Ecosystems
Four plant strategies to deal with fire
A new study highlights the value of recognizing four reproductive syndromes within fireprone vegetation, varying in their seedling–adult spatial relations.
Ecosystems
Burn it all down: leaf traits change more than species composition
In a fire-adapted ecosystem, increased fire frequency altered community composition and structure of the ecosystem through changes in the position of the shrub line.
Ecosystems
State of the World’s Plants and Fungi: 2 in 5 plants are threatened by extinction (Part 2)
In a previous post, I wrote about a recent review on extinction risk and threats to plants and fungi that contributed to the State of the
Cells, Genes & Molecules
State of the World’s Plants and Fungi: finding useful plants and fungi
There is great potential for further utilizing the global genetic diversity to advance the common good.
Ecosystems
State of the World’s Plants and Fungi: 2 in 5 plants are threatened by extinction
Scientists highlight the state of the art in conservation science and point to current methods of assessment and future studies needed to mitigate species extinction.
Growth & Development
Thirsty? Learn from the drought escape strategy of an invasive radish plant!
Some plants can “escape” drought stress by speeding up their life cycles, minimising water loss and allocating more resources to roots when water is available. Over
Cells, Genes & Molecules
Does a thick leaf gas film protect against submergence on rice?
Submergence tolerance in rice is primarily attributed to SUB1 gene action, but other associated traits such as leaf gas film (LGF) thickness, leaf hydrophobicity, porosity and leaf density have been known to aid submergence tolerance in rice.
Computational Models
Two decades of “virtual” plant simulations: what’s next?
The FSPM approach has demonstrated considerable progress, but has yet to reach its full potential in terms of integration and heuristic knowledge production.
Cells, Genes & Molecules
Two evolution pathways acted on the “genomic fossils” in the tea plant genus, Camillia
Camellia represents a group, where rDNA is subjected to a mixture of concerted and birth-and-death evolution.
Plants & People
Traditional Ecological Knowledge: challenges and opportunities
On three out of four days of the Ecological Society of America’s (ESA) virtual conference earlier in August, there were workshops or symposiums about working
Growth & Development
Global warming and earlier flowering: a thermogradient tunnel experiment
Winter annual Arabidopsis ecotypes have a distinct advantage over summer annuals in expected global warming scenarios.
Reviews
“Conservation – success or failure – is cultural”
Framing Nature: conservation and culture by Laurence Rose 2020. Gritstone Publishing. A gentle reminder that this is a botany blog and whilst the reviewed book focuses