Belinda Medlyn

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Belinda Medlyn FAA is a plant physiologist, ecologist and mathematical modeller. Her research explores how plants, and particularly trees, respond to increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide.

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Education and career

Belinda Medlyn started her career working in a merchant bank after completing an Honours degree in Applied Mathematics at the University of Adelaide. However, she has said that the work did not suit her. She heard of mathematical ecology from Hugh Possingham and returned to study a PhD in theoretical biology from University of NSW. Since 2015, Medlyn has worked at the Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment at Western Sydney University. [1]

Medlyn's work combines experimental ecology with mathematical modelling to develop evidence-based models that predict how plants will respond to rising carbon dioxide levels, increasing temperatures and drought, and so how species composition and ecosystem productivity will be affected by climate change. [2] [3] [4]

Her research on stomatal conductance, the process that governs how plants use water and take up carbon, drew together theoretical and experimental approaches into a unified stomatal model. [5]

Through her research at the Eucalyptus Free-Air CO2 Enrichment (EucFACE) experiment - "The world’s only Free-Air Carbon Dioxide Enrichment experiment in a mature, warm temperate forest ecosystem" [6] - her team has identified that, in contrast to most trees which are growing faster due to increased atmospheric CO2, Australian eucalypts are not. This appears to be due to soil microbes using the phosphorus they produce to aid their own metabolism rather than releasing it to be used in photosynthesis and so tree growth. [7]

In 2019, Medlyn started the Dead Tree Detective project, a citizen science initiative that aims "to collect observations of dead or dying trees around Australia". By collecting information on times and locations of tree deaths, scientists will be able to understand the cause of death, and so identify and protect vulnerable trees. [8]

Awards

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carbon dioxide</span> Chemical compound with formula CO₂

Carbon dioxide is a chemical compound with the chemical formula CO2. It is made up of molecules that each have one carbon atom covalently double bonded to two oxygen atoms. It is found in the gas state at room temperature and at normally-encountered concentrations it is odorless. As the source of carbon in the carbon cycle, atmospheric CO2 is the primary carbon source for life on Earth. In the air, carbon dioxide is transparent to visible light but absorbs infrared radiation, acting as a greenhouse gas. Carbon dioxide is soluble in water and is found in groundwater, lakes, ice caps, and seawater.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carbon sink</span> Reservoir absorbing more carbon from, than emitting to, the air

A carbon sink is a natural or artificial carbon sequestration process that "removes a greenhouse gas, an aerosol or a precursor of a greenhouse gas from the atmosphere". These sinks form an important part of the natural carbon cycle. An overarching term is carbon pool, which is all the places where carbon on Earth can be, i.e. the atmosphere, oceans, soil, florae, fossil fuel reservoirs and so forth. A carbon sink is a type of carbon pool that has the capability to take up more carbon from the atmosphere than it releases.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Photosynthesis</span> Biological process to convert light into chemical energy

Photosynthesis is a system of biological processes by which photosynthetic organisms, such as most plants, algae, and cyanobacteria, convert light energy, typically from sunlight, into the chemical energy necessary to fuel their metabolism. Photosynthesis usually refers to oxygenic photosynthesis, a process that produces oxygen. Photosynthetic organisms store the chemical energy so produced within intracellular organic compounds like sugars, glycogen, cellulose and starches. To use this stored chemical energy, an organism's cells metabolize the organic compounds through cellular respiration. Photosynthesis plays a critical role in producing and maintaining the oxygen content of the Earth's atmosphere, and it supplies most of the biological energy necessary for complex life on Earth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stoma</span> In plants, a variable pore between paired guard cells

In botany, a stoma, also called a stomate, is a pore found in the epidermis of leaves, stems, and other organs, that controls the rate of gas exchange between the internal air spaces of the leaf and the atmosphere. The pore is bordered by a pair of specialized parenchyma cells known as guard cells that regulate the size of the stomatal opening.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carbon sequestration</span> Storing carbon in a carbon pool

Carbon sequestration is the process of storing carbon in a carbon pool. It plays a crucial role in limiting climate change by reducing the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. There are two main types of carbon sequestration: biologic and geologic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guard cell</span> Paired cells that control the stomatal aperture

Guard cells are specialized plant cells in the epidermis of leaves, stems and other organs that are used to control gas exchange. They are produced in pairs with a gap between them that forms a stomatal pore. The stomatal pores are largest when water is freely available and the guard cells become turgid, and closed when water availability is critically low and the guard cells become flaccid. Photosynthesis depends on the diffusion of carbon dioxide (CO2) from the air through the stomata into the mesophyll tissues. Oxygen (O2), produced as a byproduct of photosynthesis, exits the plant via the stomata. When the stomata are open, water is lost by evaporation and must be replaced via the transpiration stream, with water taken up by the roots. Plants must balance the amount of CO2 absorbed from the air with the water loss through the stomatal pores, and this is achieved by both active and passive control of guard cell turgor pressure and stomatal pore size.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Free-air concentration enrichment</span>

