British Ecological Society

The Society had, circa 2024 around 7,000 members of which 14% are students. The head office is located in London.

• Illustration — British Ecological Society headquarters on Wharf Road, London The Society evolved out of the British Vegetation Committee, which was founded in 1904 to promote the survey and study of vegetation in the British Isles. This initiative was in turn the outcome of what many historians perceive to have been the emergence of modern ecology in the 1890s. The British Ecological Society's inaugural meeting was held at University College London on 12 April 1913 and was attended by 47 members. Sir Arthur Tansley became the first President and the first issue of Journal of Ecology was printed in time for the meeting. • Illustration — 75th Anniversary Jubilee Symposium for the British Ecological Society at University College, London, April 1988, with past presidents gathered for a team photograph The Society faced several setbacks and was largely impacted by the events of World War I, as it formed the year prior to its beginning. In its early days the society shared the London offices of The Linnean Society. Today it is member of the umbrella organisation European Ecological Federation (EEF).

The Society also runs several major scientific meetings for ecologists each year. The annual meeting currently attracts 1,200 delegates each year and provides the opportunity for ecologists to present papers and posters on a wide variety of topics; an important element has always been the active participation of research students. There is an increasing number of delegates from overseas, principally Europe. It is Europe's largest annual meeting of ecologists. Since 1960 the Society has run an Annual Symposium and published a volume of its papers. It supports a range of other specialist meetings, workshops, training events and field meetings.