We are delighted to announce that Charlotte has been awarded a European Research Council Consolidator Grant. The project, COOL – Trouble in the air, will investigate how European forests respond to increasingly frequent and intense heatwaves driven by climate change.
Heatwaves affect forests not only by drying soils but also by creating hot, dry air that increases atmospheric demand for water. This phenomenon, known as “atmospheric drought,” can cause trees to lose water faster than they can take it up, even when soil moisture is still available. Despite its importance, atmospheric drought remains poorly understood compared to soil drought.
Over the next five years, we will study the physiological and ecological mechanisms that allow forests to remain cool under these stressful conditions and examine why some tree species are more tolerant to heat and drought than others. By combining experiments, field observations, and modelling approaches, this research will improve predictions of future forest responses to climate change and support the development of climate-adapted forest management strategies across Europe.