Ecosystems
Native Plants Can Bring Prairie Power to Green Roofs
Research found that combining native prairie plants and Sedum species on green roofs enhances stormwater capture, cooling, and thermal insulation compared to using Sedum alone.
Cells, Genes & Molecules
When Dodder Attacks Soybeans, It Invites its Friends
The parasitic dodder weed doesn’t just sap soybean’s strength alone – it lets in fungal gatecrashers like Alternaria too, despite soybean’s attempts to biochemically barricade its roots with flavonoids.
Cells, Genes & Molecules
Life on the Edge Can Be Fruitful for Plants
Plants at the edge of populations have to share genes with more distant neighbours to produce offspring, and that can have benefits.
Ecosystems
Giant Tortoises are a Rewilding Success in the Galapogos Islands
Giant tortoises reintroduced to Galapagos’ Española Island are engineering the ecosystem by reducing trees, aiding cactus regeneration, and creating nesting grounds for the waved albatross.
Plants & People
Visible Urban Trees Matter More for Satisfaction Than Overall Canopy Cover
Does it matter how green a city is if you can’t see any green where you are?
Plants & People
Can Food Gardens Help Universities Provide the Fruit of Knowledge?
Turning campus dirt into communal garden plots transforms universities into hubs of positive environmental change from the ground up.
Ecosystems
Ecologists investigate what makes a fire healthy in Diablio Canyon
Research shows Bishop Pines take just eight years to bounce back after fire by producing abundant viable seeds in their treetop cones.
Ecosystems
Restoration of habitats can also risk restoring the organisms that damage their biodiversity
Good intentions in ecological restoration can sometimes result in the unintentional spread of plant diseases due to neglected risk assessments and biosecurity measures.
Cells, Genes & Molecules
Climate Change Poses Heat Risk to Alpine Plants
Alpine plants, according to a recent study, are more at risk from prolonged heatwaves than previously thought, as extended heat exposure lowers the temperature at which critical damage occurs.
Notes from the Editor
Botany One & AI Revised
After a few months of working with AI, we’re revising how we use it. Some of this reflects changes in the capabilities of AI, and some of this reflects feedback on how we use it.
Close Encounters
Tiny Plant Made Smaller By Microbes
Lemna minor, Common Duckweed, is typically a small plant only a couple of centimetres long. New research finds that it gets even smaller when microbes interact with the plant.
Ecosystems
Research Reveals Surprising Ecological Benefits of Non-native Bombax ceiba
The exotic Bombax ceiba tree emerges as an unlikely champion for urban biodiversity in Brazil, supporting numerous bird species and strengthening the human-nature connection.