Prof. Tamir Klein

• We discover new insights into how trees cycle water and nutrients between leaves, stems, and roots— including a “carbon trade” between roots of nearby trees. We quantified the transfer of carbon between mature trees of different species in the forest. 

• We investigate the drought-resistance mechanisms of trees. Even irrigation does not cancel out the exposure of fruit trees to drought, so the development of drought-resistant varieties of lemons, pears, and olives would allow them to grow in drier areas. 

• Studying trees matters if we understand that they are an essential part of the global water and carbon budgets. In order to mimic what greenhouse gases might have in store for life on Earth 50 years from now, we adapted greenhouses with double the concentration of CO2 we have today.