Kali Middleby

About

I am a plant ecophysiologist focused on understanding how climate change, particularly warming, impacts ecosystem functioning. My research integrates plant physiology, landscape genomics, and biophysical modeling to explore how environmental stressors—such as elevated temperatures and vapour pressure deficit—affect plant thermoregulation, carbon uptake, and water use strategies. Ultimately, my work aims to provide data that will improve the accuracy of climate-vegetation models and guide rainforest management and restoration practices.

Work

UMR Botanique et Modélisation de l’Architecture des Plantes et des végétations
|

Postdoctoral Researcher

France

James Cook University
|

Research Assistant

Australia

University of Göttingen
|

Research Assistant

Germany

Education

James Cook University
Australia

PhD - Natural and Physical Sciences

Georg-August-Universität Göttingen
Germany

B.Sc. Molecular Ecosystem Science

Publications

Local Adaptation Drives Leaf Thermoregulation in Tropical Rainforest Trees

Published by

Global Change Biology

Summary

journal-article

Leaf warming in the canopy of mature tropical trees reduced photosynthesis due to downregulation of photosynthetic capacity and reduced stomatal conductance

Published by

New Phytologist

Summary

journal-article

Ecotypic Variation in Leaf Thermoregulation and Heat Tolerance but Not Thermal Safety Margins in Tropical Trees

Published by

Plant, Cell & Environment

Summary

journal-article

Strong site and provenance effects on tropical tree growth and survival, but mixed evidence for local adaptation

Summary

preprint

Local adaptation drives thermoregulation in tropical rainforest trees

Summary

preprint

Ecotypic variation in leaf thermoregulation and heat tolerance but not thermal safety margins in tropical trees

Summary

preprint

Impacts of elevated temperature and vapour pressure deficit on leaf gas exchange and plant growth across six tropical rainforest tree species

Published by

New Phytologist

Summary

journal-article

Tropical forests are approaching critical temperature thresholds

Published by

Nature

Summary

journal-article

Tropical forests are approaching critical temperature thresholds

Published by

Nature

Summary

journal-article

Tropical forests are approaching critical temperature thresholds

Published by

Nature

Summary

journal-article

Similar patterns of leaf temperatures and thermal acclimation to warming in temperate and tropical tree canopies

Published by

Tree Physiology

Summary

journal-article

Similar patterns of leaf temperatures and thermal acclimation to warming in temperate and tropical tree canopies

Published by

Tree Physiology

Summary

journal-article

Three-dimensional quantification of tree architecture from mobile laser scanning and geometry analysis

Published by

Trees

Summary

journal-article

Three-dimensional quantification of tree architecture from mobile laser scanning and geometry analysis

Published by

Trees - Structure and Function

Summary

journal-article