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)
Mycorrhizal fungi grow in and around plant roots as well as provide a nutrient-exchanging path for different individual plants. Occasionally I'll see some meme or link to a brief YouTube video about these fungi, not that one would recognize the term "mycorrhizal" because it is never used. It's danced around. Sometimes substituted with something in … Continue reading Trending: Mycorrhizae Without Writing “Mycorrhizae”
Deep oak and hickory wood laced with purring creeks and rocky rubble beckons me, but most days they must wait, as getting out of town to the nearest decent public hiking area requires twenty minutes--more than one can afford on a working day. Instead, I often opt for a five-minute drive (to avoid crossing a … Continue reading Wilson Park: Dogs, Flowers and Fungi (Oh! The Fungi!)
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
What is the largest organism on Earth? An elementary student might respond with, "The blue whale." Let us face it, most of us think about animals when it comes to biology. Someone who has grown past the childhood obsession with animals or expanded upon it might respond with, "The redwoods," or "The sequoia." I know … Continue reading Don’t Ignore the Giant Panda in the Room…on the Plateau…Under the Ground
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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