September 4, 2023

🌻 The Week in Botany September 4, 2023

Here are the stories shared on Twitter 🐦, Mastodon 🐘 and Newslit 📰. I’ve tagged them this week, so you can see what’s coming from where. There’s being a bit of an uptick on Twitter, which suggests that the long-term decline had been made worse by academics being on holiday.

There is a write up of what I’m doing on the blog this week, but there’s also far more interesting stories on microplastics, changes in plant-pollinator relationships, and quokkas and wildfire. The cover image this week is a quokka without a wildfire in the background. This is because twenty attempts revealed that it’s impossible to generate an AI image of a quokka with a wildfire behind it that don’t make the quokka look like the prime suspect in an arson inquiry.

The newsletter will be back at the same time next week, all being well. Until then, take care.

Alun (webmaster@botany.one)

On Botany One

The Biodiversity Orchestra: Investigating changes in time and space of plant-pollinator interactions
Most of the time, ecologists have studied interaction networks by considering a single sample, both in time and space. Recent research shows an innovative approach, highlighting the importance of understanding how such networks change between locations and over time.

Australian Scientists Find How Controlled Burns Can Be Managed So That They Don’t Needlessly Endanger Quokkas
According to a recent study, vulnerable quokkas avoid prescribed burn areas for months, but unburned patches provide critical refuge for the displaced marsupials.

Can Urban Spaces Create Emerald Cities in Uzbekistan?
Caught between rapid urban growth and dwindling natural resources, Uzbekistan’s solution lies within its own urban landscapes – researchers reveal.

An Experiment on Mastodon and TWiB
We’re running an experiment on Mastodon to see if we can improve our email, The Week in Botany.

Can Botanists Rescue the Endangered Orchids of Malaysia?
Orchids, some of nature’s most stunning creations, are threatened by deforestation and need urgent attention to ensure their survival.

Plastic pollution: Plants fight back!
Researchers have developed a novel filter, made from tannic-acid treated sawdust which may help reduce plastic pollution, while another approach has been presented to create a backyard-compostable bioplastic, using spirulina.

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News & Views

UK academics urge Royal Society to condemn fossil fuel industry 🐘
Letter signed by more than 1,200 leading figures calls for ‘unambiguous statement’ about climate crisis.

Illegal logging thrives in Mexico City's forest-covered boroughs, as locals strive to plant trees 📰
In the forest-covered mountains of Mexico City a brigade of farmers and forest rangers plant inches-high pine saplings in a recently cut stand of trees, even as the sound of chainsaws rings out nearby

Weird, Pink, Endangered, Flower Found On The Side Of A Colombian Road 📰
A plant species new to science, already characterized as endangered, faces a very specific threat: periodic roadside maintenance.

Why you should publish your posters 🐦
Publishing your poster in a DOI repository like Zenodo extends the lifespan of your poster beyond the conference, reaching audiences who would not have seen your poster otherwise and providing a verifiable, citable record of your scholarly output.

11th Hour talks fail, #AssociateEditors #Resigned, @jbiogeography 🐘
Deputy editors-in-chief at the Journal of Biogeography (JBI) set up an 11th hour meeting with Wiley trying to resolve the two-month ongoing dispute about affordability, equity, and editorial independence. Initial reports are that the talks failed. The pending mass resignation of the remaining associate editors takes effect.

‘Electroculture’ gardening is trending. But does it work? 📰
Most of the space on Derek Muller’s second-floor balcony in Lake Chelan, Wash., is occupied by buckets of soil planted with radishes, cucumbers and beefsteak tomatoes. In half the buckets, lengths of copper and steel wire are coiled into spirals and nestled alongside the plants. This isn’t just a garden: It’s an experiment in electroculture.

Rare bamboo flowering event could be followed by years of ecological change 📰
Flowering for some plants is a yearly occurrence; for others, it is a once-in-a-lifetime event. A widespread species of bamboo in Japan, Phyllostachys nigra var. henonis, takes this one-time flowering event and pushes it to the extreme: they flower once every 120 years before dying to make way for the next generation.

Reducing biodiversity loss: Gardens could be an Eden for vulnerable plants 📰
Conservation gardening—the practice of planting declining native species in urban and rural green spaces—could help to address the increasing issue of plant biodiversity losses in Germany, reports a paper published in Scientific Reports.

