- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
Dr. Birch served on the UC Davis faculty from 1973 to 1981, chairing the department from 1979 to 1981 before accepting a faculty position at the University of Oxford. While at UC Davis, he wrote the textbook, “Pheromones,” part of the Frontiers of Biology Series. Published in 1974, it is still in use today in college classrooms.
Dr. Birch joined the University of Oxford in 1981, appointed as a university lecturer, curator of the Hope Entomological Collection, and a tutorial Fellow of Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford. He was named an emeritus Fellow in 2004.
Dr. Birch retired from Oxford in 1984 following a severe automobile accident. Family and friends said he never fully recovered from the November 1982 accident, but turned his focus toward helping others with head injuries, particularly through his work with Headway.
“He was incredibly brave and throughout was lovingly supported by his wife, Linda and their two girls,” said University of Oxford professor and close friend David Rogers. “He never seemed to lose his natural optimism, and never lost his disarming smile.”
Born July 14, 1944 in Cheshire, England, Dr. Birch was educated at Oxford University. He received his bachelor of arts with honors in zoology, in 1966, and completed his master's degree and doctorate in entomology from 1966 to 1969. His thesis explored “Scent Organs in Male Lepidoptera.”
UC Riverside entomologist Timothy Paine, who received his doctorate in entomology from UC Davis in 1981, studied under Dr. Birch, his major professor. “Martin significantly influenced my career in two critical ways. Rather than impose his own interests, he encouraged me to develop my own independent scientific curiosity and gave me the freedom and intellectual support to explore to questions that were important to me. I have tried to replicate that supportive approach to foster independence and curiosity in students who have studied with me.”
His determination and courage to battle back and regain his personal and academic life after severe brain injuries suffered in an automobile accident has also been an inspiration,” Paine said. “He refused to allow himself to be limited by the accident. His demonstration of courage and persistence has been a vivid example of what it means to strive and succeed.”
UC Berkeley emeritus professor David Wood, who recalled that “Martin arrived at UC Berkeley, Department of Entomological Sciences, in 1970 from Oxford University. He joined our lab that was working on bark beetle chemical ecology where he quickly and enthusiastically applied his fascination with moths and butterflies to the challenges we faced in identifying bark beetle pheromones.”
“In a very short time, working with our chemistry colleagues, Martin led the effort to identify the aggregation pheromone of the "pine engraver," a tree-killing bark beetle. In parallel with this effort, he discovered an adult diapause in this species that explained the seasonal variation in pheromone production observed during the isolation studies. In our field testing of this pheromone, he discovered that one of the optical isomers of the pheromone interrupted the response to the attractive isomer, a phenomenon unknown to science at that time.”
“During these field experiments he also demonstrated that the pheromone of this engraver beetle interrupted the aggregation response of a competing engraver beetle species and that this was a reciprocal relationship between these species. This mechanism reduced their competition for breeding space on the host tree. These were pioneering discoveries that led to a very productive and distinguished career in insect ecology. Our work together was fun and exciting and I am thankful that he found us in Berkeley! I miss him very much!”
He is survived by his wife, Linda Birch of the family home in Tackley, near Oxford, and their two children, Jennifer and Julia.
A service of thanksgiving took place Friday, Oct. 30 at St. Nicholas Church, Tackley. The family requests any memorial contributions be to Headway, Oxford or Amnesty International, in care of the local funeral home, Jerrams Brothers Funeral Directors, Woodstock, 33 High Street, Woodstock, Oxfordshire OX20 1TE.