How a butterfly tree becomes a web
Evolution is often portrayed as a tree, with new species branching off from existing lineages, never again to meet. The truth however is often much messier. In the case of adaptive radiation, in which species diversify rapidly to fill different ecolo.....»»
Researchers decipher mysterious growth habit of weeping peach trees
A basic premise of how plants grow is that shoots grow up and roots grow down. A new study, published in Plant Physiology, reveals the answer to a fascinating question: why do weeping tree varieties defy this natural growth pattern?.....»»
New discovery speeds scientists" push for Huanglongbing-tolerant citrus
It's one thing for a hybrid citrus tree to tolerate citrus greening disease (a.k.a. Huanglongbing) and quite another if it also produces orange-like fruit—especially if the juice makes for a delicious breakfast beverage. Now, that holy grail of tra.....»»
Overcrowding increases tree mortality, perhaps explaining higher biodiversity in tropical forests
When a tree is surrounded by many similar individuals, its mortality increases, which is probably caused by specialized pathogens or herbivores. This effect occurs in forests all over the world, but is more pronounced in rare tropical tree species, w.....»»
Butterflies mimic each other"s flight behavior to avoid predators, show scientists
Researchers have shown that inedible species of butterfly that mimic each others' color patterns have also evolved similar flight behaviors to warn predators and avoid being eaten......»»
Study shows orchid family emerged in northern hemisphere and thrived alongside dinosaurs for 20 million years
In a new study published in New Phytologist, scientists at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, along with partners in Latin America, Asia and Australia, present an updated family tree of orchids, tracing their origins to the northern hemisphere some 85 m.....»»
Indigenous Colombians fret as sacred mountain glaciers melt
In the shade of a sacred tree, Indigenous wise men chew coca leaves as they mull the threats to their home among the melting, snow-capped peaks of Colombia's Sierra Nevada mountains......»»
Australia"s shot-hole borer beetle invasion has begun, but we don"t need to chop down every tree under attack
A new pest attacking Perth's trees threatens to spread across Australia, damaging crops and native forests as well as our urban forest. To control its spread, the Western Australian government is chopping down hundreds of established trees. But these.....»»
Complex tree canopies found to help forests recover from moderate disturbances
Extreme events wipe out entire forests, dramatically eliminating complex ecosystems as well as local communities. Researchers have become quite familiar with such attention-grabbing events over the years. They know less, however, about the more commo.....»»
El Nino brings hunger, drought fears to Madagascar
In a small village in southern Madagascar, dozens of women shelter from the scorching sun under a tree as they wait to weigh their children......»»
West"s "hot drought" is unprecedented in more than 500 years
There's no precedent in at least five centuries for how hot and dry the West has been in the last two decades, new research asserts using analysis of tree rings......»»
Asian fishing cats caught snacking on chicks from tree-top nests
South Asian fishing cats were observed raiding bird nests in tall trees for the first time. This rare and highly unusual behavior was caught on motion cameras set up in tree canopies across northeast Bangladesh to survey bird colonies. Scientists hop.....»»
Apple Watch gets help for victims of incredibly violent car crash
Five people had to be rescued from a car after it collided head-on with a palm tree, triggering the Crash Detection feature in a passenger's Apple Watch.Car crash in San Bernardino county. (Source: OnScene.TV via KTLA)Apple's addition of a Crash Dete.....»»
Do tree-planting campaigns follow best practices for successful forest restoration?
Global tree-planting campaigns have reached fad-like proportions over the past decade, and it's easy to understand their appeal. Healthy forests help in the fight against climate change by absorbing some of our excess carbon dioxide emissions, and th.....»»
Study tracks how wetland tree stem emissions vary by season, location, and hydrological conditions
The recent rise in atmospheric methane (CH4) has drawn increased attention to the potent greenhouse gas, which is approximately 45 times more powerful than carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere. About 60% of global methane emissions are a.....»»
Soapbark discovery offers a sustainability boost for the global vaccine market
A valuable molecule sourced from the soapbark tree and used as a key ingredient in vaccines, has been replicated in an alternative plant host for the first time, opening unprecedented opportunities for the vaccine industry......»»
Tiny ant species disrupts lion"s hunting behavior
In a study published in the journal Science, a team of scientists report that a tiny and seemingly innocuous invasive ant species is changing tree cover in an East African wildlife area, making it harder for lions, the world's most iconic predator, t.....»»
Study shows hot droughts in the western US have become more common over the past five centuries
A team of geographers, climatologists and tree ring specialists affiliated with multiple institutions in the U.S. has found the number and degree of hot droughts in the western U.S. is unprecedented in the modern era. In their project, reported in th.....»»
The palm tree that lives beneath the rainforest floor
In the heart of western Borneo's vibrant jungles, the edible fruits of the underground palm are well-known to the local people who snack on them. But this botanical marvel has remained unnoticed by the scientific community for so long because it flow.....»»
Diverse forests are best at standing up to storms, modeling study finds
European forests with a greater diversity of tree species are more resilient to storms, according to new research published in the journal Functional Ecology......»»
Study finds no evidence for fractal scaling in canopy surfaces across a diverse range of forest types
The complexity of forests cannot be explained by simple mathematical rules, a study finds. The way trees grow together do not resemble how branches grow on a single tree, scientists have discovered......»»