Ecology &
Evolutionary Biology

How will temperate and boreal forests respond to a future warmer and drier climate? Research in the Ensminger lab is focusing on the physiology of plants to understand the molecular, cellular and physiological mechanisms underlying adaptation and acclimation of plants to their environment. In particular we are interested in the mechanisms by which environmental change impacts trees and forests from molecular to species and ecosystem levels. Current projects aim at understanding and monitoring the effect of future warmer and drier climate on phenology, photosynthesis and respiration, and the survival of trees. This is studied from cell to canopy level using controlled mesocosms, manipulative field experiments, and through collaborative work at multi-partner monitoring sites.