Dr. Christoph Bachofen

I am interested in how trees acclimate to changes in environmental conditions, with a focus on light, water availability and temperature. For this, I look into a number of functional traits from physiological to morpho-anatomical traits, and from leaf to roots. I use a combination of experiments with seedlings in pots or mesocosms with field studies of saplings and adult trees.

In my research I try to understand the contrasting ecological strategies of tree species for dealing with environmental changes and their underlying trade-offs. Currently, I am investigating how acclimation to local climate affects tree transpiration responses to soil water and vapour pressure deficit. Another project aims at understanding how an invasive palm species outcompetes native regeneration with physiological advantages in the utilisation of light, water and warm temperatures.