PS Seminar Series: Acclimation of photosynthesis and leaf respiration to warming and elevated CO2 – Results from experimental field studies in boreal and tropical regions.

Abstract: Photosynthesis and leaf respiration are key metabolic processes for plant growth and their carbon exchange with the atmosphere are the largest within the global carbon cycle. Most of our understanding on the acclimation of these two processes to climate change variables (temperature and elevated CO₂) is largely based on studies from highly controlled experiments on seedlings, and it is uncertain to what extent these responses would apply to trees growing in realistic field settings. Moreover, plant species from boreal and tropical forests have relatively been less studied compared to those from the temperate region. In this seminar, I will present new findings on acclimation responses of photosynthesis and leaf respiration to warming and elevated CO₂ from field experiments in tropical (Africa – Rwanda and Latin America - Colombia) and boreal (North America – Canada and USA) plant species.

Biography: Dusenge is a plant ecophysiologist studying the effects of warming and elevated CO₂ on tree and crop physiology, with a focus on photosynthesis and leaf respiration across major biomes, including boreal and tropical forests. He earned his Biology degree from the National University of Rwanda, a Master's in Environmental Sciences from the University of Gothenburg (Sweden), and a PhD from Western University in Canada under the supervision of Prof. Danielle Way. Post-PhD, he held three postdoctoral positions, including a Marie Curie Fellowship at Gothenburg, and postdocs at the University of Exeter (UK) and Western University (Canada), a brief faculty position at Mount Allison University (Canada). He recently joined the Australian National University as an ARC DECRA fellow in Prof. Owen Atkin group.