Insights from the 2025 Summer School on Precision Forestry
A Week of Innovation and Learning at the 2025 Interdisciplinary Summer School on Precision Forestry
Dr Sate Ahmad had the chance to attend the 2025 Interdisciplinary Summer School on Precision Forestry, an event organised by the COST Action 3DForEcoTech, in collaboration with the European Forest Institute (EFI), IUFRO – International Union of Forest Research Organizations, and the Department of Geomatics at the Forest Research Institute, Poland.
During this incredible week, Sate gained hands-on experience in using Airborne and Terrestrial LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) data to characterize forests. This experience has greatly enhanced the understanding of how LiDAR technology can be utilized for future research in ecosystem restoration and microtopography monitoring.
A special thanks to the event organizers—María Menéndez Miguélez, Mattia Balestra, Bartłomiej Kraszewski, Martin Mokros, and Krzysztof Stereńczak—whose hard work and dedication ensured the success of the event. Beyond mastering the technical aspects of LiDAR technology, the event provided a valuable platform for building connections, and Sate left with many ideas for future research collaborations.
The insights gained during this experience will undoubtedly shape the future of our research at Plant Climate Lab, and Sate is eager to incorporate TLS (Terrestrial Laser Scanning) and ALS (Airborne Laser Scanning) into ongoing and upcoming projects.
PlantClimate Lab Represents Trinity at IPSAM 2025 in Galway
Planting Knowledge, Cultivating Insight - PlantClimate Lab at IPSAM
Our PlantClimate Lab had an outstanding presence at this year’s Irish Plant Scientists’ Association Meeting (IPSAM 2025) in Galway on 16–17 June. Across five talks and two posters, our team shared research spanning paleoenvironmental chemistry, epigenetic stress responses, ecosystem water balance, restoration ecology, and climate-focused tree monitoring.
Talks
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Ailbhe Brazel presented “Understanding the role of histone methylation in plant hypoxia responses”, exploring how epigenetic mechanisms help plants adapt to low oxygen stress conditions.
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Emma Blanka Kovács delivered “Mercury analyses of modern and fossil plant substrates as indicators of atmospheric Hg loading”, highlighting how modern and historical plant material can trace mercury pollution through time.
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Sate Ahmad shared “On Weather, Water & Willows: Stomatal Response to Meteorological Forcings in Salix viminalis”, examining the effects of meteorological variability on plant water use and ecosystem balance.
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Miriam Slodownik presented findings from the Witness Tree Project, which uses mature trees at Trinity Botanic Garden to monitor environmental change. Her talk focused on long-term tracking of physiological responses—such as stomatal conductance and particulate capture—to air pollution and climate stressors.
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Christos Chondrogiannis gave an evolutionary perspective in his talk on the origins and evolution of CAM (Crassulacean Acid Metabolism) photosynthesis, using cycads as a model. His research contributes to understanding how ancient plant lineages adapted to arid environments, providing insight into the evolutionary drivers of water-use efficiency in plants.
Posters
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Siddiq Muhammad presented “How Atmospheric Change Influences Elemental Composition in Woody Plants Across Global Biomes”, a global-scale study leveraging herbarium collections to assess how rising CO₂ and nitrogen deposition have shifted leaf nutrient profiles across biomes.
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Sate Ahmad also presented “The Role of Landscape Ecology in Ecosystem Restoration”, outlining a multidisciplinary project that combines ecological data, spatial analysis, and long-term field monitoring to assess restoration outcomes across Irish landscapes.
It was a fantastic two days of science, collaboration, and connection. We’re incredibly proud of our team for representing PlantClimate Lab with such energy and excellence, and for contributing to important conversations on how plants respond to a changing planet.
Representing Our Research at the 42nd Mid-Continent Paleobotanical Colloquium
Representing Our Research at the 42nd Mid-Continent Paleobotanical Colloquium
This past month, two of our very own PhD students, Catarina (me!) and Antonietta, travelled to Middletown, Connecticut, to present at the 42nd Mid-Continent Paleobotanical Colloquium, hosted by Wesleyan University (Go Cardinals!).
Antonietta delivered a well-received talk titled “Regional Plant Ecological Turnover and Diversity Loss at the End-Triassic Mass Extinction at the Jameson Land Basin, East Greenland” and fielded more questions than any other speaker!
Catarina, despite battling jetlag, presented a poster titled “Sampling Strategies and Their Influence on Paleoecological Interpretations at the Triassic–Jurassic Boundary”, a follow-up to her earlier IGRM presentation.
Reflecting on the experience, Antonietta shared, “Visiting the palaeobotany collections at museums of such importance as the Yale Peabody Museum was an absolutely amazing experience.” Catarina added, “It was great getting to meet everyone and share the work we’ve been doing with our American peers — and to see what they’ve been working on as well!”
by Catarna Barbosa
Harnessing botanical remedies for respiratory health
Plant-based cough syrup - a blend of tradition and science
Muhammad Siddiq, a PhD student, recently carried out a project exploring natural alternatives to synthetic cough syrups, with a focus on medicinal plants from the TCD Botanical Garden. This independent project, while separate from his doctoral research on plant chemistry and climate change, contributes to the broader conversation about the role of plants in healthcare.
