Understanding plant water use in a changing climate

Are you interested in the project below? Awesome! PLEASE DO NOT APPLY THROUGH THE URO SITE. Instead, follow this link to send in your application by Feb. 22nd, 11:59pm.

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Plant water potential is a key metric of water stress that controls how plants take up carbon, transport water, grow, and reproduce. We now have automated tools to measure water potential on a half-hourly basis, permitting study of water potential responses and connection to ecosystem functions. The PEPPER lab collects data related to plant water status, develops databases of plant water potential, and analyzes time series using Bayesian approaches. 

 We have three projects in need of research support in Summer 2026: 

1. Creosote common garden - Larrea tridentata spans 2n, 4n, and 6n ploidy levels across the three hot deserts of North America. How does whole-genome duplication impact the water use and heat tolerance strategies of this dominant shrub? Responsibilities will include literature review, testing methods for optical dendrometry and/or thermal tolerance, and data collection/analysis of growth and phenology.
2. Sagebrush water potential - Artemisia californica is the dominant shrub of the Coastal Sage Scrub, found across the street at Bernard Field Station. What are the water potential thresholds associated with declines in ecosystem productivity, and how can they be scaled between plants and ecosystems? Responsibilities will include literature review, installing/maintaining field instrumentation, and visualizing/analyzing time series. 
3. Synthesis of plant water potential - the PSInet database of plant water potential timeseries is nearly complete. What types of species exhibit flexibility in water use strategy? To what extent does soil water potential control predawn and midday plant water potential? Responsibilities will include extracting data from the database, creating figures, and writing results for a manuscript.