Tag Plants
Seed dispersal gets a test in carved-out ‘habitat corridors’
Field ecologists go to great lengths to get data: radio collars and automatic video cameras are only two of their creative techniques for documenting the natural world. So when a group of ecologists set out to see how wind moves seeds through isolated patches of habitat carved into a longleaf pine plantation in South Carolina, they twisted colored yarn to create mock seeds that would drift with the wind much like native seeds. Read More
‘Cabinet of curiosities’ captures nature through work of artists and scientists
Of all the places Sierra Swenson expected to end up during her first semester at college, precious few were lined with jars full of preserved reptiles. Read More
Wisconsin researchers identify key pathway for plant cell growth
For plants, the only way to grow is for cells to expand. Unlike animals, cell division in plants happens only within a tiny region of the root and stem apex, making cell expansion the critical path to increased stature. Read More
Horticulture Society to host fall plant sale
The Horticulture Society of UW–Madison is holding its annual Fall Plant Sale Fundraiser Friday through Sunday at the Stock Pavilion, 1575 Linden Dr., next to the Babcock Hall Dairy Store. Read More
Eavesdropping plants prepare to be attacked
In a world full of hungry predators, prey animals must be constantly vigilant to avoid getting eaten. But plants face a particular challenge when it comes to defending themselves. Read More
Don’t forget to stop and smell the … corpse flower
Johanna Oosterwyk, manager of the D.C. Smith Greenhouse, reports that the greenhouse’s Titan Arum plant, or corpse flower, is about to bloom. Read More
Industry helps create new potato breeding professorship
Advances in biotechnology such as DNA sequencing have helped speed the pace of plant breeding in many food crops, but applying these tools to the potato, which has an extra set of chromosomes, has been a bit more difficult. Read More
Botany experiment will try out zero gravity aboard space station
Gravity: It's the law in these parts. But to reach the stars, humans may have to learn to live outside the law. Read More
Prescribed burns planned in Lakeshore Nature Preserve
Don't be surprised if you notice a dark cloud of smoke rising near the western edge of campus soon. What you are seeing is most likely one of the prescribed burns that may take place in areas of the Lakeshore Nature Preserve during the next week or two, weather conditions permitting. Read More
Academic staff office features botany art of Kandis Elliot
In some ways, Kandis Elliot’s artwork can be like the carnivorous plants she introduces on one of her posters. Read More
New plant species named after UW botany professor
A new species has been named in honor of botany professor David Baum. Read More
UW–Madison botanist plucks new flower from Isle Royale
One of the world's newest sunflower species, discovered by a University of Wisconsin–Madison botanist, has carved out a very small but safe niche on an island in Lake Superior. Read More
UW-Madison artist wins international visualization challenge
Watch yourself around Kandis Elliot's art, because it may be smuggling things into your brain. Read More
Special symposium addresses practical applications of evolution
The Center of Rapid Evolution (CORE) at the University of Wisconsin–Madison is sponsoring a special event to foster discussion and outreach about how the science of evolution applies to real-world problems. Read More
Snaring bigger bugs gave flytraps evolutionary edge
Carnivorous plants defy our expectations of how plants should behave, with Venus flytraps employing nerve-like reflexes and powerful digestive enzymes to capture and consume fresh meat. The evolutionary history of these botanical oddities is now a bit clearer, thanks to new work. Read More
Isolated forest patches lose species, diversity
Failing to see the forest for the trees may be causing us to overlook the declining health of Wisconsin's forest ecosystems. Read More
Bringing modern roots to a traditional collection
Ken Cameron joined the faculty earlier this year as an associate professor of botany and director of the Wisconsin State Herbarium. He cites the botany department — one of a relative few remaining university botany departments, most having folded into larger biology departments — as a strong draw, along with the mix of teaching, research and administrative duties offered by his joint appointment. Read More
Evolution’s hand detailed in Hawaiian lobeliads
A team led by UW–Madison botanists Thomas Givnish and Kenneth Sytsma details the evolutionary history of a diverse tropical group of flowering plants long viewed as one of the plant world's most dramatic examples of adaptive radiation, the phenomenon of new species arising from a single ancestor to occupy a multitude of ecological roles. Read More
ESA to feature wide range of UW–Madison presentations
The Ecological Society of America will hold its 93rd annual meeting on Aug. 3-8, 2008, in Milwaukee, Wis. The society was founded in 1915 to promote the practice and awareness of ecological science. This year’s meeting will highlight the interdisciplinary nature of ecology and linking research with education. A wide range of UW–Madison research will be presented at the meeting. Read More