Prof David Galbraith

Profile

I am Professor in Terrestrial Ecosystem Science in the School of Geography, University of Leeds. My research focuses on improving our understanding of the biogeochemical cycling and vegetation dynamics of tropical forests and how these processes might be affected by global environmental change. I have a specific interest in the sensitivity of tropical forests to drought and heat stress, using a range of different approaches, from field-based ecophysiological approaches to dynamic global vegetation modelling.  

Research interests

Throughout my career I have been interested in the sensitivity of tropical forests to high temperatures, water stress and land use change and particularly in understanding the climate stress limits that critically alter forest function.  My early career focused on understanding the uncertainties and major processes responsible for simulated dieback of the Amazon in dynamic global vegetation models, but much of my work today focuses on developing an empirical, data-based understanding of forest sensitivity to climate. This includes measuring ecophysiological traits associated with plant climatic stress over large scales and also detailed, high-resolution measurements to understand the mechanisms associated with plant resistance to heat and water stress.

I coordinate a number of projects to better understand the impacts of global change on tropical forests, particularly in the Amazon region.  These are always developed in collaboration with a large number of partners in tropical countries, particularly in Brazil and always involve locally-based students and researchers.  In Brazil, I teach and provide supervision to postodoctoral students on two postdoctoral programmes: 1) Programa de Pos-graduacao em Ecologia e Conservacao (Universidade do Estado de Mato Grosso – UNEMAT) and 2) Programa de Pos-graduacao em Ciencias Ambientais (Universidade Federal do Para – UFPA).  Projects I am currently leading include: 1) Lethal Psi,   a hectare-scale drought experiment in the Southern Amazon to evaluate the hydraulics thresholds associated with mortality of Amazon trees and 2) THERMOS, which focuses on pan-tropical evaluation of the thermal safety margins of tropical forests.  Previous projects I have led include TREMOR, which focused on better understanding mortality risk of tropical forests, and ARBOLES, a consortium grant with partners from across South America to better understand the roles of plant functional traits in underpinning the biodiversity and resilience of South American forests.

Research groups and institutes

• Ecology and Global Change

Projects

<li><a href="//phd.leeds.ac.uk/project/1910-understanding-and-predicting-sensitivity-of-amazonia’s-forests-to-increasing-heat-and-drought-">Understanding and predicting sensitivity of Amazonia’s forests to increasing heat and drought </a></li>