Seed microorganisms override soil microorganisms when colonizing plants
New research shows that when it comes to colonizing plants, microorganisms from seeds have more staying power than microorganisms from the soil......»»
Increasing soil organic matter to improve soil health, carbon storage
Soil organic matter (SOM) is crucial to soil health and carbon storage in agriculture. Adding crop residues to the soil increases SOM, but can also accelerate its decomposition, known as the priming effect. The temperature sensitivity (Q10) of SOM de.....»»
How climate change drives the spread of invasive plants
As the climate warms, the number of alien species on every continent is expected to increase 36% by 2050. Some alien species—that is, plants or animals that live outside their natural range—are invasive and can harm ecosystems and the areas they.....»»
Simple trick could improve accuracy of plant genetics research
Researchers have published a simple trick that improves the accuracy of techniques that help us understand how external variables—such as temperature—affect gene activity in plants......»»
Can genetic parasites alter interactions between microbes and hosts?
Researchers from the Max Planck Institutes (MPI) for Evolutionary Biology in Plön and for Biology in Tübingen have made significant progress in understanding the evolution of interactions between plants and microbes. The study focuses on Pseudomona.....»»
New ceramics promise hotter gas turbines that produce more power
Skoltech researchers have identified promising ceramic materials for metal coatings that would boost gas turbine efficiency. If further experimental tests prove successful, the coatings will enable power plants to produce more electricity and jet pla.....»»
Alaska dinosaur tracks reveal a lush, wet environment
A large find of dinosaur tracks and fossilized plants and tree stumps in far northwestern Alaska provides new information about the climate and movement of animals near the time when they began traveling between the Asian and North American continent.....»»
Exploring Arctic plants and lichens: An important conservation baseline for Nunavut"s largest territorial park
Encompassing over 16,000 km2 of towering mountains, long fiords, lush valleys, and massive ice caps, Agguttinni Territorial Park is a protected area on northern Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada. This park, and all of Nunavut, is Inuit Nunangat—Inuit.....»»
Study declares waste-to-energy plants a low health risk
As China rapidly urbanizes, turning waste into energy has become a key way to handle growing trash volumes and reduce landfill use, while also creating power. Yet, concerns about the pollution from these plants and its health effects have led to deba.....»»
Study shows inverting fusion plasmas improves performance
To become commercially viable, fusion power plants must create and sustain the plasma conditions necessary for fusion reactions. However, at high temperatures and densities, plasmas often develop gradients in those temperatures and densities. These g.....»»
Valorization of depolymerized lignin using microorganisms
Lignin is an abundant natural polymer which is eliminated as a byproduct in the pulp and paper industry. A recent review article explored different microbial processes available for sustainable lignin valorization, yielding not only environmental but.....»»
Cold plasma could be hot stuff for grain growers, say researchers
Using plasma—the stuff of outer space—University of Alberta researchers have found an effective way to decontaminate grain tainted by mold and also boost seed germination. Their study is published in the Journal of Food Engineering......»»
Researchers discover new insights hiding above a 60-year-old fire
Microbes are vital to maintaining healthy, fertile soil, which, in turn, is vital to the overall health of ecosystems. But what happens to these microbes when humans cause long-term damage to the environment?.....»»
How nature-based knowledge can restore local ecosystems and improve community well-being
Organizations in the food and agriculture sector have been looking to nature for inspiration to improve soil health, maintain water quality and foster local food security in the places where they operate......»»
Study unveils how plants and soil biota forge ecosystems over time
A study by ecologist Jan Frouz from Faculty of Science at Charles University has unveiled the intricate dynamics of plant-soil feedback across a wide range of spatiotemporal scales, from immediate effects to long-term legacies. Published in Soil Biol.....»»
Get Ready to Eat Pond Plants
Meet the amazing azolla, a nutritious fern that grows like crazy, capturing carbon in the process. Could it be a food—and fertilizer and biofuel—of the future?.....»»
Facing illegal wildlife trade in the European union: A call for comprehensive measures
Wildlife trade affects all kinds of species, from insects and fungi to large plants and mammals. The global trade of numerous species poses a significant threat to their survival, increasing their risk of extinction......»»
Researchers: Cultural burning is better for Australian soils than prescribed burning, or no burning at all
Imagine a landscape shaped by fire, not as a destructive force but as a life-giving tool. That's the reality in Australia, where Indigenous communities have long understood the intricate relationship between fire, soil and life. Cultural burning has.....»»
When plants flower: Scientists ID genes, mechanism in sorghum
Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory and Oklahoma State University have identified key genes and the mechanism by which they control flowering in sorghum, an important bioenergy crop. The findings, just p.....»»
Enhancing apple adventitious shoot regeneration: The role of MdAIL5 in hormonal signaling and gene activation
Plants exhibit a remarkable capacity for self-repair and regeneration, a process crucial for adapting to environmental changes and underpinned by cellular totipotency or pluripotency. Apple is one of the model plants for the study of perennial woody.....»»
Soil may release more carbon than expected, affecting climate change models
The accuracy of climate models depends on many factors—greenhouse gas emissions from industrial and transportation activity, farm animal "emissions," urban growth and loss of forests, and solar reflections off snow and ground cover. Natural phenome.....»»