Dr. Melvin Tyree, a famous biophysicist and tree physiologist, paid a visit to XTBG headquarters and Yuanjiang Hot and Dry Valley Observation Station in mid-January. His visit was aimed at academic exchange and seeking cooperation opportunities.

On January 15, Dr. Melvin Tyree delivered a lecture entitled “Why does leaf morphology vary within the crowns of trees? Is it height or light or something else? Advancing from field correlations to underlying mechanisms.”

During January 17 and 18, Dr. Melvin Tyree made a field tour to Yuanjiang Hot and Dry Valley Observation Station in the company of Dr. Cao Kunfang. He visited the monitoring plot, sampling plot, hydrological observation system, and research facilities. He showed much interest in the unique savanna vegetation in Yuanjiang valley and said that savanna plants have very much important research value for their strong adverse resistance.

Dr. Melvin Tyree  (middle) at the monitoring plot of Yuanjiang station

Melvin Tyree is a biophysicist and tree physiologist who researches how huge volumes of water are lifted to the tree canopies in the boreal, temperate and tropical forests. In 2002, Dr Tyree received the Marcus Wallenberg Prize, considered the forestry industry’s version of the Nobel Prize, in recognition for his pioneering scientific discoveries. According to the Marcus Wallenberg Foundation, Tyree’s research has been key in understanding how trees are designed to transport water.