#sciencecorner

Science Corner >> Blades of Steel

No it’s not OG Nintendo Hockey but it is another case of metal blades on ice... checkout the full video right here.

#ScienceCorner: Global warming could slow upslope migration of trees | ScienceDaily

Photo: Jeff Mitton

#ScienceCorner: Shrubs more expansive than trees

Shrubs are more widespread than trees globally. A new study explains their global success. It turns out that the multiple stems of shrubs are of key importance. This feature contributes to both better growth and better survival than in trees of similar size. Shrubs grow on at least 40 per cent of the world’s land surface while for trees the figure is only 28 per cent.

#ScienceCorner: Microbes help plants survive in severe drought

Poplars given microbes (top) survived better in drought conditions, compared with plants with no added microbes (bottom). Image: University of Washington

With California in its fifth year of severe drought and many western states experiencing another year of unusually dry conditions, plants are stressed.

Agricultural crops, grasses and garden plants alike can get sick and die when factors such as drought and excess sun force them to work harder to survive.

Now, plants can better tolerate drought and other stressors with the help of natural microbes, University of Washington research has found. Specifically, plants that are given a dose of microbes stay green longer and are able to withstand drought conditions by growing more leaves and roots and using less water.

“Plants are less stressed if they have these natural microbes,” said senior author Sharon Doty, a UW professor of environmental and forest sciences. “They will help plants deal with environmental challenges, especially with climate change.”

#ScienceCorner: How fungi help trees tolerate drought

The crosscut shows the fungal tissues -- comprised of the fungal mantle around the root tip and the fungal network of tendrils that penetrates the root of plants, or Hartig Net, between Pinus sylvestris plant root cells -- in green. Image: Maira de Freitas Pereira, INRA Nancy

In the transcriptome—the set of its messenger RNA molecules that reflects actual biochemical activity by the organism—of the most common ectomycorrhizal fungus Cenococcum geophilum, a team of researchers found specific adaptations that could help their hosts be more resistant to drought stress, a finding that could be useful in developing more plant feedstocks for bioenergy amidst the changing climate. 

The mutualistic relationship between tree roots and ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi has been shaping forest ecosystems since their inception. ECM fungi are key players supporting the growth, health and stress tolerance of forest trees globally, such as oak, pine, spruce, birch and beech, and help boost the productivity of bioenergy feedstock trees, including poplar and willow. 

#ScienceCorner: Detecting forest fragility with satellites

The Amazon area with high (light colours), and low dynamics (dark), meaning low recovery rates after perturbations. The dark purple colours (0.3) reflect areas in fragile state. Image: Wageningen University and Research Centre

Over the past decades forests in different parts of the world have suffered sudden massive tree mortality. Now an international team of scientists has found a way to spot from satellite images which forests may be most likely to fall prey to such die-off events.