Diogenes Angelo Bernal Rose Hills
Investigating Water-Use Efficiency Trends of Hawaiian tree species
Tropical forests are ecosystems of ecological importance, often recognized as Earth’s most significant biodiversity hotspots. Ongoing climate research, however, suggests that tropical forest ecosystems will be subject to increased environmental stress in the near future, which may jeopardize their health. One of the ways in which plant species may respond to environmental stress is in their water-use efficiency (WUE). Nonetheless, WUE between plants may differ based on a combination of physiological and biochemical factors. Diverging WUE between tropical species therefore provides clues on how well plant species are responding to current climate change, as well as their vulnerability to future, more intense extremes. To investigate WUE in two ecologically dominant Hawaiian tree species, Acacia koa and Metrosideros polymorpha, we analyze carbon ( ¹³C) and oxygen (18O) stable isotopes obtained from tree leaf samples from 2009-2024. Based on these metrics, we can determine how WUE between species is changing overtime, and whether this is mainly attributable to physiological limitations within species or sub-optimum environmental conditions.
Message To Sponsor
Thank you so much to all the support my mentors and this community has given me to pursue this important environmental issue! I am so honored to be surrounded by passionate, like-minded individuals using science to highlight problems and inform their solutions. To RHS and all those who helped me through this academic journey, I wish you nothing but the best for your future endeavors!