ScienceDaily: Endangered Plant News

New target to boost plant resistance to insects and pathogens identified

Thu, 23 May 2013 14:33:33 EDT

Plants have evolved unique and sophisticated immune systems to defend themselves against insects and pathogens. Plant hormones called jasmonates play an important role in this defense, but jasmonates have been found to also be important for plant growth. Now, researchers have discovered a gene in the jasmonate pathway that controls plant defenses but does not play a detectable role in plant development. These findings could be applied to improve crop resistance in agriculture.

Ants and carnivorous plants conspire for mutualistic feeding

Wed, 22 May 2013 18:03:03 EDT

An insect-eating pitcher plant teams up with ants to prevent mosquito larvae from stealing its nutrients, according to new research.

Bee and wild flower biodiversity loss slows

Wed, 22 May 2013 08:54:54 EDT

Declines in the biodiversity of pollinating insects and wild plants have slowed in recent years, according to a new study. Researchers found evidence of dramatic reductions in the diversity of species in Britain, Belgium and the Netherlands between the 1950s and 1980s. But the picture brightened markedly after 1990, with a slowdown in local and national biodiversity losses among bees, hoverflies and wild plants.

Drought makes Borneo's trees flower at the same time

Wed, 22 May 2013 08:53:53 EDT

Tropical plants flower at supra-annual irregular intervals. In addition, mass flowering is typical for the tropical forests in Borneo and elsewhere, where hundreds of different plant timber species from the Dipterocarpaceae family flower synchronously. This phenomenon is all the more puzzling because both temperature and day length are relatively constant all year round due to geographical proximity to the equator.

Small but speedy: Short plants live in the evolutionary fast lane

Tue, 21 May 2013 12:14:14 EDT

Biologists have known for a long time that some creatures evolve more quickly than others. Exactly why isn't well understood, particularly for plants. But it may be that height plays a role. Shorter plants have faster-changing genomes.

'Whodunnit' of Irish potato famine solved

Tue, 21 May 2013 01:12:12 EDT

An international team of scientists reveals that a unique strain of potato blight they call HERB-1 triggered the Irish potato famine of the mid-19th century.

Agriculture in China predates domesticated rice: Discovery of ancient diet shatters conventional ideas of how agriculture emerged

Fri, 17 May 2013 08:57:57 EDT

Archaeologists have made a discovery in southern subtropical China which could revolutionize thinking about how ancient humans lived in the region. They have uncovered evidence for the first time that people living in Xincun 5,000 years ago may have practiced agriculture -- before the arrival of domesticated rice in the region.

World's most extraordinary species mapped for the first time

Wed, 15 May 2013 17:44:44 EDT

The black-and-white ruffed lemur, Mexican salamander and Sunda pangolin all feature on the first map of the world's most unique and threatened mammals and amphibians.

When green means danger: A stunning new species of palm-pitviper from Honduras

Tue, 14 May 2013 11:29:29 EDT

A remarkable new species of bright green palm-viper has been discovered in a threatened cloud forest in Honduras, and is named to honor grassroots conservationist Mario Guifarro, who was assassinated in 2007. Despite being superficially similar to other Honduran palm pitvipers, the closest relative to the new species lives over 600 km to the south in Costa Rica.

Do potatoes grow on vines? A review of the wild relatives of some favorite food plants

Tue, 14 May 2013 10:14:14 EDT

Solanum is is well-known for its agriculturally important species such as potatoes, tomatoes and eggplants, but also has many species that are less well known. The vining solanums related to the woody nightshade are often used as ornamentals. A new study completely revises the understanding of these vining species, known as the Dulcamaroid clade, providing extensive community-shared knowledge of the genus.

Productivity increases with species diversity, just as Darwin predicted

Mon, 13 May 2013 15:28:28 EDT

Environments containing species that are distantly related to one another are more productive than those containing closely related species, according to new research.

New non-GM technology platform for genetic improvement of sunflower oilseed crop

Mon, 13 May 2013 12:32:32 EDT

Scientists have developed techniques for the genetic improvement of sunflowers using a non-GMO based approach. The new technology platform can harness the plant’s own genes to improve characteristics of sunflower, develop genetic traits, which will improve its role as an important oilseed crop.

