Growing biofuels in marginal land
A problem with growing biofuels is that they can take land needed for food. What happens when you start growing biofuels on marginal land where food crops are not possible?
Category: News in Focus
Introducing MuSCA, the multi-scale carbon allocation model
MuSCA reveals that the topological scale has a major influence on the simulation of carbon allocation.
A fern thought to grow on trees still keeps a root on the ground
The Aspleniaceae is a family of ferns, some of which are terrestrial and some of which are epiphytes. A new study has found a rarity, a hemiepiphyte.
Belowground biomass reduces erosion rates in sand dunes
New research shows that it’s the parts of the plants you don’t see that help preserve dunes from erosion.
How do mangrove forests recover from cyclones?
What happens when cyclones hit mangroves? What happens when there are repeated impacts? Ken Krauss and Michael Osland have been looking at the scientific research to find out.
PtHMGR overexpression enhances tolerance of salt and drought
Overexpression of PtHMGR enhanced the stress resistance of poplar.
Where did the first flowers grow?
Botanists have tried to understand the conditions that led to the evolution of the first flowers by reconstructing the niches from which the earliest flowering plants diverged.
What factors make a deadly carrot so dangerous?
The deadly carrot might sound as likely as the killer tomato, but decoding the defences of Thapsia garganica might have a big pay-off in the future.
A new study reveals how the cuticle protects maize leaves
The cuticle is a waxy covering of a leaf that helps prevent water-loss. A new study of adult maize leaves shows it’s not a simple structure.
Trees fight infections by building barricades, but how?
Trees fight infections by trapping pathogens in one part of the tree. Hugh Morris and colleagues have been reviewing how trees use secondary metabolites in order to control the process.
X-ray CT scanning can boost tree-ring research
A new technique to scan tree rings offers to yield precious new data on past climates.
How do marshes migrate?
New research shows that marsh plants may be lying in wait in marshes-to-be, waiting for geological processes to catch up.
Even a small change in topography can help tides drive an oxygen pump
For pioneer species in the marshes, it’s a case of grow fast or die young. But the differences in growth speed can be caused by tiny changes in geography.
A plant thought to aid Nothofagus may be out-competing it
The idea was simple, Proteaceae plants are experts at releasing phosphorus from soils, so planting them alongside Nothofagus should provide the beeches with natural fertilizer. The reality is more complex.