Chapsa tibellii Mangold (2009); Choreospora tibellii Constant. & R.Sant. (1987); Dimerella tibellii Vězda; Diorygma tibellii Kalb, Staiger & Elix (2004); Hypotrachyna tibellii Elix, T.H.Nash & Sipman (2009); Lecanactis tibelliana Egea & Torrente (1994); Phaeocalicium tibellii Kalb (1992); Plectocarpon tibellii Ertz & Diederich (2005); Pronectria tibellii Zhurb. (2004); Pyrgillus tibellii Kr.P.Singh & Pushpi Singh (2012); Rinodina tibellii H.Mayrhofer (1983); Sphaerophorus tibellii Wedin (1992); Xanthoparmelia tibellii T.H.Nash & Elix (2004); and Xanthoria tibellii S.Y.Kondr. & Kärnefelt (2003).

Selected publications Some of Tibell's major publications include:

Tibell, Leif (1975). The Caliciales of Boreal North America. Taxonomy, Ecological and Distributional Comparisons With Europe, and Ultrastructural Investigations in Some Species. Symbolae botanicae Upsalienses. Uppsala: Uppsala University. ISBN 91-554-0270-4. Tibell, Leif (1984). A Reappraisal of the Taxonomy of Caliciales. Beihefte zur Nova Hedwigia. Vol. 79. pp. 597–713. Tibell, Leif (1992). "Crustose lichens as indicators of forest continuity in boreal coniferous forests". Nordic Journal of Botany. 12 (4): 427–450. doi:10.1111/j.1756-1051.1992.tb01325.x. Tibell, Leif B. (1994). "Distribution patterns and dispersal strategies of Caliciales". Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society. 116 (3): 159–202. doi:10.1006/bojl.1994.1059. Tibell, Leif (1996). Caliciales. Flora Neotropica. Vol. 69. New York Botanical Garden Press. pp. 1–78. JSTOR 4393866. Tibell, Leif (2000). "A synopsis of crustose calicioid lichens and fungi from mainland Africa and Madagascar". Nordic Journal of Botany. 20 (6): 717–742. doi:10.1111/j.1756-1051.2000.tb00759.x. Tibell, Leif; Wedin, Mats (2000). "Mycocaliciales, a new order for nonlichenized calicioid fungi". Mycologia. 92 (3): 577–581. doi:10.2307/3761518.

See also Category:Taxa named by Leif Tibell

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Leif Tibell

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Leif Tibell claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Leif Tibell before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Leif Tibell ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Leif Tibell

In research: Leif Tibell appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Leif Tibell in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Leif Tibell is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1944 births, 20th-century Swedish biologists, 21st-century Swedish biologists, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Leif Tibell outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Leif Tibell in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Leif Tibell means in your own words.
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Frequently asked questions

What is Leif Tibell in simple terms?

Leif Tibell (born 16 November 1944) is a Swedish lichenologist and Emeritus Professor at the University of Uppsala. He is known for his expertise on calicioid lichens.

Why does Leif Tibell matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Leif Tibell?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Leif Tibell.