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Image: The experimental area in Fülöpháza, Central Hungary.  Chronic precipitation treatments (along with decreasing aridity: severe drought, moderate drought, control and water addition) simulates changes in precipitation that have occurred several times historically. The image shows severe drought management, which excludes all rainfall from late June to late August. Prior to chronic treatments, half of the plots were exposed to an extreme treatment which simulated a drought unprecedented since the beginning of regional measurements. Credit: HUN-REN Centre for Ecological Research

How reduced rainfall threatens plant diversity

By | Agriculture, News

A new study highlights how increasing aridity reduces plant species richness in drylands, with extreme droughts amplifying this effect. Using a seven-year experiment, researchers found that while rainfall boosts diversity, dominant species can obscure this relationship. These insights improve biodiversity forecasts, crucial for conservation as climate change intensifies water availability shifts.

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Image: Chicago botanic garden image. Credit: Pixabay, Free for use.

Botanic gardens must team up to save wild plants from extinction, say researchers

By | Botany, News

Botanic gardens play a crucial role in conservation, especially with wild-collected plants, which support research and climate adaptation. Climate change threatens species survival, requiring a global network approach. Genetic diversity is key for resilience, and ethical plant collection is essential. Collaborative efforts ensure conservation success while maintaining biodiversity and sustainability.

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Image: A new study by a New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) scientist and her colleagues in Science finds that, of the three large-scale, plant-based climate mitigation strategies, reforestation stands out as most beneficial for biodiversity. In addition to reforestation (restoring forests in places where they have historically grown), the team of scientists modeled the impacts of afforestation (adding forests in places like grasslands and savannas) and bioenergy cropping (farming plants such as switchgrass for renewable energy) on more than 14,000 animal species. Credit: NYBG

Reforestation stands out among plant-based climate-mitigation strategies as most beneficial for wildlife biodiversity

By | Botany, News, Plant Science

A new study finds that, of the three large-scale, plant-based climate mitigation strategies, reforestation stands out as most beneficial for biodiversity. In addition to reforestation (restoring forests in places where they have historically grown), the team of scientists modeled the impacts of afforestation (adding forests in places like grasslands and savannas) and bioenergy cropping (farming plants such as switchgrass for renewable energy) on more than 14,000 animal species.

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Image: Arabidopsis thaliana planted in laboratory for AT protenome research. Credit: Jucember /. Wikimedia

Metabolic engineering to increase the nutritional value of crops 

By | News, Plant Science

Scientists have successfully increased protein content in crops, even under high CO₂ conditions, by enhancing the serine biosynthesis pathway through genetic engineering. This breakthrough improves plant nutrition, reduces reliance on resource-intensive animal products, and supports sustainable diets. The research, involving European institutions, could revolutionize food security and environmental sustainability.

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Image: Walnuts harvested at the Crain ranch in Los Molinos where Cooperative Extension and UC Davis professors were conducting research. Credit: UC Regents

Genetics of Alternating Sexes in Walnuts

By | News, Plant Science

Scientists have uncovered a genetic mechanism in walnuts and their ancestors that has remained stable for 40 million years. Male-first or female-first flowering, balanced by a single genetic locus, parallels sex determination in animals. This evolutionary trait ensures genetic diversity, with distinct pathways evolving independently in walnuts and pecans.

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