Dr. Yakir Preisler is the PI of the Urban Forest Lab. Yakir is a plant eco-physiologist, studying trees’ response to climate change. Yakir seeks to understand tree’s functionality capabilities in urban environment and how trees mitigate the urban heat island, reducing thermal stress and thriving under such stressful ecosystem.
Yakir earned his Ph.D. in Plant Science from the Faculty of Agriculture at the Hebrew University, in collaboration with the Weizmann Institute.
Following his Ph.D., Yakir pursued postdoctoral research at Harvard University
Founder of the Urban Trees Ecophysiology Network (UTEN)
Research Interests
Our lab is dedicated to studying the ways in which plants respond to urbanization, focusing on various aspects such as abiotic stress, climate change, drought, and the interactions between phloem and xylem. We also investigate how stomata and tree hydraulics adapt to urban environments.
In addition, our research aims to understand the ecosystem services and benefits that trees provide to the urban environment. Through our work, we aspire to develop comprehensive strategies for enhancing urban greenery, thereby improving living conditions and promoting sustainable urban development.
