Can you summarize your research in a simple way?
I study how plants respond to global change.
How long have you conducted fieldwork?
Over 25 years.
Where have you conducted fieldwork? Which was your favorite?
In the early stage of my career my field work was focused on understanding how plants responded to growth at elevated carbon dioxide concentration in large field experiments where grasslands, crops or forests were exposed to elevated concentrations of carbon dioxide in a fully open air environment. More recently my work has taken me to the Arctic and the tropics where we have been advancing understanding and model representation of plant physiology in climate models with a focus on those biomes that are globally important, climatically sensitive and poorly represented in models. I would often get asked whether I preferred the Arctic or the tropics and to be honest the answer always depended on which one I had most recently visited. It has been a great privilege to work both in these environments.
What is your favorite part about conducting fieldwork?
I love the opportunity to see interesting wildlife. One memorable year I wrapped up Arctic fieldwork in Alaska and saw a polar bear and her cubs out on the ice. Eight days later I was keeping a healthy distance from a tarantula in the Amazon. I always carry binoculars on fieldwork, you never know when you might get the chance to observe a snowy owl or howler monkey.