Articles tagged with Vascular Plants
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Researchers found that the green-flowered Aeschynanthus acuminatus evolved on the mainland, not in Taiwan, and adapted to shorter-beaked birds. This contradicts the Grant-Stebbins model of plant evolution, which predicted the species would evolve in Taiwan with new pollinators.
A Kobe University team identified the cause of pollutant accumulation in pumpkins and their relatives, discovering that specific proteins bind to pollutants and transport them through the plant. By controlling these proteins' behavior, safer crops can be created and polluted soils can be cleaned.
The PteridoPortal is an online repository of fern and lycophyte information, allowing researchers to access digitized specimens from 35 herbarium collections. This project has significantly impacted biodiversity research, enabling scientists to inventory species in Colombia and other countries.
A study by YOKOHAMA National University found that species asynchrony and compositional stability jointly stabilize moorland communities, while bryophyte cover destabilizes them. Dominant species play a crucial role in maintaining community stability.
A Dartmouth-led study reveals the fundamental genetic pathways and biological mechanisms behind the corpse flower's heat production and odorous chemicals. The researchers identify a new component of the corpse flower's odor, an organic chemical called putrescine, which is released when the plant blooms.
A new study reveals that islands are home to around one in three of the world's plant species, with 63,280 endemic species native to islands. The research provides a comprehensive assessment of vascular plants native and endemic to marine islands worldwide.
A KAUST-led study reveals that plant trait diversity increases above an aridity threshold of 0.7, challenging the view that harsh environments reduce biodiversity. The research found that chemical and morphological traits respond similarly to changes in aridity and grazing pressure.
Researchers argue that plants can solve problems and adapt to their environment based on information received from neighboring plants. This suggests a form of intelligence in plants, challenging traditional notions of central nervous systems.
Scientists have discovered a positive relationship between calcium concentrations and potato plant resistance to bacterial wilt. Calcium supplementation can significantly reduce the growth rate of the pathogen and negatively affect its ability to form biofilms and move.
A recent study published in Nature reveals a vast DNA tree of life for flowering plants, providing insights into their evolutionary history. The analysis of over 9,500 plant species reveals the rapid development of diversity in ancient times, with key findings supporting the plastid-based phylogenetic classification of angiosperms.
A team of scientists has discovered over 1,000 new plant and lichen species in Agguttinni Territorial Park, including rare species found nowhere else in Canada. The comprehensive checklist provides valuable information for park managers and botanists, aiding in the conservation and management of the protected area.
A new study identifies conservation priority areas for vascular plants in Madagascar, highlighting uneven distribution of taxon richness and phylogenetic diversity. The researchers found that arid and semi-arid regions lack protected areas, presenting additional conservation challenges.
Researchers from Kobe University have discovered a new plant genus and species of Thismiaceae family, found primarily in southern Japan. The plant, named Relictithismia kimotsukiensis, feeds on fungal mycelia and is extremely rare, with only four individuals found in the same area.
A team of University of Copenhagen researchers has created a large reference catalogue of plant cell wall compositions from 287 species, representing the entire plant kingdom. The study reveals that carbohydrate composition is more closely related to a plant's family history than its habitat and growth form.
A team of researchers has found that homosporous lycophytes have maintained a consistent genetic structure for over 350 million years. This unusual phenomenon reveals important aspects of plant evolution and genetics, providing a unique window into the past.
The study explores the impact of light conditions on plant hydraulic conductance and water demands, revealing adaptive strategies for improved crop productivity. Shaded leaves exhibit higher water-use efficiency due to reduced transpiration, offering insights into optimizing agricultural practices.
A new study reveals the meadow spittlebug can feed on more than 1,300 plant species, making it a major vector for incurable plant diseases. The insect's unique ability to spread pathogenic bacteria poses a significant threat to global food security.
Researchers at Kyoto University discovered that liverwort Marchantia polymorpha uses gibberellin precursors to produce a signaling molecule aiding survival under shaded conditions. This metabolic pathway inheritance provides insight into the evolution of plant hormone responses.
A study by John Innes Centre researchers has revealed how plants avoid cracking under stress by using a growth hormone called brassinosteroid to loosen the straitjacket effect on their skin. The findings, published in Science, have implications for our understanding of plant development and potentially improve crop yields.
A plant ecologist proposes a multi-faceted approach to preventing all future land plant extinctions. Training more plant experts and creating an online 'metaherbarium' with digitized records of species are key components, alongside building microreserves and increasing funding.
