I am a plant and forest ecologist which uses dendrochronology to understand how plants and trees respond to environmental changes, especially climatic variability. My research focuses on the effects of climate and other disturbances on secondary growth and phenology, wood anatomy, recruitment and mortality. I use a retrospective approach since time is a key axis for assessing forest dynamics. I usually study mature individuals in the field because they experience climatic stress under natural conditions and thus can provide a precise spatio-temporal context of recent changes in growth and performance.