There's a phenomenon science students experience. Perhaps there's an inspirational, rare term assigned to it though I do not know what that would be. The landscape is no longer a cohesive environment of greenery and blotchy earth colors punctured by charismatic creatures and dramatic waterfalls. It...becomes millions of things that non-sciency friends rare their eyebrows … Continue reading Views of Lake Fort Smith (Part II: Scientist)
The American chestnut tree, Castanea dentata, was one of the first biological icons to be virtually vacated from an integral position in both the environment and American society. We knew little about accidental imports of exotic species, and the introduction of the fungus Cryphonectria parasitica spurred the discussion and action. I was fascinated with the topic when … Continue reading Book Reflection: American Chestnut: The Life, Death, and Rebirth of a Perfect Tree by Susan Freinkel
Keystone species: like a stone bridging the two sides of an arch, once removed the structure crumbles. One of ecologists favorite example in the last twenty years has been the grey wolf. Humans have a long history of destroying ecosystems and obliterating biodiversity. More than likely we've seen the loss of more keystone species than … Continue reading Keystone Species in a Yellowstone Shell
Science classes from middle school up to the second year of university, popular science books, and many internet sources cling to cliche examples. Don't talk to me about the bottleneck effect and use cheetahs as an example--just don't. If you're a complete nerd like me and constantly prowl for something new to learn, finding a … Continue reading Unpopular Vestigial Structure
While I've shared how the Voyage of the Turtle: in the Pursuit of the World’s Last Dinosaur took a broad-focused, holistic sweep of the world between humans and leatherbacks, it also tackled specifics of sea turtle’s physiology. Diving physiology is intricate and poorly understood. Considering that humans dwell on land and most animals that we … Continue reading Book Reflection: Voyage of the Turtle by Carl Safina (Part II: Physiology)
Honey bees get most of the press as far as pollinators are concerned. Sometimes butterflies and bats receive honorary mention. Usually only in certain circles do non-honey bees, essentially all bees save for the European brand that we raise in apiculture, take the stage. Yucca moths not so much. From a botanical and evolutionary standpoint, … Continue reading Yucca Pollination: a Story of a Synchronized Relationship
While I've addressed how my undergraduate program has converted many potential non-plant biologists into plant biologists, often I hear about how many universities do not support botany programs. I've experienced this personally, though at the time I was interested in the wildlife biology program. Colorado State University's college of natural sciences posted above the botany … Continue reading Future of Botany and Herbaria
I found out about it too late. It was late in the evening of May 18th, and I saw an Annals of Botany Facebook post from the Oxford University Press blog about Fascinating of Plants Day. Many others knew about it, as #FoPD yielded a plethora of tweets. I’ll be more prepared for it … Continue reading Fascination of Plants Day
Journal articles can be a real challenge to read. I was fortunate through my undergraduate program to read relatively simple plant ecology articles that involved basic statistics and little jargon—whatever jargon there was, the meaning was easy to infer and so did not require a graduate-level understanding. However, not all sciences appeal to logic and … Continue reading The Joy of Journal Articles
Your average plant would not survive without fungi. In all regions of the world and among almost all plants, mycorhizzal fungi essentially are socks. As you would cover your feet with a sock, plants cover their roots with fungi. However, while socks can wick moisture and keep you warm, mycorhizzal (my-co-rise-uhl) fungi provide plants with … Continue reading The Value of Best Friends for a Plant in the Tropics
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