Free-Air Carbon dioxide Enrichment (FACE) is a method used by ecologists and plant biologists that raises the concentration of CO2 in a specified area and allows the response of plant growth to be measured. Experiments using FACE are required because most studies looking at the effect of elevated CO2 concentrations have been conducted in labs and where there are many missing factors including plant competition. Measuring the effect of elevated CO2 using FACE is a more natural way of estimating how plant growth will change in the future as the CO2 concentration rises in the atmosphere. FACE also allows the effect of elevated CO2 on plants that cannot be grown in small spaces to be measured. However, FACE experiments carry significantly higher costs relative to greenhouse experiments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Land clearing in Australia</span>

Land clearing in Australia describes the removal of native vegetation and deforestation in Australia. Land clearing involves the removal of native vegetation and habitats, including the bulldozing of native bushlands, forests, savannah, woodlands and native grasslands and the draining of natural wetlands for replacement with agriculture, urban and other land uses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Climate change in Australia</span> Impacts of climate change on Australia and responses

Climate change has been a critical issue in Australia since the beginning of the 21st century. Australia is becoming hotter and more prone to extreme heat, bushfires, droughts, floods, and longer fire seasons because of climate change. Climate issues include wildfires, heatwaves, cyclones, rising sea levels, and erosion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dynamic global vegetation model</span> Computer vegetation model

A Dynamic Global Vegetation Model (DGVM) is a computer program that simulates shifts in potential vegetation and its associated biogeochemical and hydrological cycles as a response to shifts in climate. DGVMs use time series of climate data and, given constraints of latitude, topography, and soil characteristics, simulate monthly or daily dynamics of ecosystem processes. DGVMs are used most often to simulate the effects of future climate change on natural vegetation and its carbon and water cycles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carbon dioxide removal</span> Removal of atmospheric carbon dioxide through human activity

Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) is a process in which carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere by deliberate human activities and durably stored in geological, terrestrial, or ocean reservoirs, or in products. This process is also known as carbon removal, greenhouse gas removal or negative emissions. CDR is more and more often integrated into climate policy, as an element of climate change mitigation strategies. Achieving net zero emissions will require first and foremost deep and sustained cuts in emissions, and then—in addition—the use of CDR. In the future, CDR may be able to counterbalance emissions that are technically difficult to eliminate, such as some agricultural and industrial emissions.

Joy K. Ward is an American evolutionary biologist studying the impact of the environment on plants and ecosystems. She began a new role as the dean of the College of Arts & Sciences at Case Western Reserve University on July 1, 2020 - leaving behind her professorship at the University of Kansas. Her research on plant life has gained her notoriety in many scientific research fields. Aside from her work in the lab, she is also a strong advocate for advancing underrepresented communities' scientific learning and careers. As part of her deanship at the University of Kansas, Ward was an important factor in increasing the number of underrepresented individuals who held faculty positions in STEM subjects. Notably, as a result of her research efforts, she was awarded the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers by U.S. President Barack Obama.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Photosynthesis system</span> Instruments measuring photosynthetic rates

Photosynthesis systems are electronic scientific instruments designed for non-destructive measurement of photosynthetic rates in the field. Photosynthesis systems are commonly used in agronomic and environmental research, as well as studies of the global carbon cycle.

Stomatal conductance, usually measured in mmol m−2 s−1 by a porometer, estimates the rate of gas exchange and transpiration through the leaf stomata as determined by the degree of stomatal aperture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue carbon</span> Carbon stored in coastal and marine ecosystems

Blue carbon is a concept within climate change mitigation that refers to "biologically driven carbon fluxes and storage in marine systems that are amenable to management". Most commonly, it refers to the role that tidal marshes, mangroves and seagrass meadows can play in carbon sequestration. These ecosystems can play an important role for climate change mitigation and ecosystem-based adaptation. However, when blue carbon ecosystems are degraded or lost, they release carbon back to the atmosphere, thereby adding to greenhouse gas emissions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deforestation and climate change</span> Interactions between deforestation and climate change

Deforestation is a primary contributor to climate change, and climate change affects the health of forests. Land use change, especially in the form of deforestation, is the second largest source of carbon dioxide emissions from human activities, after the burning of fossil fuels. Greenhouse gases are emitted from deforestation during the burning of forest biomass and decomposition of remaining plant material and soil carbon. Global models and national greenhouse gas inventories give similar results for deforestation emissions. As of 2019, deforestation is responsible for about 11% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Carbon emissions from tropical deforestation are accelerating.

