Plants alert neighbors to threats using common 'language'
New research shows that plants can communicate with each other when they come under attack from pests.
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Increasing precipitation extremes driving tree growth reductions across Southwest
As the Earth's temperature warms, its hydrological cycle kicks into overdrive – wet years get wetter, and dry years get drier. According to a new study, these increased rainfall extremes could have dire consequences for the semi-arid forests of the western U.S.
Read moreExtreme wildfires transforming forestlands into shrublands
Wildfire is transforming some forestlands into shrublands, a new study finds. The results suggest these forests, which are used to living with and even benefiting from fire, have not yet adapted to this newer regime of intense, high-severity fires.
Read moreLimited seed availability, dry climate hamper post-wildfire forest recovery
A lack of tree seedling establishment following recent wildfires represents a crucial bottleneck limiting coniferous forest recovery in the western US, new research finds.
Read moreRising ozone is a hidden threat to corn
By exposing a genetically diverse group of corn plants in the field to future ozone levels, researchers discovered hidden vulnerabilities.
Read morePineapple genome sequences hint at plant domestication in a single step
An international team published their analysis of the genome of the red pineapple, a plant grown for fiber production and as an ornamental.
Read moreHow a protein connecting calcium and plant hormone regulates plant growth
A new study finds that a unique mechanism involving calcium, the plant hormone auxin and a calcium-binding protein is responsible for regulating plant growth.
Read moreThe almond and peach trees genomes shed light on the differences between these close species
An international team led by researchers has sequenced the genome of the almond tree and compared it to that of its closest relative, the peach tree. The most substantive differences between these species, so closely related in terms of evolution, are accounted for by the variation created by mobile genetic elements. The results provide some unique insights into the recent evolution of both species and will be key tools in their genetic improvement.
Read moreHigh carbon dioxide can create 'shrinking stems' in marshes
For most plants, carbon dioxide acts like a steroid: The more they can take in, the bigger they get. But scientists have now discovered something strange happening in marshes. Under higher levels of carbon dioxide, instead of producing bigger stems, marsh plants produced more stems that were noticeably smaller.
Read moreScientists find ways to improve cassava, a 'crop of inequality' featured at Goalkeepers
New research has highlighted a crop of inequality called cassava, which has starchy, tuberous roots that sustain more than 500 million people in sub-Saharan Africa, yet cassava has been largely neglected by research and development compared to the staple crops of wealthier regions. Researchers have identified opportunities to improve cassava yields — which have not increased for more than fifty years in Africa.
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