Entries by Rebecca Hayes

Review: Alternate grassy ecosystem states are determined by palatability-flammability trade-offs ($) (Trends Ecol Evol)

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Grassy ecosystems tend towards two stable states. One, the grazing-lawn state, is dominated by shoter grasses that thrive when grazed by herbivores, and the other, the fire-grass state, is dominated by taller grasses thrive when periodically controlled by burning. The flux between fire-grass and grazing-lawn ecosystems can be attributed to the positive feedbacks promoted by […]

Evolution of phytolith deposition in modern bryophytes (New Phytol) ($)

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When monosilicic acid is present in the soil, many plants absorb it through their roots and precipitate rigid silica aggregates known as phytoliths. Phytolith deposition has been observed in all major groups of vascular plants, however the patterns of deposition in bryophytes are comparatively under studied. Phytoliths can persist long after the plant has perished, […]

UV bullseye contrast of Hemerocallis flowers attracts hawkmoths but not swallowtail butterflies (Ecology and Evolution)

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Floral color and patterning each play a role in filtering pollinator visits to any given flower. However, just as the color and patterning of flowers is multidimensional, so too should be our understanding of the relative importance of color-related traits in pollinator preference. Hirota et al. aimed to determine how floral color-related traits (human-visible color and UV bullseye contrast) differentially influence pollinator attraction in […]

Challenging Conventional EDI Wisdom Resource Round Up

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About the Inclusivity in the Plant Sciences Workshop This past January, a group of diverse and passionate individuals from across the field of plant sciences convened at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute campus in Chevy Chase, MD to participate in the Inclusivity in the Plant Sciences strategic workshop organized by the Plant Science Research Network […]