Do the leaves that fall into a stream affect the insects that fly out?
When leaves fall in the autumn, they are only just beginning their journey.
View ArticleHow do pesticides protect crops?
New research published today could lead to the fine-tuning of pesticide formulations to further increase crop yield. The findings also show a way to develop advanced performance formulations which will...
View ArticleButterflies use differences in leaf shape to distinguish between plants
The preference of Heliconius butterflies for certain leaf shapes is innate, but can be reversed through learning. These results support a decades-old theory for explaining the evolution of the...
View ArticleNew modelling on bushfires shows how they really burn through an area
Bushfires in Australia can have a devastating impact on an environment and destroy homes and lives, so any effort to prevent them is a welcome move.
View ArticlePlants found to regulate leaf temperature to boost carbon uptake
A new study has found that plants regulate their leaf temperature with some independence from the surrounding air temperature, a trait that increases carbon uptake through photosynthesis. The research...
View ArticleUnlocking the mystery on how plant leaves grow their teeth
Plant biologists at ITbM, Nagoya University have discovered the key element, an EPFL2 peptide that is responsible for creating the teeth-like shapes on plant leaves. The zigzag edges of leaves,...
View ArticleVoracious Asian jumping worms strip forest floor and flood soil with nutrients
Gardeners tend to look at earthworms as good helpers that break down fallen leaves and other organic matter into nutrients plants can use.
View ArticleIn pursuit of flat growth in leaves
How does a set of plant cells grow from a bump into a flat leaf that can efficiently capture sunlight? In a paper published this week in PNAS, EMBL scientists show how different types of molecules on...
View ArticleThe ecology and economics of autumn leaves
Beyond pumpkin flavored everything, autumn is big business in some parts of the United States. And the main draw are the leaves themselves. In New England alone, tourists venturing to witness the...
View ArticleHow pygmy moths started to diversify 100 million years ago into the more than...
The leaf-mining pygmy moths (family Nepticulidae) and the white eyecap moths (family Opostegidae) are among the smallest moths in the world with a wingspan of just a few millimetres. Their caterpillars...
View ArticleRelentless smoke spreads fear at edge of southern wildfires
Thick smoke has settled over a wide area of the southern Appalachians, where dozens of uncontrolled wildfires are burning through decades of leaf litter, and people breathe in tiny bits of the forest...
View ArticleA small piece of DNA with a large effect on leaf shape
Millions of years ago, some plants in the mustard family made the switch from simple leaves to complex leaves through two tiny tweaks to a single gene. One tweak to a small enhancer sequence gave the...
View ArticleSoybean plants with fewer leaves yield more
Using computer model simulations, scientists have predicted that modern soybean crops produce more leaves than they need to the detriment of yield—a problem made worse by rising atmospheric carbon...
View ArticleRoad salt can change sex ratios in frog populations, study says
Naturally occurring chemicals found in road salts commonly used to de-ice paved surfaces can alter the sex ratios in nearby frog populations, a phenomenon that could reduce the size and viability of...
View ArticleDrones help monitor health of giant sequoias
Todd Dawson's field equipment always includes ropes and ascenders, which he and his team use to climb hundreds of feet into the canopies of the world's largest trees, California's redwoods.
View ArticleResearchers crack genetic code determining leaf shape in cotton
Researchers know that the variation in leaf shapes can mean big differences in a farmer's bottom line. Now, a new discovery gives plant breeders key genetic information they need to develop crop...
View ArticleArtificial leaf goes more efficient for hydrogen generation
A team of international researchers, affiliated with UNIST has recently engineered a new artificial leaf that can convert sunlight into fuel with groundbreaking efficiency.
View ArticleHerbaria prove valuable in demonstrating long-term changes in plant populations
A new study published today in Botany demonstrates how herbaria can be valuable resources for studying the impact over time of large herbivores on perennial plant populations.
View ArticlePlants' chemical messages keep pests moving
When leaf beetle larvae eat goldenrod, the damaged plant emits a chemical message, which informs the insect that the plant is damaged and is a poor source of food. The airborne chemicals are also...
View ArticleEven short-duration heat waves could lead to failure of coffee crops
"Hot coffee" is not a good thing for java enthusiasts when it refers to plants beset by the high-temperature stress that this century is likely to bring, research at Oregon State University suggests.
View Article
