Research

Tree carbon economy

Trees consist the largest pool of biological carbon on Earth. Therefore, changes in tree carbon allocation are key not only to their survival and growth, but also to the global carbon cycle. We study how trees control their carbon allocation intrinsically and also with the physical and biological environment.Tree carbon economy

Tree mortality

Forest fires, drought, and pest outbreaks are becoming more pervasive under climate change, killing increasing numbers of trees every year. We study what kills trees, how exactly, where, and when. Our research results are transferable to forest management, to minimize further losses.

Tree response to future CO2

The increasing level of CO₂ gas in the atmosphere means more substrate for photosynthesis in trees. However, responses downstream from CO₂ assimilation considerably vary. We use various experimental manipulations to test these impactful tree responses.

Tree stomatal behavior

The pores on leaf surfaces called stomata are microscopic, but their cumulative role is enormous, creating essentially the gateway between the atmosphere and the biosphere. We study how tree stomata respond to changes in CO2, water availability, and heat, in diverse environments.

Tree water-use

The ascent of water (sap) inside tree trunks is the largest transport phenomenon on Earth, once called “the pulse of the Earth”. From root water uptake to leaf transpiration, we study how trees change their water-use in response to environmental change.

Soil rhizosphere

The root zone, often termed the rhizosphere, is where trees interact with diverse soil organisms. In our research, we focus on the symbiotic interactions that mycorrhizal fungi and soil bacteria maintain with tree roots. In turn, some of these interactions give rise to intricate mycorrhizal networks below the forest soil surface.

Tree growth

Unlike humans, trees must continue to grow throughout their lifetime, to ensure functionality of their tissues. Still, large temporal and spatial variations in growth exist among tree compartments and tree species. Here we study key physiological phenomena like growth phenology and phenotypic plasticity.

Tree species distributions

The tree species that currently populate specific ecosystems have adapted to changing environments through the course of evolution. Here we focus on processes at the margins of tree species’ distributions, their dynamics, and how they might change further under climate change.

Tree drought resistance

Ecological research in Israel means studying organisms under drought. From short heatwaves to extreme hyper-aridity where drought is the norm, we decipher how trees tolerate drought or avoid it altogether, and what this means for life in a warmer and drier world.

Tree xylem transport

Trees are unique in having a woody tissue, called xylem. Water transport occurs mostly through xylem conduits, in a hydraulic manner. Our research focuses on what happens when xylem water transport goes wrong, in the processes called embolism and cavitation. We learn how trees avoid embolism, tolerate it, or sometimes even reverse it to restore hydration to their leaves.

Beyond Trees

The Weizmann Tree Lab is exploring additional ecologically relevant topics related to plants, like the eco-physiology of green roofs and green walls and that of desert shrubs. Other projects include animal feeding habits and climate change effects on humans.