Professor Alois Zlatnik (born 1902 in Dvur Kralovy, Czechoslovakia, died 1979 in Brno) was a well-known scientific researcher in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and other European countries. His academic career encompassed forest typology, phytobiocoenology, vegetation ecology and plant taxonomy. His fundamental exploration of the biocoenological structure of the virgin forests of Transcarpathia (Ukraine) commenced in the 1930s. At the same time he can be seen as the founder of long-term forest ecosystem research (ecological monitoring). Zlatnik was also an innovator regarding ecological principles of nature conservation of mountain regions.