Researchers used mercury isotope data to push back the timeline of vascular plant colonization, finding extensive land colonization by early Silurian (~444 Ma). This discovery links terrestrial organism expansion to co-evolution of earth systems, particularly atmosphere-ocean-weathering processes.
Researchers at the University of Bristol have found that the first land plants were likely to have been branched, contradicting previous theories. The discovery sheds new light on the origin of branching in plants and its role in shaping their evolution.
Researchers discovered that non-vascular bryophytes like Marchantia polymorpha adapt their architecture in response to shade, using phytochromes to regulate branching. The study found a liverwort-specific microRNA and SPL gene controlling meristem function, differing from vascular plants.
A new UC Riverside-led study reveals that drought-tolerant trees in urban areas use significantly more water than their natural counterparts. The research found that even 'drought-tolerant' species like eucalyptus and ficus increase their water intake when irrigated.
A new method reveals that small vascular plants, not trees, played a greater role in reducing atmospheric CO2 levels. The study suggests that weathering, a process that involves the breakdown of minerals, is a more effective way to remove CO2 from the atmosphere.
A new study provides insights into which pressures cause damage to plant species, revealing that agricultural activities pose a significant threat across diverse ecosystems. The transformation of production practices can mitigate this risk, reducing extinction rates by up to 54% in Norway.
A team of researchers solved a century-long debate on why early land plants developed complex vascular systems, which enabled them to survive in drier environments. By analyzing fossil specimens and living plants, the team discovered that small changes in the vascular system led to improvements in drought tolerance.
A study by Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg and the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research found that 41% more plant species in Germany have decreased in abundance over the past 100 years, while only 19% have increased. This uneven distribution of gains and losses indicates a significant loss of biodiversity.
Researchers have made a surprising discovery that liquid smoke can enhance plant defense against pests and diseases, leading to new farming practices. The study found that sunflowers grown in soil treated with liquid smoke had larger, thicker, and greener leaves and appeared less prone to pests and disease.
Researchers analyzed 170,000 vegetation plots from all climate zones to find that small areas can have high biodiversity, like Eastern European steppes and Siberia. This challenges the idea of large-scale conservation, as smaller protected zones may be more effective in preserving ecosystems.
A team of researchers developed a deep learning pipeline to analyze vascular system images of plants with high accuracy. The pipeline can detect vascular bundles, identify specific zones, and perform statistical analysis of traits in different stem internodes. This study has the potential to improve crop resilience and food security.
Researchers discover that type 1 TPCs encode SV channels in plant vacuoles, while type 2 TPCs likely encode distinct ion channels. This study provides functional and evolutionary insights into the TPC family in plants, shedding light on their role in plant growth and defence mechanisms.
Researchers analyzed the largest genomic dataset of plants, revealing how early traits like stomata and roots evolved. The study sheds light on the genetic basis of plant evolution, highlighting the role of new and old genes in adapting to land colonization.
Tomato plant varieties resistant to bacterial wilt have the ability to restrict bacterial movement in the plant. Researchers discovered that these plants synthesize reinforcement coatings containing ligno-suberin and related phenolic compounds, providing a physico-chemical barrier against pathogen colonization.
An international research team has assessed European vascular plant species and found that 7-9% are globally endangered. This study addresses the significant data gap in global Red List of Threatened Species, with nearly 90% of known plant species lacking threat assessments.
The study found that the distinctive pattern on the underside of the leaves is crucial for their size and strength. The unique vascular structure allows the plants to occupy a large surface area while maintaining low biomass.
A research team at the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology developed a chemical process to mimic trees' vascular systems in foamed polymers, adding structure and enabling directional fluid transport. The team discovered that increasing or decreasing gelation time enables direct control over the foam's cellular structure.
A global dataset of over 200,000 plant species shows that human activity is the biggest driver of homogenization of plant communities. Non-native invasive plants naturalized by humans are the strongest contributor to biotic homogenization.
Researchers discovered that humidity-driven movement in spore-bearing leaves is the key mechanism behind the unique timing of spore dispersal in the sensitive fern. The study found that dead fronds open when dry and close when wet due to differential cell expansion, a process also observed in pine cones.
Scientists have successfully stored energy in bean plant roots using conjugated oligomers, creating a new biohybrid system for sustainable energy storage. The research demonstrates that the roots of intact plants can function as networks of conductors, storing up to 100 times more energy than previous experiments.
