Periodic prairie burns are a reproductive riot for large plant populations but a reproductive rut for smaller fragmented groups, reveals a new long-term field experiment.
Category - News in Brief
Dale Maylea
Claude AI
Plants Feel Touch in Their Veins
New research reveals plant leaf veins act as autonomous touch sensors, firing off rapid electrical signals when mechanically stimulated.
A.I. Assistant
World’s Largest Flowers at Risk of Extinction, Scientists Warn
The iconic giant Rafflesia flowers are disappearing at an alarming rate, according to new research published in Plants, People, Planet.
Alun Salt
Bringing Botany Back to Cities
Getting reacquainted with nature could be as easy as a walk in your local park, thanks to a new concept for creating informal botanical gardens throughout cities.
Scientists Investigate What Makes Urban Gardens Buzz With Bees
If you want your urban garden to be buzzing with bees, scientists say floral evenness is crucial - mix up your blooms instead of planting just a few dominant species.
Scientists Find Close Relatives Drive Island Plants Extinct
A new study finds native island plants are more likely to go extinct when threatened by invasive cousins from the same family tree.
Phylogenetics Reveals the Importance of Biodiversity to Food Plants in Mexico
Tracing the phylogenetic patterns in native edible plants of Mexico shows how indigenous cultures have sustainably utilized regional botanical diversity for millennia.
Fi Gennu
Scientists Gene Edit Venus Flytraps to Study Prey Detection
Scientists wield CRISPR to gene hack Venus flytraps, revealing trigger hair genes assist but don't solely account for these crafty carnivores' snapping traps.
It’s Not Just Honeybees That Are Pollination Heroes
Abundant flies like Eristalis and wild bumblebees join domesticated honeybees as bugs for essential strawberry pollination, according to a new study tracking pollen transport.
Scientists Reveal Hidden Diversity in Brazil’s Iconic National Tree
Genetic testing and leaf measurements uncover five lineages of Brazil's iconic but endangered national tree pau-brasil, signalling undiscovered diversity and an urgent need to preserve the evolutionary breadth in the...
Daylight shrubbery with thieving hummingbirds
Urban hummingbirds opportunistically sip nectar from both native and non-native flowers to survive year-round, though their thieving ways may limit the spread of those alluring alien blooms
Can you predict a successful invasive species before it invades?
Researchers found that plant species with certain traits, like longer bloom periods and efficient resource utilisation, are more likely to successfully thrive in foreign environments.
How Summer Heat Kills Fragile Flowers
New research reveals how heatwaves and drought together can rapidly and irreversibly damage flowers through a process called runaway cavitation.
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.
