A research team has unraveled the evolutionary history of the Arctic flora. Researchers selected 32 angiosperm clades comprising 3,626 species across the angiosperm tree of life. They found that dispersal to the Arctic and in situ diversification within the Arctic followed similar trends through time.
New research looking at the evolution of terrestrial orchid species has found that global cooling of the climate appears to be the major driving factor in their diversity. The results help scientists understand the role of global climate on diversity of species, and how our current changing global climate might affect biodiversity in the future.
Cottonwood trees are crucial for biodiversity in the arid Southwest, but less than 3% of their pre-20th-century distribution remains. A new study reveals their genetics influence insect and fungal communities. To preserve these ecosystems, reforestation efforts should consider tree genetics and collect seeds from nearby regions with resilient traits. Planting diverse trees supports diverse communities, ensuring the survival of this vital foundation species.
New esearch has found using environmental DNA (eDNA), in conjunction with conventional methods, to monitor how insects interact with flowers could potentially improve conservation rates.
For several years, ecological research has argued that climate often has no determining influence on the distribution of forests and savannas in tropical regions. However, an international research team has now succeeded in proving that it depends mostly on climatic factors whether regions in Africa are covered by forest or savanna. The study, confirms the dominant role of climate in the formation of global vegetation patterns.
New detailed genetic analysis clarifies the evolutionary relationships among orchids and reveals that the plant’s ability to grow on trees evolved independently in several lineages.
According to a new study ditches in forestry-drained peatlands release less methane into the atmosphere than what has previously been estimated.
A study of Britain’s native flowering plants has led to new insights into the mysterious process that allows wild plants to breed across species – one of plants’ most powerful evolutionary forces.
The genus Endiandra of the Lauraceae family has approximately 100 species and its diversity is strongly centered in south-eastern Malaysia and Australia. In China, there are only three recognized Endiandra species (two endemic) and they are distributed in Yunnan, Guangxi, Hainan and Taiwan.
Researchers got into the forests on the island of Dominica after 9 months of the Category 5 Hurricane Maria and examined the trees closely. They discovered that while 89% of the trees sustained damage — 76% of which had major damage —only 10% were immediately killed. Many of the trees had resprouted.
