Weeds with a bad reputation have value for pollinators and biodiversity
Ecologists have found that weeds are far more valuable in supporting biodiversity than we give them credit for.
Category: Close Encounters
What does cyanobacteria look for in a good moss host?
Cyanobacteria can provide an important source of nitrogen for mosses, but some mosses are better at attracting them than others.
With hundreds of thousands of flowers, macadamia can be limited by not getting enough pollen
This study is the first to demonstrate pollen limitation in a mass-flowering tree.
Plants that have adapted to exploit human activity now depend on disturbance
Plants that have grown in partnership with human activity in meadows can be a great source of seeds for restoration projects, but their ability to germinate is also a problem.
What happens to carnivorous plants when the insects bite back?
A moth could be interfering with a pitcher plant’s reproduction by developing a taste for flowers – or at least parts of a flower.
Pathogens can’t hide under the covers
Research published in Phytobiomes shows that cover crops could help improve the health of crops.
Hawkmoths prefer for the young to eat with the competition
Food is critical for larvae development, so a good insect should lay her eggs away from other competition for food. That’s why scientists were surprised that female hawkmoths chose plants hosting competitors when laying eggs.
Herbivores can cause dioecious plants to partly swap sex
Rather than inherently being ‘male’ or ‘female’, Mercurialis annua can produce flowers as a plastic response to its environment.
When foraging for pollen from flowers, timing can be crucial
By timing their visits to twilight, just as nocturnal flowers are opening, some bees can grab most of Pseudobombax longiflorum‘s pollen.
Asian squirrels go nuts for nectar
A rare plant found on Thailand’s highest mountain courts an unusual pollinator.
Tree species mixing increases stand productivity and density
The benefits of the mixture come on top of the other well-known superiority of provisioning and regulation services.
Impacts of herbivory on perennial grass species of the Northern Great Basin
How does herbivory impact the survival and growth of three perennial grass species commonly used to revegetate dryland ecosystems?
What happens when pollinators bring the wrong pollen?
Surely once insects have brought pollen to a flower, then plant-plant interaction is over? Not so, says Gerardo Arceo-Gómez, who argues that heterospecific (or other plants’) pollen arriving in a flower might affect plant diversity.
The colour of background vegetation reveals how bees see flowers
Studying how bees perceive flowers gives insight into how pollinators have influenced flower evolution.