Invasion of the slugs; Halted by worms

Sun, 12 May 2013 20:16:16 EDT

The gardener’s best friend, the earthworm, is great at protecting leaves from being chomped by slugs, suggests new research. Although they lurk in the soil, they seem to protect the plants above ground. Increasing plant diversity also decreases the amount of damage slugs do to individual plants.

Climate change will cause widespread global-scale loss of common plants and animals, researchers predict

Sun, 12 May 2013 14:09:09 EDT

Climate change will cause widespread global-scale loss of common plants and animals. More than half of common plants and one third of the animals could see a dramatic decline this century due to climate change, according to new research. The study looked at 50,000 globally widespread and common species and found that more than one half of the plants and one third of the animals will lose more than half of their climatic range by 2080 if nothing is done to reduce the amount of global warming and slow it down.

Sacred lotus genome sequence enlightens scientists

Fri, 10 May 2013 18:02:02 EDT

The sacred lotus is a symbol of spiritual purity and longevity. Its seeds can survive up to 1,300 years, its petals and leaves repel grime and water, and its flowers generate heat to attract pollinators. Now researchers report that they have sequenced the lotus genome. Of all the plants sequenced so far -- and there are dozens -- sacred lotus bears the closest resemblance to the ancestor of all eudicots, a broad category of flowering plants that includes apple, cabbage, cactus, coffee and tobacco.

'Power plants': How to harvest electricity directly from plants

Thu, 09 May 2013 10:43:43 EDT

The sun provides the most abundant source of energy on the planet. However, only a tiny fraction of the solar radiation on Earth is converted into useful energy.

In ancient China, sago palms were major plant food prior to rice cultivation

Wed, 08 May 2013 17:21:21 EDT

Before rice cultivation became prevalent, ancient populations on the southern coast of China likely relied on sago palms as staple plant foods, according to new research.

Decline in snow cover spells trouble for many plants, animals

Tue, 07 May 2013 13:44:44 EDT

For plants and animals forced to tough out harsh winter weather, the coverlet of snow that blankets the north country is a refuge, a stable beneath-the-snow habitat that gives essential respite from biting winds and subzero temperatures.

Plants 'talk' to plants to help them grow

Tue, 07 May 2013 06:08:08 EDT

Having a neighborly chat improves seed germination, finds new research. Even when other known means of communication, such as contact, chemical and light-mediated signals, are blocked, chilli seeds grow better when grown with basil plants. This suggests that plants are talking via nanomechanical vibrations.

Midwestern frogs decline, mammal populations altered by invasive plant, studies reveal

Wed, 01 May 2013 14:51:51 EDT

Researchers have discovered a new culprit contributing to amphibian decline and altered mammal distribution throughout the Midwest region -- the invasive plant European buckthorn.

New plant protein discoveries could ease global food and fuel demands

Wed, 01 May 2013 13:19:19 EDT

New discoveries of the way plants transport important substances across their biological membranes to resist toxic metals and pests, increase salt and drought tolerance, control water loss and store sugar can have profound implications for increasing the supply of food and energy for our rapidly growing global population.

In the Northeast, forests with entirely native flora are not the norm

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 14:21:21 EDT

Two-thirds of all forest inventory plots in the Northeast and Midwestern United States contain at least one non-native plant species, a new US Forest Service study found. The study across two dozen states from North Dakota to Maine can help land managers pinpoint areas on the landscape where invasive plants might take root.

Smoke signals: How burning plants tell seeds to rise from the ashes

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 17:59:59 EDT

In the spring following a forest fire, trees that survived the blaze explode in new growth and plants sprout in abundance from the scorched earth. For centuries, it was a mystery how seeds, some long dormant in the soil, knew to push through the ashes to regenerate the burned forest.

World's longest-running plant monitoring program now digitized

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 15:42:42 EDT

Researchers have digitized 106 years of growth data on the birth, growth and death of individual plants on Tumamoc Hill in Tucson, Ariz., making the information available for study by people all over the world. The permanent research plots on the University of Arizona's Tumamoc Hill represent the world's longest-running study that monitors individual plants. Knowing how plants respond to changing conditions over many decades provides new insights into how ecosystems behave.

