RESEARCH FIELD

Ecophysiology

Ecophysiology examines how physiological processes in organisms are shaped by and adapted to environmental conditions, bridging ecology and comparative physiology. Researchers investigate how plants regulate stomatal conductance and carbon assimilation under drought stress, how ectothermic animals maintain performance across temperature gradients, how desert mammals achieve water balance without drinking, and how migratory birds fuel transcontinental flights. The discipline is increasingly critical for predicting biological responses to climate change, assessing habitat quality, and understanding physiological tipping points in ecosystems. Key tools include portable infrared gas analysers for field photosynthesis measurement, data loggers recording body temperature, heart rate, and activity in free-living animals, GPS biotelemetry, stable isotope analysis of diet and water source, and controlled-environment experiments using growth chambers. Funding sources include national science foundations, conservation organisations, climate change research programmes, and agricultural research institutes concerned with crop performance under heat and water stress.