A new study highlights the value of recognizing four reproductive syndromes within fireprone vegetation, varying in their seedling–adult spatial relations.
Author - Juniper Kiss
Juniper Kiss
Burn it all down: leaf traits change more than species composition
In a fire-adapted ecosystem, increased fire frequency altered community composition and structure of the ecosystem through changes in the position of the shrub line.
State of the World’s Plants and Fungi: 2 in 5 plants are threatened by extinction (Part 2)
In a previous post, I wrote about a recent review on extinction risk and threats to plants and fungi that contributed to the State of the World’s Plants and Fungi (SOTWPF) report. The first afternoon session of the...
State of the World’s Plants and Fungi: finding useful plants and fungi
There is great potential for further utilizing the global genetic diversity to advance the common good.
State of the World’s Plants and Fungi: 2 in 5 plants are threatened by extinction
Scientists highlight the state of the art in conservation science and point to current methods of assessment and future studies needed to mitigate species extinction.
Thirsty? Learn from the drought escape strategy of an invasive radish plant!
Some plants can “escape” drought stress by speeding up their life cycles, minimising water loss and allocating more resources to roots when water is available. Over half of the world’s worst weeds are annuals and occur...
Does a thick leaf gas film protect against submergence on rice?
Submergence tolerance in rice is primarily attributed to SUB1 gene action, but other associated traits such as leaf gas film (LGF) thickness, leaf hydrophobicity, porosity and leaf density have been known to aid...
Two decades of “virtual” plant simulations: what’s next?
The FSPM approach has demonstrated considerable progress, but has yet to reach its full potential in terms of integration and heuristic knowledge production.
Two evolution pathways acted on the “genomic fossils” in the tea plant genus, Camillia
Camellia represents a group, where rDNA is subjected to a mixture of concerted and birth-and-death evolution.
Traditional Ecological Knowledge: challenges and opportunities
On three out of four days of the Ecological Society of America’s (ESA) virtual conference earlier in August, there were workshops or symposiums about working with indigenous communities. Traditional Ecological Knowledge...
Global warming and earlier flowering: a thermogradient tunnel experiment
Winter annual Arabidopsis ecotypes have a distinct advantage over summer annuals in expected global warming scenarios.
“Conservation – success or failure – is cultural”
Framing Nature: conservation and culture by Laurence Rose 2020. Gritstone Publishing. A gentle reminder that this is a botany blog and whilst the reviewed book focuses on conserving animals it explores the relationships...
Are a few, large seeds or many, small seeds a better strategy for a plant?
For the first time, estimates of comparative seed yield and number for over 800 annuals and their predictor equations have been produced and the ecological importance of these regenerative traits has been illustrated.
Three words to describe #ESA2020: Ecology, students and inspiration
Juniper Kiss reports on the annual meeting of the Ecology Society of America.