U. S. has surprisingly large reservoir of crop plant diversity

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 13:35:35 EDT

North America isn’t known as a hotspot for crop plant diversity, yet a new inventory has uncovered nearly 4,600 wild relatives of crop plants in the United States, including close relatives of globally important food crops such as sunflower, bean, sweet potato, and strawberry.

Ecological knowledge offers perspectives for sustainable agriculture

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 10:24:24 EDT

A smart combination of different crops, such as beans and maize, can significantly cut the use of crop protection agents and at the same time reduce the need for fertilizers. Integrating ecological knowledge from nature with knowledge of crops opens up the prospect of a sustainable strategy that will increase yield per hectare at reduced environmental costs.

Plants can moderate climate warming, new research shows

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 14:49:49 EDT

As temperatures warm, plants release gases that help form clouds and cool the atmosphere, according to new research. The new study identified a negative feedback loop in which higher temperatures lead to an increase in concentrations of natural aerosols that have a cooling effect on the atmosphere.

Cellulose goes off the rails: Without microtubule guidance, cellulose causes changes in organ patterns during growth

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 13:25:25 EDT

Mathematics is everywhere in nature, and this is illustrated by the spiral patterns in plants such as pine cones, sunflowers or the arrangement of leaves around a stem. Most plants produce a new bud at 137 degrees from its predecessor, and this mathematical precision leads to observable helices. Normally, the relative position of organs does not change during growth, because the stems grow straight. But if the connection between the cytoskeleton and cellulose is removed, the cellulose fibres are synthesized in a tilted fashion and the stems start to twist. As a result, the angle between successive flowers disappears, and is instead replaced by other mathematical patterns that prove to be equally robust. Incidentally, this work suggests that in the absence of regulation, all plant stems should twist rather than grow straight.

Just what makes that little old ant… change a flower's nectar content?

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 18:52:52 EDT

Ants play a variety of important roles in many ecosystems. As frequent visitors to flowers, they can benefit plants in their role as pollinators when they forage on sugar-rich nectar. However, a new study reveals that this mutualistic relationship may actually have some hidden costs.

Strengthening legumes to tackle fertilizer pollution

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 16:19:19 EDT

Scientists create the first model of legume iron transportation aimed at maximizing nitrogen fixation, even in poor soil.

Big ecosystem changes viewed through the lens of tiny carnivorous plants

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 15:39:39 EDT

The water-filled pool within a pitcher plant, it turns out, is a tiny ecosystem whose inner workings are similar to those of a full-scale water body. Whether small carnivorous plant or huge lake, both are subject to the same ecological "tipping points," of concern on Earth Day -- and every day, say scientists.

Nitrogen has key role in estimating carbon dioxide emissions from land use change

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 16:07:07 EDT

A new global-scale modeling study that takes into account nitrogen -- a key nutrient for plants -- estimates that carbon emissions from human activities on land were 40 percent higher in the 1990s than in studies that did not account for nitrogen. Plant regrowth -- and therefore carbon assimilation by plants -- is limited by nitrogen availability, causing other studies to overestimate regrowth and underestimate net emissions from the harvest-regrowth cycle.

Weeding out ineffective biocontrol agents

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 15:44:44 EDT

Biocontrol programs use an invasive plant's natural enemies (insects and pathogens) to reduce its population. Most biocontrol programs combine many different enemies. Some combinations of enemy species can actually end up competing or interfering with each other, instead of attacking the weed.

Hydrogen sulfide greatly enhances plant growth: Key ingredient in mass extinctions could boost food, biofuel production

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 18:55:55 EDT

In low doses, hydrogen sulfide, a substance implicated in several mass extinctions, could greatly enhance plant growth, leading to a sharp increase in global food supplies and plentiful stock for biofuel production, new research shows.

Catch me if you can: Two new species of moth from the Russian Far East

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 11:44:44 EDT

Showing a range of peculiar habits and difficult to be discovered and collected, Ypsolophid moths present an exciting catch for scientists. Russian entomologists have discovered and described two species of these engaging moths, coming from the southernmost areas of the Russian Far East.

