weeds – Field Talk

Candy canes as plant defenses

liza — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 21:47:15 +0000

What would make a plant want to stop growing towards the sun and instead grow downward? Michael Wise of the University of Virginia studies a species of goldenrod that grows toward the ground for part of the spring months, creating a morphology that looks a lot like a candy cane. He explains that this “candy-cane” morphology could increase the plant’s defenses against herbivores. The origin and evolution of such a defense, however, is a mystery when so few plants disguise themselves by this morphology, which he likens to an animal ducking to escape a threat. Read more about Wise’s research in the December issue of Ecology (www.esajournals.org/doi/abs/10.1890/08-0277.1).

Biocontrol Insects and the Mammals Who Love Them

liza — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 14:44:01 +0000

Managing biological invasions is one of ecology’s most difficult challenges. One controversial approach is the use of biocontrol agents, which involves transplanting an invasive’s natural enemies in an effort to control its spread. In this episode of Field Talk, Dean Pearson, a research ecologist with the U.S. Forest Service, talks about a grassland community in western Montana where a biocontrol insect has been introduced to control an invasive weed. His paper in the September issue of Ecological Applications shows that even the most carefully selected biocontrol agents can have complex and detrimental indirect effects on the community.