A major challenge when supporting the development of intercropping systems remains the design of efficient species mixtures. The ecological processes that sustain overyielding of legume-based mixtures compared to pure...
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.
Pollinator-mediated interactions between plant species may affect the composition of angiosperm communities. Floral colour signals should play a role in these interactions, but the role will arise from the visual...
Global warming threatens species living in the highest and coldest areas. Alpine cushion plants are potentially endangered by stronger species expanding from lower elevations. This can be inferred from their ecological...
If you share a pollinator with another plant species in your location, is it a good idea to flower at the same time? You can only use pollen from another plant in the same species. If a bee arrives loaded with another...
When you look at a patch of flowers, you often see clusters of colour. Even when a single species can have many different colours, you get patches. Why? How does a plant know to grow with this colour and not that colour...
Dioecious plants are of particular concern in view of global environmental changes because reproductive females are more sensitive to abiotic stresses, thus compromising population viability. Positive interactions with...
The early bird catches the worm, but does the frost catch the early plant? A new article in AmJBot says there are advantages for a plant to germinate late.
The Stress Gradient Hypothesis (SGH) proposes that competition prevails in undisturbed and productive environments, and shifts to facilitation in disturbed or stressful environments. Yet the environmental condition...
A review of the current state of knowledge about plant defences highlights insights into herbivore adaptations that allow them to cope with these defences.
Early life-history stages of cacti can benefit from the facilitative effects of nurse plants that reduce solar radiation and water stress. Miranda-Jácome et al. conduct a reciprocal transplant experiment, coupled with...