ProfessorMatthew Turnbull

My research focuses on three related themes in plant physiological ecology:

1. The physiology of plant performance under field conditions – my research addresses the internal and external constraints on plant resource acquisition (e.g. carbon and nitrogen) in response to variation in environment. This is a fundamental theme in plant biology, with links to a range of important applications in plant production and environmental science.

2. The physiology of plant carbon exchange – this is important research because carbon exchange affects plant growth and becuase carbon exchange in the world’s terrestrial ecosystems has such a strong influence on the global atmosphere. This research has focussed on factors regulating photosynthesis and respiration in leaves and the scaling of these processes to higher levels. This is a theme with significant current interest given the importance of plant productivity to human goods and services.

3. Global change biology – research in the two preceding areas directly informs research which attempts to address the responses of photosynthesis and respiration to changing environmental conditions.