Ecophysiology

The workgroup is led by Prof. Arne Sellin (arne.sellin@ut.ee).

Research done in the Ecophysiology workgroup mainly falls into three categories: "Classical" plant ecophysiology, carbon cycle of forest ecosystems and effects of climate change on vegetation. We foremost conduct our research in the field and stufy plants in their natural environment, but we also deal with laboratory experiments. Our main goal is to find out the physiological mechanisms that determine the formation of plant production in forest ecosystems.

Some areas of our research include:

• Water exchange of trees with a specific focus on the effects of environment on stomatal regulation, nighttime transpiration and hydraulic limitations
• Development of leaf photosynthetic characteristics in fluctuating conditions
• Determining the leaf photosynthetic parameters, cholophyl and nitrogen content, NOx emissions and the anatomical structure of different plant species in varying environmental conditions
• Within the framework of the carbon cycle, in addition to leaf gas exchange we study soil respiration and the variation of its components along the growing season or a gradient of forest age
• We also look at the reaction of woody plants and forests in general in response to rising air humidity levels (FAHM experiment) - the predicted climate change trend for higher lattitudes.