Researchers discovered that bacteria enter corn plants through natural openings at the leaf's edge, causing Goss's wilt. High concentrations of bacteria lead to freckles and disease symptoms.
Researchers developed a cost-effective protocol for plant sample preparation and visualization, eliminating the need for stains and dyes. The new method harnesses the natural autofluorescence of tissues in plants, allowing for rapid visualization of plant anatomy across diverse taxa.
Land plants underwent major diversification in two dramatic bursts, driven by the development of seeds and flowering plants. The second burst was more dramatic, giving rise to intricate reproductive structures like those found in passionflowers.
UC Riverside researchers have decoded the genome of a benign infection, potentially sending medicine into citrus trees. The discovery could harness its unique properties to deliver antibacterial and antiviral agents into plants' vascular systems.
A recent study confirms a plant-fungus partnership as the origin of terrestrial vegetation, with scientists using CRISPR to demonstrate lipid exchange between plants and fungi. This discovery sheds light on the first steps of life on land, validating a 40-year-old hypothesis.
Researchers demonstrated a plant-fungus alliance played a crucial role in the origin of terrestrial vegetation. By studying a bryophyte, they found a lipid transfer mechanism similar to that in vascular plants, confirming their hypothesis.
Researchers used genetic engineering to make Arabidopsis thaliana cells form xylem and secondary cell walls, allowing them to observe the formation process. The study revealed that microtubules play a key role in forming patterns, and a protein complex called KATANIN is involved in the timely and orderly formation of secondary walls.
The Leipzig Catalogue of Vascular Plants (LCVP) is the largest and most comprehensive list of scientific names for all known plant species. With over 1.3 million entries, it vastly expands global knowledge of plant diversity and provides a reliable reference for researchers worldwide.
A new paper published in Science Advances confirms Latin America is twice as rich in plant species as tropical Africa, with a third of the world's biodiversity. The study provides essential baseline data for conservation efforts, focusing on areas with the greatest biodiversity.
Researchers created a novel microneedle technology that can target plant tissues for delivering life-saving treatments to crops ravaged by diseases. The method uses silk-based biomaterials and drug-delivery devices to precisely access plant vasculature.
A recent study found that biodiversity in the Camargue has substantially changed, with declines in grasshoppers, crickets, and amphibians detected. The research also revealed increases in vascular plants and some bird species, but highlights the failure of current protection measures to safeguard certain taxa.
A new study reveals that 31.7% of tropical Africa's vascular plant species are potentially threatened with extinction, while an additional 33.2% are potentially rare. The RAINBIO database was used to identify four regions in Africa most exposed to threats.
A new study integrates various theories on plant evolution timescales, suggesting that land plants likely arose during the Cambrian period and vascular plants between the late Ordovician and Silurian periods. This finding challenges existing theories on Earth's terrestrial biosphere assembly.
A team of researchers has discovered 31 species of plants known only from caves in China, highlighting the importance of cave flora for species conservation. The study also found that plants can photosynthesize at much lower light levels than previously thought.
Dr. Carmen Ulloa and her team compiled a comprehensive checklist of 124,993 vascular plant species of the Americas, representing one third of all known vascular plants worldwide. The checklist was published in Science today and used the Garden's plant database, Tropicos, as its data repository.
A $3.3 million grant will fund a study to manage crapemyrtle bark scale, a new, devastating exotic pest impacting the industry's $66 million worth of crapemyrtle sales. The study aims to develop effective control methods and improve understanding of consumer preferences.
Cyst nematodes hijack vascular stem cell pathways to attack their hosts, causing billions of dollars in global crop losses. Understanding the molecular basis of these interactions could lead to new strategies for controlling agricultural pests.
Researchers tracked cellulose production in real-time to understand how thick and strong secondary cell walls are built, shedding light on the essential adaptation of plants from sea to land. The discovery may also aid in engineering plants with improved mechanical properties.
The VASCAN database provides accepted scientific names, synonyms, and Canadian vernacular names in English and French. It also offers detailed distribution information across Canada's provinces and territories.
A new rare species of Allium, Allium formosum, has been discovered in Kyrgyzstan, closely related to the previously undetected Allium spathulatum. The plant is characterized by its elegant habit and beautiful coloration, and its discovery highlights the need for further explorations and plant protection in the area.