Just planted Sequoia sempervirens/Coastal Redwoods, the first of 12 tree species I will be studying during my fellowship here in California π²π³π¬
04.02.2026 17:16
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Just planted Sequoia sempervirens/Coastal Redwoods, the first of 12 tree species I will be studying during my fellowship here in California π²π³π¬
π³PhD Opportunity in plant ecophysiologyπ‘οΈ Join EPFL (Switzerland) for fully-funded 4yr PhD on tree responses to air drought and heat. Climate chamber + long-term experiments to uncover physiological thresholds under climate change. www.epfl.ch/labs/perl/pe...
In our recent study, we demonstrate how high temperatures alter leaf-level C dynamics, resulting in a significant shift towards sugars as the primary C reserve, and concurrent shifts in 2H and 18O composition
@lehmannlab.bsky.social @arthurobuntspecht.bsky.social
@wslresearch.bsky.social
πππ°π: Primary and secondary growth of Pinus halepensis are more sensitive to inter-annual drought variability than to 14 years of rainfall exclusion in a Mediterranean forest
doi.org/10.1093/aob/...
Featured on the cover of @globalchangebio.bsky.social is a thermal image of Elaeocarpus Grandis taken at @jcuofficial.bsky.social Daintree Rainforest Observatory. In this species we find that populations originating from warmer climates have narrower leaves with higher rates of water loss.
Job offer: The Forest Resources and Forest Management Research Unit is committed to recording, analysing, evaluating and predicting the development of forest resources. The aim is to improve the understanding of the state of the forest and to develop scientifically grounded solutions for its sustainable management in the 21st century. The National Forest Inventory (NFI) forms an essential pillar of the research unit. Due to a retirement, we are looking to fill the following position, starting April 1, 2026 or by agreement Head of Research Unit Forest Resources and Management 90 β 100% (f/m/d) As an internationally recognised figure, you will lead the research unit with enthusiasm and skill. Your diverse and high-responsibility tasks will include coordinating and working to advance the six research groups, comprising around 80 employees, and managing your own projects. You will secure third-party funding, cultivate connections with other research areas, and further develop the topic of forest resources and forest management within the framework of the WSL strategy and in the sphere of the ETH Domain. You will engage in cooperation with forestry authorities and specialist organisations at the national and the international level, and you will promote knowledge transfer and implementation at the interface between research and practice. You have several years of experience in leading research groups and managing large projects. Additionally, you have a proven track record in developing and financing research projects and an established network in your field. You are a proactive, integrative and committed individual with strong negotiation skills. You are able to convey your forward-looking vision for the further development of the research unit in a compelling manner, communicating clearly in English and at least one Swiss national language.
#JobAlert! Experience in leading #research groups and developing research projects? Are you proactive and do you have strong negotiation skills? We are looking for a new head of the #ForestResources and Management Research Unit: apply.refline.ch/273855/1725/... #ScienceJobs #SustainableManagement
Nice diversity among my different Quercus pubescens genotypes from 1) Pfynwald, Switzerland; 2) Crete, Greece; 3) Barcelona, Spain. 4) is Quercus infectoria ssp veneris from Polis, Cyprus (the massive ones next to the pub) which are growing unexpected fast.
After a month of more rain, trees and shrubs are starting to have crispy leaves again. Lets see how far they will dry out during the next few days, and whether there will be enough rain comming next week to make them recover. I doubt that there is a future for most native tree species
I am in total support of this method
Hiking on the Azores is often hiking through novel ecosystems with probably over 90% introduced plant species. Likely the future of many regions until the end of this century due to the expected strong missmatch between the climatic conditions and the bioclimatic envelope of the native species
First signes of early #drought are visible on trees and shrubs in a forest close to my hometown. While the current (~25mm) rain helped for sure, this water will already soon be evapotranspirated based on weather projections. Lets see how severe the drought will hit during the comming months
Only few people know that we have (introduced) wild cacti in Switzerland. Today, I was finally able to visit Opuntia phaeacantha and O. mesacantha in Sion, Valais. I wonder if the native lizarsds are also eating and disperse them as the lizards on the Canary Islands do
Showing off our figure of global conifer leaf-widths & leaf silhouettes highlighting that conifers can be broad-leaved & angiosperms can be narrow/ needle-leaved! π
Our paper: tinyurl.com/mss2me7v
@newphyt.bsky.social
@vallicrosah.bsky.social @botanykat.bsky.social & Matilda Brown
#PlantSciJob alert! Graham Farquhar's group at ANU @biologyanu.bsky.social @scienceanu.bsky.social is hiring a research assistant to help with their portfolio of stable isotope + #ecophys #PlantScience research (including @li-corenv.bsky.social support).
