Plants employ plasmodesmata for cell communication, but protein targeting to these structures is poorly understood. Studying PDLP5 and related proteins, researchers discovered unconventional targeting signals in their extracellular regions, crucial for regulating viral movement. New study aims to uncover the molecular mechanisms behind protein targeting to plasmodesmata, offering insights for plant biotechnology.
Urban environments have become hotspots for understanding how rapid evolution occurs in response to extreme environmental changes. These habitats exert selective pressures on resident organisms that impact their evolutionary trajectories. Recently, researchers from Japan investigated how the creeping woodsorrel plant might adapt in response to elevated temperatures that result from urbanization. Understanding these effects can help predict evolutionary traits to manage plant evolution in the face of shifting climatic conditions.
A new Journal of Applied Ecology study based on the world’s largest wildlife survey reveals that 66 percent of India’s natural systems are threatened by invasive plant species.
Invasive plant species management in India has historically been constrained by a lack of information regarding the spread of invasions. So to combat this, scientists from the Wildlife Institute of India were forced to come up with a unique solution.
They decided to integrate an invasive plant assessment with India’s national assessment of tiger populations, taking place every four years and monitoring 358,000 km2 of natural areas. A mobile app was used to sample 158,000 plots of land, ultimately revealing that 66 percent of wilderness areas had been invaded by invasive plant species, including Lantana camara, Prosopis juliflora, and Chromolaena odorata.
Professor Qamar Qureshi from the Wildlife Institute of India explains “The tiger project was intended to monitor the changing status of the animals and their habitat. Plant invasions end up altering these habitats and revealing intricate ecological changes. In the end, it just made sense to monitor both plants and tigers simultaneously”.
India’s legacy of human modifications, historical propagation of invasive plants, shifting soil moisture regime, and altered cycles of natural disturbances are amongst the leading drivers that likely facilitate invasions.
India has one of the world’s highest population densities. Therefore, demand for food, energy and infrastructure are poised to intensify, potentially escalating the already rampant invasions even more.
Using the date collected in the national-scale invasive plant assessment, the researchers developed a model to identify priority restoration sites, namely those where invasions are in their initial stages, with preference for those within already protected areas. Protecting these sites requires less investment and intervention, while still delivering promising biodiversity returns.
Professor Y V Jhala, also from the Wildlife Institute of India, says “Personal judgements are often used to select and manage invasive species and areas. Without understanding the ecological or landscape-scale context of invasions, such investments rarely achieve the objective of ecological restoration. Using our strategic prioritisation plan can ensure that limited resources are invested in a manner that maximizes long-term biodiversity gains”.
The study’s inclusion in the recent tiger report published by the government of India underscores the highest political recognition of the threats brought by biological invasions. Whilst the study provides a critical steppingstone towards evidence-based restoration, several challenges persist.
“Managing invasive species demands more than mere removal — it necessitates context-sensitive restoration, stakeholder participation, and adaptive holistic policies that can enable positive changes”, says Dr. Ninad Avinash Mungi from Aarhus University who partnered with the Wildlife Institute of India for the study.
India has been long awaiting a dedicated policy framework on managing invasions and restoring ecosystems, but for now, the new study provides timely guidance.
As the United Nations’ decade for Ecosystem Restoration unfolds, India’s proactive stance in monitoring invasive species by integrating it with flagship programs sets an example of responsible and forward-looking conservation efforts. Amidst densely populated and invaded regions, this research paves a path towards effective restoration, rekindling ecological optimism.
Read the paper: Journal of Applied Ecology
Article source: British Ecological Society
Author: BES Press Office
Image: Several water bodies that are important habitat and resource for many endangered species like the Asian elephant are invaded by the water hyacinth (Pontederia crassipes), a plant native to tropical America. Credit: Jayanta Guha.
Forests play a critical part in mitigating climate change due to their ability to absorb CO2 from the atmosphere. However, many European forests removed less CO2 from the atmosphere during the extremely hot and dry summer of 2022, according to a new European study. The findings suggest that plans to compensate for CO2 emissions through forests may have to be amended.
Agricultural management has typically focused on increasing yields, but there is an increasing need for sustainable food production that limits negative impacts on the environment. A new study provides insights into the potential benefits of diversifying agricultural practices, revealing how different mixtures of plant species can improve production, quality, and conservation.
As the world focuses on not only solving the climate crisis but also sustaining the world’s food supply, researchers need tools to evaluate how atmospheric pollutants affect crops. Over the past decade, the agriculture community has turned to solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF) measurements to detect stresses on plants.
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5th State of the World’s report, lays out the current condition of the world’s plants and fungi globally. Based on the work of 200 international researchers and covering the content of more than 25 cutting-edge scientific papers in its 11 chapters, the new report examines global drivers and patterns of biodiversity as well as critical knowledge gaps and how to address them.
Maize plants form special compounds derived from indole, the so-called benzoxazinoids. They are considered ecologically important because they act against a wide range of herbivores and reduce their feeding. Benzoxazinoids also exhibit antimicrobial properties and are thought to be involved in mediating plant-plant interactions.
