HydroBeech

HydroBeech was the first research project that I carried out after leaving my PhD research group at CREAF. After a short visit to Jérôme Ogée and Lisa Wingate lab in INRAe Bordeaux, I started working in a proposal with Jérôme. We were successful and HydroBeech started in April 2017.

Project description

Originally, we aimed at understanding the ecohydrological relations of a Fagus sylvatica climate refugia, as we hypopthesised that water sources were key to explain the survival of this species in such rear-edge populations. Yet, surprising results (see Barbeta et al. 2019) made us conduct additional experiments to understand isotopic patterns along the soil-plant hydraulic continuumm. Therefore, we conducted controlled experiments and found out that previously unknown fractionation of hydrogen isotopes could happen after root water uptake (Barbeta et al. 2020). Finally, we adapated a plant hydraulics device to extract exclusively sap water (Barbeta et al. 2022), which gave a more precise approximation of tree water sources helping us to unravel water sources in the F. sylvatica of the Ciron river (Gascony, France).

This project made a significant impact in the community of hydrologists and plant biologists using the stable isotopes of water and importantly, opened new research lines in which I am still involved.

Group picture with the members of the ECOFUN time back in 2018. See their website here.