Biodiversity crisis: The impacts of socio-economic pressures on natural floras and faunas

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 10:23:23 EDT

A new study on extinction risk has shown that proportions of plant and animal species being classified as threatened on national Red Lists are more closely related to socioeconomic pressure levels from the beginning than from the end of the 20th century.

Plant protein shape puzzle solved by molecular 3-D model

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 18:25:25 EDT

Researchers believe they have solved a puzzle that has long vexed science. The researchers provide the first three-dimensional model of an enzyme that links a simple sugar, glucose, into long-chain cellulose, the basic building block within plant cell walls that gives plants structure. Cellulose is nature's most abundant renewable biomaterial and an important resource for production of biofuels that represent alternatives to fossil fuels.

Tiny colorful snails are in danger of extinction with vanishing limestone ecosystems

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 17:24:24 EDT

Three new species of brightly colored carnivorous snails have been described from north and northeastern Thailand, as a part of an extensive study of the terrestrial snails family Streptaxidae. The new species have been found in highly endangered limescale ecosystems, including quarried areas, thus showing extraordinary survival mechanisms and biodiversity persistence.

Tulip tree reveals mitochondrial genome of ancestral flowering plant

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 10:00:00 EDT

The extraordinary level of conservation of the tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera) mitochondrial genome has redefined our interpretation of evolution of the angiosperms (flowering plants). This beautiful ‘molecular fossil’ has a remarkably slow mutation rate meaning that its mitochondrial genome has remained largely unchanged since the dinosaurs were roaming Earth.

How some leaves got fat: It's the veins

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 12:39:39 EDT

Some plants, such as succulents, have managed to grow very plump leaves. For that to happen, according to a new study, plants had to evolve three-dimensional arrangements of their leaf veins. That's how they could maintain adequately efficient hydraulics for photosynthesis.

Surprising predictor of ecosystem chemistry

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 15:28:28 EDT

Scientists have found that the plant species making up an ecosystem are better predictors of ecosystem chemistry than environmental conditions such as terrain, geology, or altitude. This is the first study using a new, high-resolution airborne, chemical-detecting instrument to map multiple ecosystem chemicals.

Giving plants the right amount of light

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 08:48:48 EDT

Enormous amounts of energy are wasted in greenhouses where our food is grown as a result of the plants receiving too much and the wrong kind of light. This can also stress and damage the plants. Researchers are working on a globally unique method to measure how much and what type of light plants want.

Seeds of model cereal plant now available

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 06:42:42 EDT

Seeds of the model cereal plant Brachypodium distachyon are now available to the international scientific community.

An inside look at carnivorous plants

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 18:26:26 EDT

A pitcher plant's work seems simple: Their tube-shaped leaves catch and hold rainwater, which drowns the ants, beetles, and flies that stumble in. But the rainwater inside a pitcher plant is not just a malevolent dunking pool. It also hosts a complex system of aquatic life, including wriggling mosquito, flesh fly, and midge larvae; mites; rotifers; copepods; nematodes; and multicellular algae.

Research examines ancient Puebloans and the myth of maize

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 15:24:24 EDT

New research shows that perhaps the ancient Puebloans weren't as into the maize craze as once thought. Nikki Berkebile has been studying the subsistence habits of Puebloans, or Anasazi, who lived on the southern rim of the Grand Canyon in the late 11th century. Traditional ethnographic literature indicates these ancient American Indians were heavily dependent on maize as a food source, but Berkebile isn't so sure about that.

Ozone masks plants volatiles, plant eating insects confused

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 15:01:01 EDT

Increases in ground-level ozone, especially in rural areas, may interfere not only with predator insects finding host plants, but also with pollinators finding flowers, according to new research.

Remaining unnoticed for 100 years, a Kyrgyz onion species strikes with its beauty

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 12:46:46 EDT

The mountainous regions of Central Asia are particularly rich in the onion genus Allium. Kyrgyzstan has a great plant diversity, with nearly 3800 native vascular plants, including 85 onion species. Among them is a tiny group of minute species that had gone unnoticed for 100 years of botanical studies in the region but was recently discovered in the Sary-Chelek Nature Reserve.

