Is there such a miracle as funding for a "roll your own" PhD in EU, UK, Canada, NZ?
I'm finding that most funded PhDs in plant science are slanted towards computation (either bioinformatics or remote sensing or AI) and that's not my forte nor my interest. I'd really like to be able to construct a research topic of my own given I'm not finding what I'm hoping for in advertised PhDs.
Protecting seagrasses could prevent billions of dollars in damages, research finds
A study predicts that protecting at-risk seagrass meadows could avert climate damages valued in excess of $200 billion by preventing the release of 1.2 billion tons of carbon pollution. This is equivalent to removing the annual carbon footprint of 100 million U.S. homes.
I have no support for going to (expensive) conferences and I'm sure there are many students and recent graduates dealing with this. It will only get worse with attacks on these programs. If you have the means to help students and early career folks out, it's needed.
(I think we could also reduce costs of events by doing creative accessible online events. Venue contracts are $$$)
Masthead with color macro photo of a monocot and a logo in white of 6 squares with silhouettes of categories of species included under the Botany umbrella. "Botanical Society of America".
"Dear BSA Members,
On May 9th, the Botanical Society of America received notice from the National Science Foundation (NSF) that they were immediately terminating the grant funding that supports our Botany and Beyond: PLANTS III Program. The PLANTS (Preparing Leaders and Nurturing Tomorrow’s Scientists) program supports 20 undergraduate students with a mentored conference experience each year.
For 15 years, this program has supported 195 students from across the nation with a significant percentage going on to graduate school and botanical careers in industry, agencies, nonprofits as well as teaching in community colleges and high schools. This is a very sad and unprecedented action taken by the NSF driven by the current administration’s priorities. Thousands of scientific grants have been canceled in the last few months and the BSA Board was aware and discussed that these terminations could potentially affect us."
The site Bird Guides has an interesting story on Fritillaria meleagris, the Snake’s Head Fritillary. A recent survey has 5x more of these rare flowers recorded than last year.
Two Snake's-head Fritillary (Fritillaria meleagris) flowers with distinctive purple, checkered bell-shaped blooms nodding on thin stems. The flowers are growing in lush green meadow grass, showcasing their characteristic drooping posture and unique purple-and-white chequered pattern on their petals.
New research reveals how drought affects wildflower traits and influences bee foraging preferences. Findings suggest climate change could disrupt plant-pollinator relationships
"Close-up of a small blue-purple wildflower with five petals and yellow stamens in the center. The flower is growing from a thin purple stem with green lobed leaves visible in the background. The plant is growing in dry, sandy soil.
Herbivory, despite being a stressor, can help young oak trees survive drought by reducing water loss and promoting root growth, but its benefits vary between species. Understanding these complex interactions is crucial for conserving and restoring oak savannas in a changing climate.
For high-elevation pines, survival isn't just about heat—it's about water. Seedlings can handle high temperatures if soil moisture is sufficient, but when drought and heat combine, mortality is inevitable. As climate change intensifies, understanding these stress interactions is crucial for predicting the future of mountain forests.
Ethiopian wolves surprise scientists by sipping flower nectar! These endangered predators may double as pollinators in Ethiopia's Bale Mountains, revealing unexpected connections in highland ecosystems.
Tiny grains of pollen are revealing the secret lives of birds, acting as natural tracking devices that tell scientists where they have been. #Botany#PlantScience 🧪 #InBrief
A Willow Warbler (Phylloscopus trochilus) perched on a lichen-covered branch. The small songbird has olive-brown upperparts, pale cream underparts, and a subtle yellow eyestripe. The delicate bird, weighing just a few grammes, is photographed in sharp detail against a soft, blurred background of foliage. Despite its diminutive size, this species undertakes remarkable long-distance migrations between Europe and Africa, carrying microscopic botanical evidence of its journey in its feathers.
📝 How Trees’ Responses to Rainfall Frequency Could Help Improve Climate Models 🧵 https://doi.org/n38g
Climate models often struggle to capture the timing of leaf drop. A new study finds that scientists haven’t been looking at rainfall the way plants have. #Botany#PlantScience 🧪 #InBrief
Climate models can be useful for helping us prepare for the future, but they can also be useful even if they get something wrong.
Fallen leaves in colours of red, orange and gold, lie upon the forest floor.
📝 Fungal Friends Help Young Trees Thrive in Mixed Forests 🧵 https://doi.org/n249
Young spruce trees grow better with pine neighbours thanks to underground helpers. #Botany#PlantScience 🧪 #InBrief
For generations, foresters have observed a curious phenomenon: certain trees grow better when planted alongside different species. Now, research from Zhou and colleagues has revealed the hidden mechanics behind this "nursing effect".
#Books | The Asian liverworts and hornworts are recorded in this book according to the structure outlined in the “Syllabus of Plant Families” and incorporating the latest research findings. More info https://buff.ly/4ijGNG4
I'm considering taking a step back from academia. The uncertainty of doing research is just so stressful, especially when there's any kind of pressure to speed up the process. In my experience, it often takes so much running into so many walls, for months or years, before bearing any kind of (publishable) fruit. Right now I'm stuck in calibration limbo. Idk if I'm cut out for this. Even if that fruit can be so tasty when it finally ripens. Any advices? AcademicChatter group
@geoAcademicChatter group
Probably depends on the discipline. In #PlantScience I never had the problem of not having sufficient publishable data, rather the opposite : not enough time to write things up, because of jumping into the next possibility of experimentation....
Hello, I have a question for the scientists and plant-lovers of the fediverse:
Is it possible for a plant to reduce humidity indoors?
As far as I know, plants retrieve water from their roots, take around 5% themselves for grow and spread the 95% left in the air. So it doesn't make sense to me, but I see everywhere that some plants (for example ferns like Nephrolepis exaltata) are good to reduce humidity.
I didn't found any scientific article that cover this, so I hope some of you can help me find answers, thank you!
Applications are invited for a Research Fellow to work on a project to develop plant organ models to study viral tropism in the laboratory of Assoc. Prof. Gabriel Castrillo, Nottingham #Botany#PlantScience#PlantSciJobs