My desire as an early career ecologist is to advance our understanding of tropical plant ecophysiology. Broadly, I study how the environment, both physical and biological, interacts with the physiology of plants. This includes effects of climate and nutrients on physiological processes in both plants. My doctoral research focuses on the functional trait analysis related to the stress tolerance of tropical tree species. I use a variety of ecophysiological research techniques to elucidate the mechanisms and responses of tree species to drought, which is essential for predicting the resilience and responses of tropical forests to climate change. I use China’s seasonal karst forests, a peculiar and threatened ecosystem of high biodiversity, as an experimental model. This landscape is dominated by towering and jagged peaks of limestone outcrops, which are often depicted in traditional Chinese paintings. In these rainforests the soil dries faster in hilly peaks resulting in a temporary water stress. I believe that these areas of research are imperative to predict impacts from global climate change on tropical forests.
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