An international research team has investigated the potential impacts of climate change on non-vascular vegetation (mosses, lichens) and their functions in ecosystems worldwide. Based on this, the researchers have developed a concept paper proposing the next important steps for the…
Iron is a critical micronutrient for the survival of plants and humans, yet too much iron can also be toxic. An interdisciplinary research team has discovered that the protein PATELLIN2 is not only involved in regulating iron levels in plants.…
New research is showing how the rise of modern agriculture has turned a North American native plant, common waterhemp, into a problematic agricultural weed.
For spring ephemerals, timing is everything. These special wildflowers grow in temperate forests around the world, early in spring before the trees leaf out. Come out too early and it's still winter, too late and it's too shady under the…
What defines us and other living organisms more strongly: genes or the environment? Only recently, researchers were able to prove experimentally that even microorganisms can be inherited from one plant generation to the next via the seed. In a new…
Seed dormancy is an important survival tool for plants since it allows them to weather conditions not conducive to survival. At the same time, excessive dormancy may lessen cultivation time. In response, farmers often plant low dormancy cultivars of rice…
A new analysis of more than 20,000 trees on five continents shows that old-growth trees are more drought tolerant than younger trees in the forest canopy and may be better able to withstand future climate extremes.
A plant common to Japan, Causonis japonica, is the first to show a newly discovered trait. Its flowers can change color depending on the stage of its maturation cycle, and then change back to its original color. Although many flowers have…
Iron (Fe) is an indispensable micronutrient for plants since it is necessary for many important cellular processes. In order to survive Fe-deficient environments, plants have evolved sophisticated Fe deficiency responses for maintenance of Fe homeostasis. Recent studies have shown that…