Southern California sagebrush better suited to climate change, study finds

Mon, 01 Apr 2013 13:21:21 EDT

California sagebrush in the southern part of the state will adjust better to climate change than sagebrush populations in the north, according to researchers.

New models predict drastically greener Arctic in coming decades

Sun, 31 Mar 2013 16:56:56 EDT

New research predicts that rising temperatures will lead to a massive "greening," or increase in plant cover, in the Arctic. In a new paper, scientists reveal new models projecting that wooded areas in the Arctic could increase by as much as 50 percent over the next few decades. The researchers also show that this dramatic greening will accelerate climate warming at a rate greater than previously expected.

Gene responsible for short stature of dwarf pearl millet identified

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 16:12:12 EDT

Recently, plant geneticists have successfully isolated the gene that creates dwarfed varieties of pearl millet. It is the first time a gene controlling an important agronomic trait has been isolated in the pearl millet genome.

Researchers engineer plant cell walls to boost sugar yields for biofuels

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 16:12:12 EDT

Using the tools of synthetic biology, researchers are engineering healthy plants whose lignocellulosic biomass can more easily be broken down into simple sugars for the production of clean, green and renewable advanced biofuels.

Splendid Skadar Lake (Montenegro and Albania) surprises with new species of snails

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 12:51:51 EDT

The Skadar Lake system at the border of Montenegro and Albania is a well-known hotspot of freshwater biodiversity and harbors a highly diverse mollusc fauna. As in many of the Balkan lakes, the endemic species of Skadar Lake are still poorly known and continue to yield unexpected discoveries. A new freshwater snail species has recently been found.

Growing plants on Mars

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 07:57:57 EDT

Concrete plans for a one-way ticket to Mars have been forged. Food will have to be grown on location. Is this a distant future scenario? Not for scientists researching whether or not it is possible to grow plants on the moon.

Regulation recommendations so that biofuel plants don’t become weeds

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 13:32:32 EDT

In the United States, only species listed on state or federal noxious weed lists are regulated, and those lists are often biased toward species that affect agricultural crops. Conversely, invasive plant council lists include species that affect natural landscapes but have no regulatory clout. After comparing the lists and how they are created, researchers have developed some suggestions on how to improve the regulation of all invasive plant species, including new biofuels plants.

Novel way plants pass traits to next generation: Inheritance behavior in corn breaks accepted rules of genetics

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 11:20:20 EDT

New research explains how certain traits can pass down from one generation to the next – at least in plants – without following the accepted rules of genetics.

Scientists use DNA to quickly unravel relationship between plants and insects

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 16:05:05 EDT

It can take years of direct observation for a researcher to fully understand the diets of a community of herbivorous insects in a tropical rain forest. Now, scientists are paving a fast track using the DNA found inside the insects' stomachs, potentially turning years of research into months. This method will help scientists understand the ecology and evolution of plant-herbivore interactions more efficiently.

Homeowner groups can support native species in suburbia

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 16:02:02 EDT

Although it's known that home construction in suburban areas can have negative impacts on native plant and animals, a recent study suggests that well-managed development such as provided by homeowners associations can support native wildlife and promote species diversity.

Peach genome offers insights into breeding strategies for biofuels crops

Sun, 24 Mar 2013 15:23:23 EDT

Rapidly growing trees like poplars and willows are candidate "biofuel crops" from which it is expected that cellulosic ethanol and higher energy content fuels can be efficiently extracted. Domesticating these crops requires a deep understanding of tree physiology and genetics. Scientists are turning to fruit trees for hints, leading to an international initiative, publishing the 265-million base genome of the Lovell variety of Prunus persica.

Genetic analysis calls for the protection of two highly endangered Portuguese fish species

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 11:10:10 EDT

A chromosome study of the endemic Portuguese fish Squalius aradensis and S. torgalensis draws attention to their current status of highly endangered species. Rapid habitat loss in combination with ongoing geographic confinement and a poor genetic bank of the two species requires the fast application of specific conservation measures to preserve the integrity of their genomes.

Global nitrogen availability consistent for past 500 years linked to carbon levels

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 10:51:51 EDT

Despite humans increasing nitrogen production through industrialization, nitrogen availability in many ecosystems has remained steady for the past 500 years, a new study finds.