CO<sub>2</sub> fertilization effect Fertilization from increased levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide

The CO2 fertilization effect or carbon fertilization effect causes an increased rate of photosynthesis while limiting leaf transpiration in plants. Both processes result from increased levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2). The carbon fertilization effect varies depending on plant species, air and soil temperature, and availability of water and nutrients. Net primary productivity (NPP) might positively respond to the carbon fertilization effect. Although, evidence shows that enhanced rates of photosynthesis in plants due to CO2 fertilization do not directly enhance all plant growth, and thus carbon storage. The carbon fertilization effect has been reported to be the cause of 44% of gross primary productivity (GPP) increase since the 2000s. Earth System Models, Land System Models and Dynamic Global Vegetation Models are used to investigate and interpret vegetation trends related to increasing levels of atmospheric CO2. However, the ecosystem processes associated with the CO2 fertilization effect remain uncertain and therefore are challenging to model.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deanna D'Alessandro</span> Australian chemist

Deanna Michelle D'Alessandro is an Australian chemist who is a Professor and Australian Research Council Future Fellow at the University of Sydney. Her research considers fundamental aspects of electron transfer in molecular coordination complexes and in nanoporous materials, and the development of metal–organic frameworks for environmental applications including carbon dioxide capture and conversion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cate Macinnis-Ng</span> New Zealand ecophysiologist

Catriona M. O. Macinnis-Ng is a New Zealand ecologist, and is a full professor at the University of Auckland, specialising in the effects of climate change, especially drought, on plants. She has been awarded a Rutherford Discovery Fellowship, the Roger Slack Award, and the Miriam Dell Award for Excellence in Science Mentoring.

References

  1. ↑ University, Western Sydney. "Distinguished Professor Belinda Medlyn (Theme Leader - Ecosystem Function and Integration)". www.westernsydney.edu.au. Retrieved 2024-07-29.
  2. 1 2 "Belinda Medlyn". www.science.org.au. Retrieved 2024-07-29.
  3. ↑ Oliver, Rebecca; Mercado, Lina; Clark, Doug; Harris, Phil; Medlyn, Belinda (2023-05-01). "The future of forests: thermal acclimation in the JULES land surface model". EGU23, the 25th EGU General Assembly, Held 23–28 April 2023 in Vienna, Austria and Online: EGU–16015. Bibcode:2023EGUGA..2516015O. doi: 10.5194/egusphere-egu23-16015 .
  4. ↑ Caldararu, Silvia; Radolinski, Jesse; Zaehle, Sönke; Ali, Ashehad; Huang, Yuanyuan; Kraus, David; Kiese, Ralf, Dr.; Medlyn, Belinda; Medvigy, David; Myrgiotis, Vasilis; Rammig, Anja; Seitz, Josua; Smallman, Luke; Vuichard, Nicolas; Walker, Anthony (2023-12-01). "Impacts of drought on grassland productivity under elevated CO2 and warming from a manipulative experiment and 12 terrestrial biosphere models". AGU Fall Meeting 2023, Held in San Francisco, CA, 11–15 December 2023, Session: Biogeosciences / Consequences of Drought for Terrestrial Vegetation: From Physiology to Global Feedbacks II Oral, Id. B32B-08. 2023: B32B–08. Bibcode:2023AGUFM.B32B..08C.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  5. ↑ Medlyn, Belinda E.; Duursma, Remko A.; Eamus, Derek; Ellsworth, David S.; Prentice, I. Colin; Barton, Craig V. M.; Crous, Kristine Y.; De Angelis, Paolo; Freeman, Michael; Wingate, Lisa (2011). "Reconciling the optimal and empirical approaches to modelling stomatal conductance". Global Change Biology. 17 (6): 2134–2144. Bibcode:2011GCBio..17.2134M. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2486.2010.02375.x. hdl: 10453/18084 .
  6. ↑ "EucFACE Experiment – Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Richmond NSW, Australia" . Retrieved 2024-07-29.
  7. ↑ Medlyn, Belinda; Ellsworth, David S.; Crous, Kristine (2024-06-06). "A fierce battle is being fought in the soil beneath our feet – and the implications for global warming are huge". The Conversation. Retrieved 2024-07-29.
  8. ↑ "The Dead Tree Detective | Project | BioCollect". biocollect.ala.org.au. Retrieved 2024-07-29.
  9. ↑ "Fellows - The Royal Society of NSW". royalsoc.org.au. Retrieved 2024-07-29.
  10. ↑ Australian Research Council (2022). "Profiles: Georgina Sweet Fellows". Australian Research Council. Retrieved 29 July 2024.
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