Discovery Projects - Grant ID: DP260103140 [ 2026-01-01 - 2028-12-31 ]

Research Grant

Researchers: Belinda Medlyn (Chief Investigator) ,  Brendan Choat (Chief Investigator) ,  Kristine Crous (Chief Investigator) ,  Wouter H. Maes (Partner Investigator)

Brief description Revealing heat dose thresholds in Australian forests from leaf to landscape. Forests play a critical role in mitigating climate change, but their role as reliable carbon sinks depends upon their ability to survive extreme events. This project aims to predict the limits of heat tolerance based on both temperature intensity and duration (i.e. heat dose) in well-watered and drought conditions from leaf-level to the landscape. Expected outcomes are 1) improved mechanistic understanding of hydraulic and metabolic processes during extreme heat/drought, 2) predict when tree damage can lead to tree mortality and 3) determine a species’ vulnerability to heat and water stress. Understanding the processes behind tree mortality is essential to predict when functional collapse will occur and how forest biodiversity will change.

Funding Amount $685,992

Funding Scheme Discovery Projects

View this grant in the ARC Data Portal