A panel of six editors of the Journal composed of Pieter Baas,  Lloyd Donaldson, Elisabeth Robert, Uwe Schmitt, Elisabeth Wheeler, and Michael C. Wiemann has evaluated the four nominations for the I.W. Bailey Award 2019 – best manuscripts or papers by early career wood anatomists submitted to or published in the IAWA Journal. The panel decided that the award 2019 goes to Angela Balzano (Napels, Italy) for her paper with co-authors on “Wood-trait analysis to understand climatic factors triggering intra-annual density-fluctuations in co-ocurring Mediterranean trees. IAWA J. 2019 (40): 241-258. She will receive the sum of EUR 1000 sponsored by Brill Publishers and an IAWA certificate.
 
Her study analyses in robust samples of two Mediterranean tree species Arbutus unedo and Pinus pinea the effects of rainfall and temperature on the formation of intra-annual density variations in the wood. Different plastic responses in these two species are demonstrated, primarily to rainfall in Arbutus unedo, and in the more deeply rooting Pinus pinea primarily to temperature. The panel emphasized that this study significantly increases our understanding of responses of wood formation to environmental factors in order to optimize hydraulic architecture throughout the growing seasons. The judges also praised the impressive curriculum vitae of Angela Balzano, which bodes well for her scientific career.