John Albert Raven FRS: an extraordinary plant scientist

The research interests of John Albert Raven, who died on 23 May 2024 aged 82, extended in scale from plant cell biochemistry and physiology through whole-plant physiology and ecophysiology to plant ecology and evolution of aquatic and terrestrial plants and even astrobiology. He collected and collated an enormous amount of information for which he had a powerful memory. He collaborated widely with scientists world-wide and helped many researchers strengthen their careers. John Raven’s achievements deserve to be fondly remembered. The present contribution largely focuses on his early research career, during which he collaborated with the present author, and highlights later influential activities and contributions that relate to plant-soil interactions, and his unique personality as a researcher.