Siddiq’s work focused on identifying plants with potential cough-relieving properties, drawing on both historical knowledge and scientific evidence. He highlighted five plants known for their medicinal value: Allium sativum (garlic), prized for its antibacterial and immune-boosting effects; Aloe vera, recognized for its soothing and anti-inflammatory properties; Equisetum hyemale (horsetail), a mild expectorant; Thuja occidentalis, traditionally used for respiratory congestion but requiring controlled use due to its thujone content; and Rubus armeniacus (blackberry), rich in antioxidants that help alleviate throat irritation.
Using these plants, Siddiq developed a natural cough syrup, blending garlic extract, aloe vera juice, horsetail infusion, blackberry syrup, and honey—an age-old natural remedy known for its preservative and throat-soothing properties. This simple yet effective formulation offers a plant-based alternative to commercial cough syrups and demonstrates the potential of botanicals in modern medicine.
Although separate from his PhD research, Siddiq’s work highlights the relevance of plant-based treatments in healthcare, bridging traditional knowledge with modern scientific validation. His project also emphasizes the value of locally available medicinal plants, many of which visitors to the TCD Botanical Garden can explore firsthand to learn about their historical and medicinal significance, both in Ireland and beyond.
by Muhammad Siddiq
Understanding how fossilisation of plants works
A pilot project in experimental taphonomy
Researchers from the TERRAFORM team visited University College Cork in March to carry out a pilot project in experimental taphonomy with collaborator Maria McNamara. Postdoc Will Matthaeus and PhD student Catarina Barbosa are interested in testing hypotheses regarding the effect of certain aspects of the process that plant parts undergo in the transition between life and preservation in the fossil record (i.e., taphonomy). Maria is a leading expert in the interpretation of the fossil record using experimental alteration of biological materials. The group aims to develop robust interpretations of signals from the plant fossil record for use in ecosystem simulations.
Members of the Terraform team take part in the first Irish Paleo Forum (IPF) in Cork
The first Irish Paleo Forum (IPF) - Cork, January 2024
On January 18th, our lab members, Antonietta Knetge, Catarina Barsboa and William Matthaeus joined fellow Irish palaeontologists for the first Irish Paleo Forum (IPF) meeting at University College Cork. The organisation of the IPF was proposed by Prof. Maria McNamara, Dr. Chris Mays, and our own, Prof. Jennifer McElwain. The forum aims to enhance the palaeontology community in Ireland by offering an open space for current research, communication and innovation. Members of Trinity College Dublin’s Plant Climate Interaction lab look forward to participating in future IPF meetings, making history in Ireland for the bright future of palaeontology.
How to bring extinct plants ‘Back to Life' - publication by Will Matthaeus and Jenny McElwain
How to bring extinct plants ‘Back to Life.’
An obvious question to many might be “why study plant fossils?” Of course, some people just think they are amazing on their own. But there are ways that plant fossils can help us understand how Earth’s different systems work together. One framework for this approach is described by the recent review A Systems Approach to Understanding How Plants Transformed Earth’s Environment in Deep Time by TERRAFORM postdoc Will Matthaeus and PI Jenny McElwain among others. First, the plant fossil record tells us that at least part of Earth has been covered by plants since they evolved nearly half-a-billion years ago, even though the climate has been very different at times. The fossil record also shows that plants have changed so much since their start that at times they may have been nearly alien to our modern eyes. Finally, using ecosystem process models to incorporate measurements from plant fossils with climate simulations, we can estimate how extinct plants may have performed in the climates they experienced hundreds of millions of years in the past. Reaching so far back requires the expertise of several different kinds of scientists all working closely together to carefully develop solutions to a diverse array of challenges, and will allow us to understand the whole story of how the Earth we know came to be.
Dr Richard Nair awarded SFI-Royal Society University research fellowship
Dr Richard Nair awarded SFI-Royal Society University research fellowship
RODEO: Root Dynamics for Ecosystem Observation is a SFI-Royal Society University research fellowship awarded to Dr Richard Nair. RODEO is an 8-year project where Richard and the interdisciplinary RODEO team will build on his previous work building instruments and AI methods to understand root phenology (seasonal cycles) and use this to understand the links between root and shoot phenology. Phenology is important because it affects how much CO2 is taken up by vegetation and thus how plant life can buffer climate change. But most phenology information is only above ground, so if the changing environment causes differences in root and leaf activity, we cannot understand this from above-ground observations only leading to uncertainty in future predictions. RODEO will allow the team to study the links between whole plant phenology and CO2 uptake and release under real field conditions, and help improve forecasts, adaptions, and management of climate change.
RootCheck: Image-Based Root Health Assessment Tools for Sustainable Agriculture
RootCheck is a SFI-funded National Challenge Fund project, led by Dr Richard Nair with co-PI Dr Saoirse Tracy at University College Dublin. Health and physiological syndromes can affect roots and leaves differently, but there are no tools to help assess root health under field conditions. Generally, roots are much more difficult to measure than leaves, but root health status may not be visible above-ground. RootCheck will develop new tools for rapid and non-destructive in-field assessment of root health status using a combination of cheap sensors and artificial intelligence methods. RootCheck will build an interdisciplinary team to approach this challenge with an end-user focus. The output of RootCheck will help ensure data parameterized agricultural systems, helping ensure long-term agricultural sustainability and productivity in uncertain future conditions.