2024 HARPER PRIZE SHORTLIST: For the next two weeks, we are featuring the articles shortlisted for the 2024 Harper Prize. The Harper Prize is an annual award for the best early career research paper published in Journal of Ecology. Eugénie Mas’s ‘Drought effects in Mediterranean forests are not alleviated by diversity-driven water source partitioning’ is one of those shortlisted for the award.
About the paper:
- What is your shortlisted paper about, and what are you seeking to answer with your research?
As drought events become more frequent, it is increasingly important to develop climate-smart forest management strategies. Many studies suggest that interactions between tree species in diverse forests can enhance forest resilience to seasonal drought. Our study aimed to understand whether increased forest diversity can mitigate the impact of summer droughts on different tree species in the Mediterranean basin. We conducted an extensive experiment in situ to measure water uptake depth and tree water stress for four species in monospecific and mixed stands in Spain.
- Were you surprised by anything when working on it? Did you have any challenges to overcome?
Collecting soil samples to investigate the soil water sources during summer heatwaves was challenging due to the rocky soil and extreme field temperatures. However, our efforts were ultimately rewarded with surprising findings. Contrary to common assumptions, improved soil water partitioning did not alleviate the water stress experienced by the most drought-sensitive species during the summer. This result highlighted the importance of efficiently selecting tree species for forest composition to enhance forest resistance and resilience to future droughts.
- What is the next step in this field going to be?
Our study highlights the complexity of tree species interactions, where both species composition and local environmental conditions can influence the response to environmental stresses. It is essential to continue exploring different tree species and ecosystems to identify the best candidates for shaping future forests. At the same time, belowground water sources remain a “black box” in forest ecology, primarily due to the challenges in collecting this information. However, understanding where and how trees assimilate water is crucial to gaining a comprehensive understanding of how forest ecosystems will respond to future climate challenges.
- What are the broader impacts or implications of your research for policy or practice?
Identifying the best neighbors is crucial not only for understanding and predicting forest ecosystems’ responses to future climate but also for developing new forest management guidelines to enhance forest resilience and resistance to future disturbances.
About the author:
- How did you get involved in ecology?
The forest was a centre part of my life growing up. My curiosity led me from botany to ecophysiology as I gained a deeper understanding of the mechanisms driving tree responses to environmental stress. I believe that by advancing our knowledge of tree physiology, we can better predict the future of our forests.
- What is your current position?
I’m pursuing my interests in forest ecology by studying the hyper-diverse ever-wet tropical forest in Southeast Asia with a PostDoc fellowship at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institution (Washington DC, USA).
- Have you continued the research your paper is about?
Transitioning to hyper-diverse, ever-wet ecosystems, I continue my work on understanding how trees manage water under limiting conditions while navigating a completely new environment with its own unique challenges. Although I am no longer focused on tree-tree interactions, my interest remains focused on the diverse strategies species employ to cope with water shortage.
- What one piece of advice would you give to someone in your field?
In ecophysiology, we often focus on mechanisms at the tree level, sometimes overlooking their interactions with the broader community and environment. I would encourage expanding the studies to take a more holistic approach, considering the entire ecosystem.
Find the other early career researchers and their articles that have been shortlisted for the 2024 Harper Prize here!
