Our mission (created collaboratively Dec. 2011)
Water is essential for the existence of life. Water also plays a crucial
role in the life of plants, allowing forests to produce oxygen, take up
carbon dioxide, provide wildlife habitat, and produce wood. Water is
critical to crop production, allowing agricultural crops to feed the
growing population on our planet.
Given that water is often limiting for growth, how do plants optimize the use of this vital resource when exposed to different abiotic conditions? We study this issue on different levels, beginning with the molecular control of water uptake by roots, continuing with the dynamics of xylem transport, and ending with the stomatal control of water loss in leaves.
A key goal is to identify traits that would allow breeding for plants that are more drought tolerant and are able to grow under a wide variety of environmental conditions. Another goal is to understand more specifically how drought causes forest dieback in Canada and other parts of the world. These goals have practical implications in light of our changing climate.
