Celebrating Plants and People
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The More The Merrier: Native plant diversity increases herbivory to non-natives
Diverse plant communities are more likely to contain herbivores that are able to consume a non-native species, which may help to explain why diverse communities are able to resist invaders while others are easily dominated.
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Traditional Plant Knowledge Improves Scientific Research on Amazon Fish
“These people know so much about the way animals work in the forest and the rivers. Fishing is in their blood and they are born with a net in their hands. It makes sense for researchers to work with them and act as a bridge to bring their knowledge to the scientific community and vice versa.”
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Tracking Pilfered Endangered Plants With Forensic Science
Now, in a last-ditch attempt to save several endangered species from extinction, scientists are turning to forensic methods to see if tracking the history of suspect plants can help to bring illegal traders to book. But time is running out for the plants, which are even more threatened than the country’s emblematic rhinos.
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The Intimate Relationship Of Orchid and Ant
The pseudobulbs with ants in them produced more flowers and fruits than the empty pseudobulbs. It’s obvious ants take nutrition from the plant, but could they be giving something back with droppings or debris that worked as fertiliser?
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And A Blade Of Grass Shall Light Their Way: Biomimicry To Generate Electricity
Using a bio-mimicking analog of one of nature’s most efficient light-harvesting structures, blades of grass, an international research team has taken a major step in developing long-sought polymer architecture to boost power-conversion efficiency of light to electricity for use in electronic devices.
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Every Tree Is Precious: Biodiversity Suffers From Even Minimal Logging
Each tree in a forest matters—so much so that the loss of even just a handful could wipe out entire species of flora and fauna forever.
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Inside a Changing Autumn Leaf
One of the great wonders of life is watching the leaves change colors in the fall. When temperatures get cool, chlorophyll begins to break down revealing the underlying pigments in the plants’ sap. This depiction of the inner-workings of a maple leaf shows the process in action
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The world’s 10 oldest living trees
These ancient trees have borne witness to the rise and fall of civilizations, survived changing climates, and even persevered through the fervent development of human industry. They are a testament to the long view that Mother Nature takes in tending the Earth. With that in mind, consider the world’s 10 oldest living trees.
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Orchids, Indicators Of Biodiversity, Face Extinction From Deforestation
Because of their extreme diversity and close-knit connections within their ecosystems, biologists consider orchids to be an excellent indicator of an area’s overall biodiversity.
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Market For Baobab Products Turns Farmers Into Conservationists
Persuading people in an overwhelmingly agricultural society to think twice before cutting down trees and burning land to make way for maize and other crops has not been easy.