Thomas E. Lovejoy is a renowned conservation biologist who has made significant contributions to the field of ecology and biodiversity conservation. He is best known for his work on tropical ecology and conservation, including his pioneering studies on the impact of fragmentation on ecosystems.
He is responsible for the concept of the Minimum Critical Size of Ecosystems (MCSE), which he used to call the world's attention to the critical problem of dwindling tropical forests. He is credited with coining the term biological diversity, now shortened to biodiversity. Perhaps his best-known idea is the “debt-for-nature swap,” which allows developing nations to convert foreign debt to nature reserves and conservation programs. This concept has established environmental trusts funded with billions of dollars in debt and is one of the largest new sources of funding for international environmental projects.