Native plants in urban settings can improve bird diversity
In urban areas, gardens and parks can provide green oases among the concrete, and birds are adapted to fly in and settle in these areas. But not all green spaces are the same.
Close Encounters
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Pollinators and Herbivores Influence the Evolution of Chemicals Emitted by Fig Plants in Different Ways
Fragrances produced by plants are excellent for attracting pollinators, but how do they prevent unwanted guests from arriving?
Drought damages a plant’s perfume
Bees may be using their sense of smell to detect and avoid stressed plants.
Fungi prepare the soil for plant invasions
Chinese researchers find that similar plants can gain a big competitive advantage by partnering with the right fungi.
Bromeliads offer ants a summer residence in Costa Rica
Myrmecophobes might want to avoid studying bromeliads in the forests of Costa Rica during the summer. There are plenty of plants, but they seem to attract fire ants.
Which ornamental plants perform best for pollinators?
Guides suggest some species are better than others for pollinators, but when you get to the plant nursery you’re confronted by half a dozen cultivars of the same species. How do you pick between them?
Where does a hemiparasite’s food come from?
A parasitic plant’s ability to steal carbon rests in their haustoria, specialised organs they use to tap into a host plant.
Toxomerus basalis: The fly that uses a killer as a babysitter
Sundews are carnivorous plants that feed on small naive insects. So why does a fly deliberately lay its eggs on the plant?
Infectious bacteria force host plants to feed them
Not only do bacteria have tools to try to shut down plant defences, pathogens can also try to get the plant to direct water and food to help feed the attack.
What makes bees feel at home in the city?
A study of the bees of Toronto aimed to uncover what factors help or hinder urban pollinators.
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