Boreal forests are an important part of the global carbon (C) cycle, but the uptake and storage of C is likely to be impacted due to rising temperatures and drought events. Primary forests are those which have not been directly affected by human management, and differ from managed forests in terms of age-structure, drainage, biodiversity, topographical wetness and soil characteristics. While primary forests were found to be more resistant to the 2018 drought than managed forests, we do not yet understand the factors that drive this resistance. 

With a mixture of dendrochronolgy (tree-core analysis), modelling and fieldwork, my PhD aims to uncover the most important factors that control drought impacts in primary forests.