Close Encounters
Kicking a plant whilst it’s down – caterpillar herbivory on nematode infested plants
Does the impact of above-ground herbivory on root-knot nematode-induced responses depend on the nematode’s life cycle stage?
Close Encounters
Buckleria paludum, the caterpillar that has a taste for danger
Far from being a victim, the caterpillar of Buckleria paludum feeds on carnivorous plants. But how?
Close Encounters
The niche does not differ between self- and cross-pollinated Epipactis orchids in Europe
The ecological niche of 14 orchids is more determined by bedrock and land cover than their mating systems.
Close Encounters
Disentangling domestication and environmental effects on plant-herbivore interactions
How has domestication affected herbivory and anti-herbivore defenses of chaya, a plant crop grown for it’s leaves in the Yucatan pensula?
Close Encounters
Scent and nectar rhythms of an African orchid are timed for its pollinator
Pollinator foraging and orchid scent and nectar availability both peak at dusk.
Close Encounters
Climate Change Spells Bad News for Bambi
Optimum vegetation for the roe deer reproductive season is coming earlier in the year, but the birth dates lagging, leaving less forage for deer at a critical time.
Close Encounters
Restoring “No Man’s Land” with native mycorrhizal fungi and plant seed mixtures
A new study in the Journal of Applied Ecology reveals the importance of introducing symbiotic fungi with native plant species for restoring post-mining ecosystems.
Close Encounters
Are ants a benefit or a detriment when they occupy a plant? New research says they may be both.
Research in two new papers shows how ants can interfere with pollination, but this interference is complicated.
Close Encounters
Ants a principal pollinator for a threatened member of the Proteaceae
The plant is impervious to the pollen damage ants usually cause.
Close Encounters
Should we be looking to parasitic plants to help control invasive species?
Biologists have been looking at biological controls like herbivores to control invasive plants. New research suggests we should also look at what parasitic plants can do.
Close Encounters
Spider orchid conservation: the importance of serendipitous fungi
Mycorrhizal fungi can be isolated from related common species to propagate threatened Caladenia.
Close Encounters
Wait! There is no such thing as a ‘specialist’ or ‘generalist’ plant pathogen
The latest study published in the Nature Communications journal reveals that pathogens with more diverse host plants do not have a wider temperature range.