{"id":2463,"date":"2025-05-12T08:00:19","date_gmt":"2025-05-12T07:00:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/research.reading.ac.uk\/lemontree\/?p=2463"},"modified":"2025-05-11T20:45:11","modified_gmt":"2025-05-11T19:45:11","slug":"lemontree-at-egu-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/research.reading.ac.uk\/lemontree\/lemontree-at-egu-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"LEMONTREE at EGU 2025: Sharing our work in Eco-Evolutionary Optimality and land surface modelling"},"content":{"rendered":"

Each spring, the European Geosciences Union (EGU) General Assembly brings together tens of thousands of Earth, planetary, and space scientists in Vienna for a week of exchange, insight, and inspiration. For LEMONTREE, this conference is a highlight of our calendar, offering an opportunity for the European members of our global team to reconnect, reflect on progress, and share our latest research rooted in Eco-Evolutionary Optimality (EEO) theory.<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s EGU General Assembly 2025 was no exception. With 14 presentations from our team, spanning early-career researchers to project leads, we showcased a diverse body of work that reflects the breadth and depth of the LEMONTREE project.<\/p>\n

Highlights from the Programme<\/strong><\/p>\n

Our presence at EGU was marked by a mix of oral and poster presentations across a variety of sessions, covering plant respiration, stomatal regulation, wildfires, optimality in forest dynamics, and much more. Many of our PhD students had their first opportunity to present at a major international conference\u2014an experience that is both challenging and rewarding.<\/p>\n

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\u00a0“This meeting has provided me with a comprehensive understanding of the core challenges within our research field and the diverse perspectives surrounding them. I found the novel ideas and multi-angle discussions particularly enlightening, which has benefited me a lot.”<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Boya Zhou- PhD student at the University of Reading<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

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Two of our lead investigators, Prof. Sandy Harrison<\/strong> and Prof. Colin Prentice<\/strong>, were invited speakers, reflecting the growing recognition of EEO theory in the global scientific community.<\/p>\n

Sandy\u2019s talk titled “Vegetation responses to climate change: lessons from the past 1Ma of Earth history”<\/em>, highlighted how insights from palaeoecology can inform and strengthen optimality-based modelling of plant responses to climate change. Her presentation underscored the value of long-term perspectives in testing and refining eco-evolutionary theories.<\/p>\n

\"\"Colin\u2019s <\/strong>presentation “Optimal trait theory: An emerging route towards better land ecosystem models”<\/em>, laid out a forward-looking vision for incorporating trait-based optimality principles into next-generation land surface models. His talk illustrated how linking traits to function can improve the predictive power and realism of ecosystem simulations.<\/p>\n

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In total, our presenters spanned multiple institutions and career stages, reflecting LEMONTREE\u2019s collaborative and inclusive ethos. These contributions sparked engaging discussions, many of which extended beyond sessions into hallways and coffee breaks\u2014an essential part of the EGU experience.<\/p>\n

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\u00a0“I was pleased to present my research following Colin’s talk, which provided an excellent foundation for introducing my own work on predicting plant traits using the P model. I \u00a0had engaging discussions with fellow researchers who are developing models grounded in EEO, allowing us to compare approaches and explore opportunities for collaboration. It was a valuable opportunity to showcase my work and connect with the broader research community working on plant carbon allocation and terrestrial ecosystem”<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Ruijie Ding, PhD Student, Imperial College London.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

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Here is the full list of presentations by the team and links to their abstract:<\/p>\n