Homewood resident champions trees, discovers woodland giants, possible remains of prehistoric forest 📰
If you ask Dave Shepard, prairies get a bit too much credit around here. He’s a tree guy, and he wants to make sure the area’s ancient woodlands get some recognition too. Ancient forests in this part of the Prairie State?

The search for the super potato
As climate change continues to pose severe challenges to ensuring sustainable food supplies around the world, scientists from McGill University are looking for ways to improve the resilience and nutritional quality of potatoes. Professor Martina Strömvik and her team have created a potato super pangenome to identify genetic traits that can help produce the next super spud.

Scientific Papers

Weathering and soil production under trees growing on sandstones – The role of tree roots in soil formation 🐘
Rock weathering drives both landform formation and soil production/evolution. The less studied biological component of weathering and soil production caused by tree root systems is the main focus of the present study. Weathering by trees, which likely has been important in soil formation since the first trees emerged in the middle and late Devonian, is accomplished through both physical and biological means, like acids excreted by plants and exudates from associated bacterial communities. However, these processes are relatively poorly known. Pawlik et al. assessed the impact of tree roots and associated microbiota on the potential level of biological weathering.

Functional diversification of a wild potato immune receptor at its center of origin 🐦
The oomycete Phytophthora infestans devastates potato crops, most famously during the Great Irish Famine of the mid-1800s. Torres Ascurra et al. examined wild potato variants from across the Americas and identified a pattern recognition receptor called PERU, which recognizes a P. infestans peptide.

Perspectives on the scientific legacy of J. Philip Grime 🐦
This commentary piece includes individual responses of 14 scientists from around the world attesting to Grime's foundational role in plant functional ecology, including his knack for sparking controversy, his unique approach to theory formulation involving clever experiments and standardized trait measurements of large numbers of species, and the continued impact of his work on ecological science and policy.

Epigenomic divergence correlates with sequence polymorphism in Arabidopsis paralogs 🐦
Kenchanmane Raju et al. investigate genic variation in epigenome-associated polymorphism rates in Arabidopsis thaliana and consider whether these affect the evolution of gene duplicates. They compared the frequency of sequence polymorphism and patterns of genetic differentiation between genes classified by exon methylation patterns: unmethylated (unM), gene-body methylated (gbM), and transposon-like methylated (teM) states, which reflect divergence in gene expression.

Opportunities and challenges for microbiomics in ecosystem restoration 🐦
Owing to the scale and pace of global ecosystem degradation, ecologists must use optimal tools to aid ecosystem recovery. Integrating microbiomics into restoration ecology can help. Microbiomics is generating novel ways of thinking about ecosystem restoration. However, it presents practical and theoretical challenges as well as opportunities.

Supporting urban greenspace with microbial symbiosis 🐦
Stewart et al. address key stressors for green infrastructure and landscape architecture in cities, including dependency on fertilizers, pathogens, drought, fewer pollinators, pollution, and reduced plant biodiversity. For each of these stressors, they discuss how symbiotic fungi and bacteria can help mitigate these issues, including case-use scenarios.

Immature leaves are the dominant volatile-sensing organs of maize 🐦
Wang et al. show that responsiveness to the herbivory-induced green leaf volatile (Z)-3-hexenyl acetate (HAC) in terms of volatile emission, transcriptional regulation, and jasmonate defense hormone activation is largely constrained to younger maize leaves.
bioRxiv: https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.01.12.523648v2

Biodiversity in residential gardens: a review of the evidence base 🐘
Residential gardens are a principal component of urban green infrastructure throughout the world and their potential positive contributions to biodiversity are increasingly recognised. But the characteristics of gardens reflect the needs, values and interests of individual households. Delahay et al. summarise evidence from studies of garden biodiversity published in the scientific literature, describe major themes and identify important knowledge gaps.

GlobalUsefulNativeTrees, a database documenting 14,014 tree species, supports synergies between biodiversity recovery and local livelihoods in landscape restoration 🐘
Tree planting has the potential to improve the livelihoods of millions of people as well as to support environmental services such as biodiversity conservation. Planting however needs to be executed wisely if benefits are to be achieved. Kindt et al. have developed the GlobalUsefulNativeTrees (GlobUNT) database to directly support the principles advocated by the ‘golden rules for reforestation’, including planting tree mixtures that maximize the benefits to local livelihoods and the diversity of native trees.

