Air pollution levels below “safe” limits (and lower than those commonly found in cities) led to a significant decrease in pollination by 10 common insects.
plants
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Evolution is More Important than Environment for Water Uptake
Despite conventional assumptions, a new study shows that evolutionary proximity of species defines root water uptake strategies, not their position in landscape or ambient environment.
Posted inNews
Invasive Plants and Climate Change Will Alter Desert Landscapes
In experiments conducted in Biosphere 2, invasive buffelgrass weathers higher temperatures and drought conditions better than its native brethren.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
The Flowers that Bloom in the Spring (but Later)
Mismatch between the pace of climate change and crop phenology may signal a new challenge for climate change adaptation.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Plant Root Exudates Mediate Soil Nutrient Transport
Plant roots mediate solute transport through the soil immediately surrounding them by introducing polymers and other binding compounds that disrupt water transport pathways between soil pore spaces.
Posted inNews
Thirsty Plants Pull Water from Bedrock
Shrubs and trees across the United States routinely sip water stored in bedrock, a discovery that has implications for the terrestrial water cycle.
Posted inNews
Famine Weed Becomes More Toxic, Invasive in Carbon-Rich Atmosphere
A noxious weed’s success in Australia could indicate that some plants are benefitting from our carbon-rich atmosphere, becoming more invasive, competitive, and toxic.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Permanence of Nature-Based Climate Solutions at Risk
Conserving native ecosystems helps sequester carbon and mitigate climate change, but new statistical modeling questions the permanence of California’s carbon-rich forests with climate change.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
A Well-Balanced Ecosystem Uses Water Most Efficiently
Excess of a single nutrient, such as nitrogen, may boost plant productivity, but the imbalance leads to less efficient water use as plants scramble for the nutrients they lack.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Urban Vegetation Key Regulator for Heat Island Intensity
Satellite data reveals that urban vegetation, especially urban forests, is the most important factor regulating Urban Heat Island intensity.