Plants and the Tropical Environment
Plants in various tropical environments have adapted to cope with extremes in availability of light and water. In addition, tropical environments in Australia consist of rainforest, wetland, savannah and arid ecosystems, all posing unique challenges to plant survival.
Studies incorporate investigating the ecophysiology of photosynthesis (e.g. crassulacean acid metabolism-CAM, C3, C4) and water use (e.g. tropical epiphytes and parasite survival). In addition research topics include the functioning of plants in seasonally dry tropical forests, the effects of increasing CO2 on tropical vegetation, stomatal function and forest tree physiology.
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