Apply by 2 July 2025. Please share! π§ͺ
Furthermore, we tracked the net COβ flux of germinating acorns (Quercus robur) until they completed their first flush. Finally, we conducted temperature response experiments with Q. robur seedlings to identify the temperature above which they have a negative net carbon balance.
We measured the net COβ flux of three Cβ and three CAM species over several days, as well as measuring the Cβ species over several days of continuous light and darkness, in order to investigate potential circadian rhythms.
To prove the reliability of the measurements and explore potential future experimental studies, we investigated net COβ fluxes in 4 experiments.
In most studies, the net C balance of the whole plant is modelled based on measurements of leaves, twigs and roots. However, measuring COβ fluxes of heterotrophic tissues is challenging, and COβ is redistributed inside the plant via sap flow.
Our latest study (submitted to JXB) is now available as a preprint. We emphasise the importance of directly measuring the CO2 flux of whole plants.π§΅
Contrary to popular belief, what is important in science is as much its spirit as its product: it is as much the openmindedness, the primacy of criticism, the submission to the unforeseen, however upsetting, as the result, however new that may be. β Francois Jacob
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Tracing Oxygen and Hydrogen Isotope Signals From Water Sources to TreeβRing Compounds - Diao et al. - Plant, Cell & Environment onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1...
π Congratulations to my PhD student Julie Botzas-Coluni who won the prize for the best poster at the Swiss Animal Nutrition Conference 2025 @ethz.ch
#AgroForageTreeProject @snsf.ch @agroscope.bsky.social
Death by a thousand cuts- areas rich in biodiversity being destroyed for housing.
βThere is plenty of completely degraded land with no biodiversity values at all to put those housesβ
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
PhD candidate in Dendroecology and Ecophysiology The project involves fieldwork, lab analyses and manipulative experiments. The research sites are located in the Alps (Switzerland), Pyrenees (Spain), and Carpathians (Romania), and the experimental study will be conducted in Switzerland. You will apply dendroecological techniques to measure and analyse carbon and oxygen isotope ratios in the cellulose of tree rings as proxies of physiological changes. Additionally, you will participate in an experimental study on saplings growing along an elevational transect in the Alps, examining their morphological, physiological, and phenological responses to climate stressors (heat, drought, and frost). Ultimately, the goal is to rank species by their sensitivity to recent and future climatic stressors, helping forest managers select the most resilient species for each elevation zone. You hold a Masterβs degree in forest ecology, ecology, plant physiology, environmental science, or a related field. Ideally, you already have experience with tree-ring analysis, ecophysiology, or climate data analysis. You have a good command of English, enjoy working collaboratively, and are comfortable using statistical software, preferably R. You are in good physical condition so that you can move safely over rough terrain. In addition, you are independent, self-motivated, and eager to take on a challenging project that will contribute to a deeper understanding of how climate change affects forest ecosystems. This position offers an exciting opportunity for those seeking a career in dendroecology, ecophysiology, or climate change science. You will work in an international research environment with access to cutting-edge methods and collaboration opportunities in Spain and Romania. Working place will be at WSL in Birmensdorf (approx. 20 min outside of Zurich); PhD enrolment will be at University of Bern.
π²π₯οΈ #PhDAlert! MSc in a #natural #science & experience with #tree-ring analysis and statistical software (R)? Fluent in English and ready for #fieldwork? Our #forest dynamics #research unit is looking for a #PhD candidate in #dendroecology and #ecophysiology! apply.refline.ch/273855/1736/...
Update of my little oak nursery with seedlings of Quercus pubescens from Pfynwald/Switzerland, Barcelona, and Crete, as well as Quercus calliprinos from Crete and Quercus infectoria ssp veneris from Cyprus
A bee with pollen on its body investigates a flower.
Want More Bees in Your City? Mix Up Your Flowers
A new study finds that cities can support more wild bee species by planting a greater variety of flower shapesβnot just more flowers.
botany.one/2025/05/want...
Read the original research at doi.org/10.1002/eap....
I recently read & reviewed @olufemiotaiwo.bsky.social's book, 'Reconsidering Reparations'. The connections he draws b/t slavery, colonialism, capitalism, and climate justice are conversations we don't have enough of in ecological discourse. I recommend reading it.
open.substack.com/pub/benlockw...
We have 3 players in a grassland: plants, microbes and soils. Who is winning on the fight for N under drought and warming conditions? Should we adapt our management strategies? Come to my #EGU25 talk on Wed to find out! BG3.5 @reclean.bsky.social
meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU25/EGU25-...
π³Urban trees keep cooling - even during record-breaking heatwaves! We show that trees maintained high transpiration, defying model predictions. Tree cooling during heat may be underestimated π‘οΈπ¦
Great study led by Christoph Bachofen @wslresearch.bsky.social doi.org/10.1016/j.uf...
