Convenor: Amanda Cavanagh (University of Illinois)
The Plant Environmental Physiology Group (PEPG) is a special interest group spanning both the Society for Experimental Biology (SEB) and the British Ecological Society (BES).
Plant environmental physiology is the study of short-term acclimation and long-term adaptation of plants to changing environmental conditions.
Our traditional goal has been to integrate leaf and plant-level responses to biotic and abiotic stress under field and laboratory conditions. Increasingly, our focus has been either to set molecular physiology in an ecological context or to provide a basis for scaling root and shoot level responses to canopy, ecosystem and region in the context of climate change, whether for crops or natural vegetation. Our remit is to:
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advance and promote the science and practice of plant environmental physiology
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integrate the plant environmental physiology community and research opportunities within and outside the BES and SEB
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support, train and liaise with young plant environmental physiologists.
The group annually runs an informal symposium for early career scientists and every two years organises a training course in field techniques aimed at post-docs and postgrads in plant environmental physiology.
The PEPG is an excellent forum for meeting people working in similar fields and for socialising as well as general networking. Members interested in holding conferences, meetings, workshops or field meetings can apply through the Group Secretary for BES financial assistance and support for student attendance.