Close Encounters
Plant Disease Detectives Find Huge Diversity of Tree Pathogens in Portugal
Plant pathologists have discovered 48 species of microscopic water moulds threatening trees across Portugal, with many traced to centuries of plant trade.
Close Encounters
Birds Thrive Better in Urban Grass Fields Than Along Roads
Urban grass fields support more bird species than roadsides, showing the vital importance of preserving green spaces in cities.
News in Brief
Plants in Parks May Not Tell the Full Pollen Story
What you see growing in city parks isn’t always what’s floating in the air you breathe there, scientists discover.
Ecosystems
The Colour of Your Autumn Forest Depends on How Bosky It Is
Forest density and height help decide when autumn colours appear in temperate forests, scientists discover.
Computational Models
Garden Flowers Keep Farmland Bees Fed When Crops Stop Blooming
Small garden patches provide crucial food for wild bees when farm flowers are scarce in early spring and late summer.
News in Brief
The People Who Never Forgot Their Plants
Hidden in the Catalan Pyrenees, mountain communities show us how deep plant connections can flourish.
Ecosystems
The Unexpected Decline of Nitrogen-Fixing Plants in European and American Forests
Nitrogen-fixing plants are vanishing from temperate forests, not due to climate change, but because of human-caused nitrogen pollution.
Ecosystems
Small Islands Pack a Big Biodiversity Punch
New research shows that islands make an outsize contribution to the diversity of plants.
Close Encounters
Seeds in Salty Conditions Germinate Better When There’s Violence
Plants may get help germinating from Little Owls.
Growth & Development
Building Botanical Bed and Breakfast for Beneficial Bugs
Domatia are special plant structures that house beneficial insects and mites, providing protection in return for pest control.
Cells, Genes & Molecules
Unstoppable Evolution in Seed Bank Vaults
Plant seeds stored long-term naturally evolve, but seed banks remain crucial for preserving crop diversity.
Ecosystems
Renosterveld Rises From the Ashes With Surprising Diversity
Surprising diversity and resilience found in South Africa’s endangered renosterveld vegetation.