Ilkka A. Hanski was born on February 14, 1953, and died on May 10, 2016.

He was a Finnish scientist, working in the field of ecology, at the University of Helsinki, Finland.

And the Metapopulation Research Center was led by Hanski, until his death.

His group researched species living in fragmented landscapes and attempts to advance such research of metapopulation ecology that can be applied to preserving nature.

However, Metapopulation ecology itself studies populations of plants and animals which are separated in space by occupying patches.

Ilkka Hanski was awarded the Balzan Prize for Ecological Sciences, in 2000.

Hanski has been the second Finnish scientist ever made an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of London, in June 2005.

Ilkka was made an Honorary Fellow of the National Academy of Sciences, during April 2006.

Ilkka A. Hanski was awarded the Crafoord Prize in biosciences 2011 “for his pioneering studies on how spatial variation affects the dynamics of animal and plant populations”.

Ilkka A. Hanski was awarded the 2015 BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award in Ecology and Conservation Biology for opening up an area of ecology that explains how species survive in fragmented habitats and allows to quantify extinction thresholds.

During September 2015, Hanski received the honorary title of Academician of Science from the Academy of Finland.

Ilkka A. Hanski passed away at 63 yrs old.