Is mathematics actually important for biology? Not statistics, which is a necessary tool for any person with some data at hands, but the math, which is used to formulate mathematical models? Or, putting in other words, do the mathematical models in biology have anything to do with reality?
The topic is somewhat controversial, and any thoughtful opinion is of interest.
I just found out about an old discussion on the subject, between Ernst Mayr and Haldane:
http://ije.oxfordjournals.org/content/37/3/435.full.pdf+html
The paper by James Crow shows that the relevance of mathematics for evolutionary studies has increased ever since:
Mathematical Biology 