Leif Ryvarden

Leif Randulff Ryvarden (born 9 August 1935) is a Norwegian mycologist.

Early life and education Leif Ryvarden was born in Bergen as a son of Einar Norberg Johansen (1900–1959) and Hjørdis Randulff (1912–1975).

He finished his secondary education at Berg in 1954 and took basic military education from 1957 to 1958 and in 1956 he changed his last name from Johansen to Ryvarden. He studied chemistry at the Norwegian Institute of Technology. In 1963, he graduated with the siv.ing. degree ,

Academic career Ryvarden conducted field work in about eighty countries, mostly in a tropical environment. From 1965 to 1966, he was employed as research assistant at the Norwegian Institute of Technology, from 1966 to 1972 as a research fellow at the University of Oslo and then associate professor. He was promoted to professor at the University of Oslo in 1992, and served until 2002. He is currently a professor emeritus. By 2012, Ryvarden had published more than 300 academic works. He was also a member of the board of Greenpeace Norway for a year and a half, but resigned from this position in 1992 due to disagreements over the organization's strategy and priorities. Ryvarden especially criticized their perceived bias towards saving an amount of minke whale. He cited that all species are equally important, and also reminded that there were other pressing environmental issues in Norway at that time. As Ryvarden left, there were no longer any Norwegian citizens on the board of Greenpeace Norway. Later, Ryvarden publicly supported Bjørn Økern, who was fired as leader of Greenpeace Norway in 1992.

Recognition Ryvarden is a member of the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters. Ryvarden holds an honorary degree at the University of Gothenburg, and since 2008 the National University of Córdoba. He is also an honorary member of the Mycological Society of America.

He won the Brage Prize in 1998 in the category non-fiction, for the book Er det liv, er det sopp which he co-wrote with Klaus Høiland. He has also received a prize from the Ministry of the Environment. Fungal taxa named in his honour include the polypore genera Leifiporia and Ryvardenia, and the species Daedalea ryvardeniana.