Kevin Tate

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Kevin Tate
Born
Kevin Russel Tate

(1943-04-08)8 April 1943
Landcare
Thesis
Doctoral advisorRobert Walker Hay

Kevin Russel Tate (8 April 1943 – 22 January 2018) was a New Zealand soil chemist, ecologist and climate scientist.[1][2][3]

Early life and family

Born in Lower Hutt on 8 April 1943, Tate was the son of Dudley Tate and Hazel Winifred Tate (née Jackson-Hughes).[4][5] He was educated at Hutt Valley High School from 1956.[6]

Scientific career

Tate studied chemistry at

Landcare Research, a Crown Research Institute, and he moved with it to Palmerston North, on the campus of Massey University
.

Much of Tate's early research involved the storage and cycling of phosphorus and carbon in soils, particularly in economically important New Zealand grasslands and native forests. Later work focused on

soil biota
could impact atmospheric carbon dioxide levels became relevant.

Tate also contributed his soil chemistry knowledge to other research topics at Soil Bureau / Landcare, including

sand dune rehabilitation, restoration of pasture after topsoil removal and understanding tussock grasslands. Many papers were coauthored with people including Des J. Ross, C.W. Feltham, Benny K.G. Theng, R.H. Newman, Neal A. Scott, Surinder Saggar, Paul C.D. Newton, Troy Baisden, Aroon Parshotam, David A. Wardle and Gregor W. Yeates
.

Retirement in 2005 did not stop Tate working on his science.[1] One of his last works was editing Microbial Biomass, a 2017 volume on soil and ecosystem microbial processes.[9]

Tate died in Palmerston North on 22 January 2018.[4]

Honours and awards

In 1995, Tate was elected a Fellow of the

Royal Society of New Zealand, the peak science organisation in New Zealand.[10] He was also elected to fellowships of the New Zealand Institute of Chemistry and the New Zealand Society of Soil Science.[11]

In 2005, Tate was awarded the Marsden Medal by the New Zealand Association of Scientists for "contribution to, and leadership of, research into ecosystem processes and climate change [spanning] four decades."[12]

Selected works

References

  1. ^ a b Baisden, Troy (June 2005). "Kevin Tate retires". Soil News, the newsletter of the New Zealand Soil Society. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
  2. ^ a b "Kevin Tate – Staff details". Landcare Research. 8 June 2012. Archived from the original on 31 January 2018. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
  3. ^ Saggar, Surinder and David Whitehead. "FRSNZ Obituary" (PDF). Royal Society of New Zealand. Retrieved 13 October 2019.
  4. ^ a b "Kevin Tate death notice". Dominion Post. 24 January 2018. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
  5. ^ "Births". Evening Post. 9 April 1943. p. 1. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
  6. ^ Cooper, Robyn (October 2016). "The class of '56 celebrates HVHS's 90th anniversary" (PDF). Alumni News. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
  7. ^ Te Waharoa. "A study of the dealdolisation of diacetone alcohol: submitted for the degree of Master of Science in chemistry". Victoria University of Wellington. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
  8. ^ Te Waharoa. "Kinetic and mechanistic studies of decarboxylation: submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy". Victoria University of Wellington. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
  9. .
  10. ^ "List of all Fellows with surnames S–U". Royal Society Te Apārangi. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
  11. ^ "Royal Society of New Zealand Act: election of fellows". New Zealand Gazette. Department of Internal Affairs: 1831. 24 July 1996. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
  12. ^ "Marsden Medal". New Zealand Association of Scientists. Retrieved 24 January 2018.

External links