Sweat keeps some animals cool in scorching heat. Salty secretions also serve one desert shrub a refreshing sip of water. The Athel tamarisk uses a special selection of salts excreted…
Category: Plants
Berkley Walker wants to revamp photosynthesis for a changing climate
Berkley Walker didn’t plan on becoming a scientist; he wanted to be an entrepreneur. And he got started early on that goal: In high school in Portland, Ore., he started…
The first citrus fruits may have come from southern China
Citrus fruits’ hometown is in China, a genetic analysis suggests. An extensive look at wild members of the orange family tree hints that the first species in the Citrus…
The fastest-evolving moss in the world may not adapt to climate change
The world’s oldest moss has seen three mass extinctions — but may not survive climate change. The genus Takakia has the highest number of fast-evolving genes of any moss, researchers…
Flowers pollinated by honeybees make lower-quality seeds
Flowers pollinated by honeybees make fewer and lower-quality seeds than flowers visited by other pollinators. That could be because honeybees spend more time buzzing between flowers of the same plant…
Marjorie Weber explores plant-protecting ants and other wonders of evolution
A crack team of arthropod bodyguards may be defending that cherry tree in your backyard or the maple across the street. Mites protect plants by acting like herds of grazing…
Air pollution monitoring may accidentally help scientists track biodiversity
The ability to track animals and plants is up in the air — literally — thanks to help from an unexpected source. Around the globe, many air quality control stations…
A hunt for fungi might bring this orchid back from the brink
If you ever come across a Cooper’s black orchid in the wild, you probably would mistake it for a stick — or perhaps an odd potato if you dig a…
Soil microbes that survived tough climates can help young trees do the same
Microbial stress can be a boon for young trees. Saplings grown in soil microbes that have experienced drought, cold or heat are more likely to survive when faced with those…
Ultrasound reveals trees’ drought-survival secrets
The tissues of living trees may hold the secrets of why some can recover after drought and others die. But those tissues are challenging to assess in mature forests. After…
