In the field of ecology he is famous for championing the idea of the trophic cascade, on which he published the provocative “Green World Hypothesis” with colleagues Frederick E. Smith and Lawrence B.
His PhD was interrupted by World War II, where he served his country by helping treat and prevent the transmission of malaria in the South Pacific.
During this time Nelson helped to make the University of Michigan one of the United States preeminent graduate programs in ecology.
Hairston’s views on disease treatment and management were applied through the UN’s World Health Organization, where he served as an adviser on schistosomiasis in countries throughout Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the South Pacific.
[2] During this time Hairston was also nominated to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and was given the Eminent Ecologist Award by the Ecological Society of America.