A tiny Antarctic moss is sending a big warning: even the continent’s remote plant life may be threatened by climate change, human activity and invasive species.
Research from the Australian Alps reveals that some mountain flowers act as miniature solar heaters, providing pollinators with warm refuges when cold conditions would otherwise keep them grounded.
Lichens and mosses may act as living sensors of urban warming, helping researchers understand how rising city temperatures alter biodiversity at the smallest scales.
Pollinators are a vital link between biodiversity and human health, securing both essential nutrients and family livelihoods. While their decline threatens to deepen poverty and malnutrition, protecting local plant diversity offers a sustainable path to resilience.
By testing how seeds respond to drought and smoke together, scientists uncover how plants in Brazil’s Cerrado survive the harsh mix of fire, dry spells and unpredictable rain.