Plants

  1. Plants

    Raindrops help pitcher plants trap dinner

    Pitcher plants use the force of falling raindrops to fling prey into their traps.

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  2. Plants

    Stinky seeds dupe dung beetles

    Seeds that look and smell like animal poop can trick dung beetles into spreading and burying the seeds.

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  3. Animals

    Life in the polar ocean is surprisingly active in the dark winter

    The Arctic polar winter may leave marine ecosystems dark for weeks on end, but life doesn’t shut down, a new study finds.

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  4. Animals

    Why we need predators

    It might be easy to say that we should wipe out species that can kill us. But the effects of such action would be far ranging.

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  5. Genetics

    Bad Karma can ruin palm oil crops

    Missing epigenetic mark makes for Bad Karma and poor palm oil crops.

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  6. Animals

    Long-tongued fly sips from afar

    Long-tongued flies can dabble in shallow blossoms or reach into flowers with roomier nectar tubes.

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  7. Plants

    What fairy circles teach us about science

    Science can’t yet tell us how fairy circles form, but that’s not a failure for science.

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  8. Animals

    On the importance of elephant poop

    Asian elephants are key dispersers for tree seeds. A new study finds that buffalo and cattle can also disperse the seeds, but not nearly as well.

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  9. Plants

    Defense hormones guide plant roots’ mix of microbes

    Plants use salicylic acid to attract some bacteria to roots and repel others.

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  10. Plants

    Flowers’ roles considered in ecosystems and economics

    In ‘The Reason for Flowers’, a pollination ecologist chronicles the science and culture of blossoms from the dawn of humanity.

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  11. Chemistry

    Missing enzyme to blame for scentless roses

    The unusual enzyme behind roses’ sweet smell may help researchers revive the flower’s potent aroma.

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  12. Tech

    New app creates a searchable network of species worldwide

    A free new app compiles millions of records of species worldwide and allows users to add sightings.

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