How does climate change affect carbon uptake in montane meadows?
Rose Brinkoff and Olivia Vought, University of Michigan, discuss their article: The impact of warming on peak-season ecosystem carbon uptake is influenced by dominant species in warmer sites Ecosystems both absorb and release carbon. Carbon dioxide gas (CO2) in the atmosphere is taken up by plants through the process of photosynthesis and released by plants…...
[read more]Thu, 12 Feb 2026 05:45:35 +0000
The plant that inspired pollination ecology
Markus Wagner, UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Sandra Varga, University of Lincoln, and Richard Jefferson, former Natural England grassland specialist, discuss their article: Biological Flora of Britain and Ireland: Geranium sylvaticum Wood crane’s-bill as a model species for pollination ecology and plant breeding systems The structural adaptations of wood crane’s-bill (Geranium sylvaticum) to facilitate…...
[read more]Tue, 10 Feb 2026 05:41:33 +0000
How to harmonise vegetation surveys
Marco Barandun, Agroscope and University of Zurich, discusses his article: Scaling species richness: When vegetation surveys don’t match in plot area What can you do when your dataset contains vegetation surveys with plots the size of a shoebox alongside plots the size of a living room? This was exactly the situation I found myself in…...
[read more]Thu, 05 Feb 2026 05:59:09 +0000
Strategy matters: How a flexible invader succeeds across northern China
Kai Shi, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, discusses his article: CSR strategy shifts under biotic resistance and grazing drive invasion success of Solanum rostratum in northern China Ecological theory offers two powerful explanations for why invasions should fail. Diverse native communities are expected to resist newcomers through competition,…...
[read more]Tue, 03 Feb 2026 05:48:17 +0000
Competition and coexistence: The dangers of ignoring environmental heterogeneity
Annie Schiffer, Utah State University, discusses her article: The importance of accounting for spatial heterogeneity in studies of plant competition and coexistence Our paper explores how ignoring spatial environmental heterogeneity produces biases in competition and coexistence models. The original motivation for this study was to explain why interspecific competition was underestimated in observational studies of…...
[read more]Thu, 29 Jan 2026 04:59:41 +0000
Understanding how functional traits define tree species dominance in Amazonian forests
Laura Matas-Granados, Autonomous University of Madrid, discusses her article: Species functional traits affect regional and local dominance across western Amazonian forests Lowland forests in western Amazonia are among the most diverse ecosystems on Earth, harbouring hundreds of tree species living side by side. Despite this exceptional diversity, only a few tree species dominate these forests,…...
[read more]Tue, 27 Jan 2026 05:16:42 +0000
How New Zealand’s mangrove seedlings weather the waves: Lessons from monospecific forests
Lukas Meysick, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, discusses his article: Facilitation and constraint: Wave exposure and intraspecific interactions influence mangrove seedling morphology and resistance to dislodgement When mangrove forests come to mind, many people picture tropical coasts lined with diverse tree communities, sometimes consisting of more than 20 species in a single region. With this…...
[read more]Thu, 22 Jan 2026 06:20:51 +0000
Silicon and beneficial fungi: Strengthening plant resilience
Ramalka H. Kasige, Ximena Cibils-Stewart, Adam Frew, and Scott N. Johnson from Western Sydney University in Australia, discuss their article: Interactions between beneficial fungi and plant silicon: A review Plants are continually exposed to stresses — from drought, salinity, and metal toxicity to herbivores and pathogens. To withstand these challenges, they employ multiple strategies, including…...
[read more]Tue, 20 Jan 2026 05:12:32 +0000
The order of flowers and leaves matters more than we thought
Xingli Xia and Jianyang Xia, East China Normal University, discuss their article: Flower-leaf sequence shapes plant phenological sensitivity to warming Every spring, we witness nature’s awakening as flowers bloom and leaves unfold. But have you ever noticed that some plants burst into bloom before their leaves appear, while others do the opposite? This seemingly simple…...
[read more]Thu, 15 Jan 2026 04:56:00 +0000
Cows, chemistry, and the hidden architecture of grassland stability
Baoshuang Hu and Wei Sun, Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology of the Ministry of Education, Jilin Songnen Grassland Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Northeast Normal University, discuss their article: Beyond species richness: grazing and fertilization shape temperate grassland stability through distinct stabilizing effects Imagine a vast, windswept grassland. To the casual observer, it might…...
[read more]Tue, 13 Jan 2026 04:28:14 +0000
