Professor Melvin Tyree is a biophysicist and tree physiologist whose extensive studies have provided insight into the fundamental nature of water and nutrient transport in trees. His studies address the long-standing question of how massive volumes of water can be lifted to the tree canopies in the boreal, temperate and tropical forests that provide the vital `lungs' of our planet. As a consequence of extensive personnel training in his laboratory and international collaborations, and more than 180 research publications, he is recognized worldwide as being an original, influential and highly cited research scientist. He has received numerous national and international awards, including the Marcus Wallenberg Prize, the world's premier award for forestry research.