Category: Plants & People
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“World’s Worst Weed” Once Staple Of Ancient People
Even when farming developed in the area 7,000 years later, people were still munching on nutsedge. But at some point, the root it lost its charm. By the 1970s, botanists branded purple nutsedge as “the world’s worst weed” in a book of the same name. “They listed it as being a problem in 92 countries and 52 different crops,”
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Tree’s Seeds Shown As Effective Low Cost Water Purifier
Seeds of Moringa oliefera, commonly known as Sehjan or drumsticks, have the potential to remove impurities from contaminated water and make it safe for drinking
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Neandertal Diet Included Vegetables
The popular conception of the Neanderthal as a club-wielding carnivore is, well, rather primitive, according to a new study conducted at MIT. Instead, our prehistoric cousin may have had a more varied diet that, while heavy on meat, also included plant tissues, such as tubers and nuts. The other essential thing was that, they were […]
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Pest attacks can lead to bigger crop yields
A team member’s previous research had identified one Colombian potato variety that responds to moth damage with robust yields.
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You Can Do Anything With Bamboo. Anything
In recent years, bamboo has been used to make items never before associated with the plant – from shampoo and insect repellent, to socks, gloves, and even roasted peanuts
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Forest loss may be exacerbating disease outbreaks both in wildlife and humans
Much of his research examines the places where humans and animals are at a high risk of exchanging pathogens, and how human-caused disturbances, such as deforestation, can change disease dynamics and impacts.
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New Rain Forest Threat: Streetlights
By reducing foraging of fruit-eating bats in lit areas, light pollution is likely to reduce seed rain.
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Tree cover loss hits ethnic people hard
Traditional forest communities once eked out a living by depending on forest wealth. Following deforestation, their income has taken a serious hit.
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New online tool tracks tree loss in ‘near real time’
From now on, the bad guys cannot hide and the good guys will be recognized for their stewardship.
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Traditional palm knowledge at risk of becoming lost forever
Indigenous knowledge on palms can bring potential advancement to medicine, food security and agricultural practices. However, indigenous knowledge holders should be fairly compensated when their knowledge is accessed and when commercial research takes place in their communities.