plant ecology – envirobites

Friday, July 26, 2024

Mowing through challenges: cutting-edge ways to improve grassland restoration efforts

June 6, 2024June 6, 2024 Lauren Glevanik 0 Comments grasslands, habitat restoration, invasive species, native plants, plant communities, plant ecology, Restoration

A new study explores how grassland restoration can be limited by seed dispersal, plant competition, and environmental factors. Drawing from ecological theory to test the best restoration strategies, researchers recommend mowing to manage weeds and promote native plant success. In years with plenty of rain, adding seeds of small native plants to areas where grass has been removed is an effective strategy to increase native herbaceous plant cover.

Climate Ecosystems Environmental Science

The Soil Seed Bank: Plant Communities’ Secret Weapon

November 8, 2023November 6, 2023 Julia Bebout 0 Comments community ecology, plant ecology

Plant communities have a secret survival tool buried underground: the soil seed bank. When the environment changes, the seed bank helps buffer the plant community against those changes. But what if the seed bank can’t survive the environmental changes either? Scientists explore a wetland to learn more about the secretive soil seed bank.

Environmental Science Sustainabililty

Not All Forestry Is Equal: How High Retention Logging Might Protect the Understory

February 7, 2023January 30, 2023 Julia Bebout 0 Comments forest ecology, forestry, logging, plant ecology

Retention logging is the practice of harvesting trees while leaving some fraction of the forest in place. Studies have shown that this type of logging speeds forest recovery and maintains forest habitat for animals. But studies mostly watched forests recover for only a few years, while forests can take decades to recover from deforestation. Does retention logging really help forest ecosystems in the long run?

Climate Ecosystems Environmental Science

“Remembering” Past Climates May Help Trees Survive in a Changing World

December 12, 2022January 30, 2023 Julia Bebout 0 Comments Climate Change, drought, ecophysiology, plant ecology

Tree growth rate can depend on both past and present environmental conditions. With increasingly frequent and intense droughts, the importance of this environmental “memory” for growth may be changing in two-needle piñon trees.

Environmental Science

Parasitic Plants Can (Sometimes) Help Competing Plants Coexist

November 7, 2022January 30, 2023 Julia Bebout 0 Comments community ecology, Parasites, plant ecology

Did you know that plants can be parasites of other plants? It’s true, and these parasitic plants might help maintain biodiversity!

Ecosystems Environmental Science Remediation

Fungal Community Changes Amid Salinity and Succession

September 2, 2022September 2, 2022 Cypress Novick 0 Comments Fungal communities, plant ecology, Salinization, soil remediation, Succession

While we easily observe changes to vegetation in a recovering grassland, the changes below ground are less apparent, but equally important, if not more-so.

Cities Ecosystems Environmental Science

Urban Gardens Provide Stable Nectar Supply for Pollinators

August 7, 2022January 30, 2023 Julia Bebout 0 Comments community ecology, gardens, plant ecology, pollinators

Insect pollinators are in trouble, and many plants on farms or in the wild need them to be able to grow fruits and reproduce. With so much at stake for plants around the world, and the humans who depend on them, how can we stop the decline of insect pollinator populations? Urban gardens may have a role to play in supporting pollinators, especially if we plant flowers that provide a stable supply of nectar, their most important food.