In search of lost time: tracing the fossil diversity of Podocarpaceae through the ages 🐦
The Podocarpaceae are a morphologically diverse conifer family that have a cryptic fossil record reported since the Permian. Andruchow-Colombo et al. reviewed the fossil record of Podocarpaceae, tested the affinities of its oldest records using phylogenetic analyses, compiled macrofossil occurrence records, and investigated the diversity, distribution, and morphology of Podocarpaceae through time.

Compositional shifts of alpine plant communities across the high Andes 🐦
Using permanent vegetation plots placed on 45 mountain summits and soil temperature loggers situated along a ~6800 km N-S gradient, Cuesta et al. measured species and their relative percentage cover and estimated community-level thermal niches in two surveys (intervals between 5 and 8 years). They then estimated the annual rate of changes for the three variables and used generalized linear models to assess their relationship with annual precipitation, the minimum air temperatures of each summit and rates of change in the locally recorded soil temperatures.

MYB24 orchestrates terpene and flavonol metabolism as light responses to anthocyanin depletion in variegated grape berries 🐦
A study on the rare variegation in grape berries has found that accumulation of products from phenylpropanoid and isoprenoid pathways, influenced by the MYB24 gene, showed a contrary tendency in red and white sections of the berries. The MYB24 gene, whose regulation is developmentally triggered after berry ripening onset, is suggested to modulate ultraviolet and high-intensity visible light stress responses that include terpene and flavonol synthesis, potentially affecting carotenoids, but it only partly succeeds in ameliorating light-stress during late ripening.

Applying the concept of niche breadth to understand urban tree mortality in the UK 🐘
This study uses 'niche breadth' to predict species response to environmental changes. Data from UK botanical gardens show Acer species are more vulnerable to drought and heat stress, while Mediterranean oaks show remarkable resilience.

Careers

Research Fellow (plant-microbe interactions), Birmingham
The University of Birmingham is seeking a postdoctoral researcher to join the Kettles and McDonald laboratories in the School of Biosciences for the BBSRC-funded project SeptPROTECT. The researcher will focus on understanding the molecular mechanisms of wheat resistance breakdown against the fungus Zymoseptoria tritici and will be responsible for conducting genetic screens, bioinformatic analysis, and managing research projects.

Research Associate (Plant-microbe Interactions), Part-time, Birmingham
The University of Birmingham is seeking a part-time research technician to contribute to the research project SeptPROTECT, which focuses on understanding wheat resistance breakdown against the fungus Zymoseptoria tritici. The successful candidate will conduct research, contribute to publications and presentations, assist with research milestones, and provide advice within the discipline, while possessing a relevant degree, experience in scientific writing and data management, and a strong understanding of molecular biology.

Principal Scientist – Entomology, Wisley near London
The Royal Horticultural Society is seeking a leader for their entomology team, based at their Hilltop Science building in Wisley Gardens. This role involves overseeing research on garden invertebrates, providing advice to the public, and expanding the research program, requiring a background in entomology or plant health-related projects and excellent communication and management skills.

Ecological Field Technician, Birmingham
The technician will work as part of a team on a NERC-funded project to assess the environmental impact of wildfire management tools on UK landscapes. They will be responsible for collecting ecological data, including plant and bat biodiversity, and assisting with laboratory work and data processing.

Assistant Professor Tenure Track (Genetics/Plant Biology/Biostatistics), New York
Alfred University's Division of Biology and Biochemistry is seeking a tenure track assistant professor with a strong commitment to undergraduate teaching in a liberal arts setting. The ideal candidate will have a background in genetics, plant genetics, or plant biology, and will be able to teach core courses such as Principles of Genetics with lab and Biostatistics. Additionally, the successful candidate will be expected to actively engage in research, student advising, and shared faculty governance.

Research Scientist, California
The University Corporation at Monterey Bay is hiring a Research Scientist to work in the Water, Agriculture, Technology and Remote Sensing (WATRS) lab, in collaboration with NASA Ames Research Center. The position involves conducting scientific research, analyzing remote sensing data from UAVs and satellites, and developing models for forecasting crop yields, with a focus on plant pathogens in high value specialty crops. The successful candidate will also have the opportunity to lead innovative research on remote sensing applications for plant pathogen detection.

