Ecosystems
Many mangrove restorations fail. Is there a better way?
These carbon-hoarding, coastline-protecting forests are sponges for greenhouse gases. Doing plantings right and involving local communities are key to saving them.
Growth & Development
Geographic variation in shoot structure linked to fruit size in Camelia japonica
Does fruit size influence shoot structure across a latitudinal gradient in southern Japan?
Reviews
Celebrating Botany’s 400th birthday!
Roots to seeds: 400 years of Oxford botany by Stephen A Harris 2021. Bodleian Library Botanic gardens are important resources, both for plants and people. For
Close Encounters
A healthy sunflower diet can help domesticated bumblebees avoid infection
Sunflower pollen can reduce parasite load for a bumblebee, but it’s not clear how.
Ecosystems
Range expansion of Galinsoga quadriradiata into the mountains of China
Can shifts in trait values among populations of an invasive plant help assess invasion risks and predict future spread?
Growth & Development
A conifer study reveals how a changing climate could make commercial forestry more complicated
In an unpredictable future climate, planting for less climate sensitivity may prove wiser than attempting to find trees geared for warmer weather.
Close Encounters
Rising sea levels influence a battle to beat the shade in plants
Increasing salinity could free some shade-averse plants from the shadows of their neighbours.
Cells, Genes & Molecules
Identifying biomarkers for low phosphorus tolerance in soybean
Can a better understanding of proteomic responses to low phosphorus conditions be harnessed to improve future soybean varieties?
Close Encounters
Grapes, mind the (cell wall) barricades against grey mould!
Grape cell walls could explain their susceptibility to fungal disease.
Growth & Development
Trade-offs among growth, reproduction and defence in dioecious juniper
Can variation in the essential oil yield of juniper be explained by a trade off between growth, defence and reproduction?
Plants & People
The bright side of Facebook: users catalogue rare plant species in Italy
A new study in the Journal of Applied Ecology highlights how photos in a Facebook group can complement plant scientists’ sightings.
Cells, Genes & Molecules
The wonders of mixing and matching pigments and colourful flowers
A review in The Biochemist draws attention to the importance of flower pigments to help plants cope with environmental stresses.