Assistant/Associate Professor in Botany/Plant Ecology, Oklahoma
Southeastern Oklahoma State University is hiring a tenure-track faculty member in Botany at the Assistant/Associate Professor level. The ideal candidate will have a background in forest ecology, range management, fire ecology, or related subjects and should have a Ph.D. in Botany or a related discipline. They should also have teaching experience, potential for engaging in undergraduate research, and be willing to develop the Botany Program further.

Assistant Professor - Plant Biologist, Ohio
A tenure-track Assistant Professor position in Biology is available at Miami University. The successful candidate will teach courses in plant biology and evolutionary biology, conduct research in phylogenetic and phylogenomic approaches, advise students, and contribute to department and university service. A PhD in Biology or related field is required.

Lecturer / Assistant Professor in Cell Biology, Dublin
UCD School of Biology & Environmental Science is seeking a Lecturer/Assistant Professor (above the bar) in Cell Biology, focusing on animal cell and molecular biology. The successful candidate will primarily support teaching and student project supervision for the BSc degree in Cell & Molecular Biology and the MSc in Biological & Biomolecular Science, while also developing their own research program that complements existing research programs within the School. PhD in an appropriate discipline, research experience, and strong teaching and communication skills are required.

Research Assistant (Biological Sciences), Singapore
The National University of Singapore is seeking a Research Assistant to join an ongoing project investigating plant-microbe-environment associations. The applicant should have a background and/or expressed interest in working with environmental and plant-associated microbes, and will be responsible for conducting experiments, sample processing, and assisting with research activities. Strong organizational and communication skills are necessary, and a Bachelor's degree in a relevant field is required. 1-2 years of experience or fresh BSc (Hons) graduates are encouraged to apply.

Research Fellow (Plant Nanotechnology), Singapore
The Lew Lab at the National University of Singapore is offering immediate postdoctoral positions in the field of plant nanotechnology. The successful candidates will focus on developing fluorescent nanoparticles for plant imaging, investigating nanoparticle biotransformation in plants, conducting plant imaging experiments, and growing plants for research purposes. Applicants should have a PhD in related fields, published research, experience in nanomaterial synthesis, and strong communication and analytical skills.

Senior Scientist, Earth Sciences, Geography and Astronomy, Vienna
The University of Vienna is seeking a senior scientist in Geoecology to support the Core Facility for Long Term Ecological Wetland Research. The responsibilities of the role include supervising and maintaining field and laboratory facilities, co-supervising the Core Facility, project management, publication of research articles, and teaching. The ideal candidate will have a PhD in Natural Sciences and expertise in fields such as Biometeorology, Geoecology, Limnology, Soil Science, or Plant Ecophysiology.

Experimental Officer - Research Facilities Manager, Surrey, UK
The University of Surrey is offering an exciting opportunity within the Centre for Environment and Sustainability for an Experimental Officer: Glasshouse Facilities Manager. In this role, the Experimental Officer will provide essential support in the delivery of a demonstration project investigating applications of soil-free technology to biomass and bioenergy crops. They will be responsible for managing state-of-the-art research facilities, including a greenhouse and polytunnel, as well as supporting the smooth running of plant experimental trials.

University Assistant Postdoctoral, Life Sciences, Vienna
The Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research at the University of Vienna is offering a three-year post-doc position in the Biodiversity Dynamics and Conservation Group. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to develop their own research concepts and ideas within the field of biodiversity and environmental change, in collaboration with the team. Responsibilities include conducting independent research, teaching, administration, and applying for new projects and third-party funds. The ideal candidate will have a completed doctoral degree in ecology or a related field, proven research competence, statistical skills, and expertise in relevant software.

Doctoral Programme In Plant Sciences, Salaried Doctoral Researcher Positions, Helsinki
The University of Helsinki doctoral programmes are inviting applications for doctoral researchers starting from 1 January 2024 for a 1-4 year period. The doctoral researchers will work on their doctoral thesis and complete the necessary doctoral studies as part of an international academic community. The duties may also include teaching and other tasks for up to 5% of the annual working time, and the duration of the employment contract will depend on the phase of the appointee's thesis.