http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/plants_animals/trees/ Read all about trees, including the latest research on many tree species, insect infestations, and the role of trees in ecology. Full articles, photos, free. en-us Thu, 12 Nov 2009 02:05:01 EST Thu, 12 Nov 2009 02:05:01 EST 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/plants_animals/trees/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091107115833.htm Tree-dwelling ants generally live in harmony with their arboreal hosts. But new research suggests that when they run out of space in their trees of choice, the ants can get destructive to neighboring trees. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091107115833.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109173728.htm They may only be 1.5mm in size, but the tiny wasps that pollinate fig trees can travel over 160km in less than 48 hours, according to new research. The fig wasps are transporting pollen ten times further than previously recorded for any insect. The fig wasps travel these distances in search of trees to lay their eggs, which offers hope that trees pollinated by similar creatures have a good chance of surviving if they become isolated through deforestation. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091109173728.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091030125054.htm Unnoticed by the nearby residents of St. Johnsbury, Vt., tiny leaf beetles that flit among the maple and willow trees in the area have just provided some of the clearest evidence yet that environmental factors play a major role in the formation of new species. Fri, 06 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091030125054.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104111725.htm New research examines some of the potential problems with current prediction methods and calls for the use of a range of approaches when predicting the impact of climate change on organisms. The study uses examples from recent paleoecological studies to highlight how climate variability of the past has affected the distributions of tree species, and even how events that occurred many centuries ago still shape present-day distributions patterns. Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104111725.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091103171913.htm Pecan trees have a tendency to bear fruit in cycles, producing a large crop in one or two years, followed by little or no crop. This cycle is the most profit-limiting biological problem facing producers. Georgia researchers who studied the effects of mechanical fruit thinning on pecan yield, nut quality, and profitability concluded concluded that increased profitability using mechanical fruit thinning results primarily from higher yields and prices in the OFF year of production. Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091103171913.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091103145605.htm Pecan, the most valuable nut tree native to North America. Effective management of the tree canopy is of vital interest to pecan growers, who commonly use pruning techniques to increase photosynthesis and flowering on trees. Researchers at Texas A&M University have provided baseline information relevant to improving management of the orchard light environment, and can be used by commercial pecan producers for developing new, effective canopy and crop management practices. Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091103145605.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102171613.htm The control of spider mites, which damage tree leaves, reduce fruit quality and cost growers millions of dollars in the use of pesticide and oil spraying, is being biologically controlled in Pennsylvania apple orchards with two tiny insects known to be natural predators. Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102171613.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102171605.htm Alternate bearing (biennial or uneven bearing) is the tendency of fruit trees to produce a heavy crop one year followed by a light crop or no crop the following "off-crop" year. Using "Pixie" mandarin (Citrus reticulata), researchers in California investigated when and how fruit perpetuate cyclic differences in floral intensity. Research has indicated that alternate bearing in citrus is due to a lack of flowering in the spring following a heavy on-crop year. Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102171605.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091028090530.htm One of the first-ever analyses of the effects of global warming on endangered primates has examined how El Niño warming has affected the abundance of four highly threatened New World monkeys. All four monkey species showed drops in abundance relating to large-scale climate fluctuations. The study suggests that the consequences of intensified climate fluctuations could be devastating for several primate species. Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091028090530.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091028192613.htm Fire is often thought of something that trees should be protected from, but a new study suggests that some trees may themselves contribute to the likelihood of wildfires in order to promote their own abundance at the expense of their competitors. The study says that positive feedback loops between fire and trees associated with savannas can make fires more likely in these ecosystems. Thu, 29 Oct 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091028192613.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091019122956.htm Antioxidant extracts of the leaves of the Gingko biloba tree may protect cells from radiation damage, according to a new study. The discovery may one day be used to help reduce side effects in cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy. Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091019122956.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091020094100.htm Genetic information from an extinct species of bison preserved in permafrost for thousands of years could help improve modern agricultural livestock and breeding programs, according to researchers. Fri, 23 Oct 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091020094100.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091020094054.htm Logged rainforests can support as much plant, animal and insect life as virgin forest within 15 years if properly managed, new research has found. Tue, 20 Oct 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091020094054.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091019163020.htm Global warming in the next century could cause a significant increase in the productivity of high-elevation forests of the Pacific Northwest, a new study suggests. However, forests at lower elevations -- which in recent years have accounted for more than 80 percent of the region's timber harvest -- could face a decline in growth. Tue, 20 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091019163020.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091014210431.htm Norwegian scientists have found "mummified" pine trees, dead for nearly 500 years yet without decomposition. Sun, 18 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091014210431.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091015123604.htm Tree leaves may be powerful tools for monitoring air quality and planning biking routes and walking paths, suggests a new study. Leaves along bus routes were up to 10 times more magnetic than leaves on quieter streets, the study found. Fri, 16 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091015123604.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090727191908.htm Scientists have found that orangutans move through the canopy of tropical forests in a completely different way to all other tree-dwelling primates. Tue, 13 Oct 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090727191908.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091008113341.htm Among the many surprises associated with the discovery of the oldest known, nearly complete skeleton of a hominid is the finding that this species took its first steps toward bipedalism not on the open, grassy savanna, as generations of scientists -- going back to Charles Darwin -- hypothesized, but in a wooded landscape. Thu, 08 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091008113341.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090923133002.htm The American chestnut was a dominant species in eastern US's forests before a blight wiped it out in the early 1900s. Today it's being returned to the landscape thanks in part to work by Tennessee forestry experts. Thu, 01 Oct 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090923133002.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090924123314.htm Researchers in Spain have developed a new method for identifying the flammability of plant species by using a device that measures how construction materials react to fire. The technique can be used to improve fire risk maps. Sat, 26 Sep 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090924123314.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090831213002.htm Research suggests that the expansion of rosebay rhododendron (Rhododendron maximum) in Southern Appalachian mountain hollows may increase the likelihood of landslides during and after intense rain events. Thu, 24 Sep 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090831213002.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090917170912.htm Researchers are working to demonstrate that trees can be used to degrade or capture fuels that leak into soil and ground water. Through a process called phytoremediation -- literally a "green" technology -- plants and trees remove pollutants from the environment or render them harmless. Thu, 24 Sep 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090917170912.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090915140926.htm Ecologists have discovered that timber plantations in Hawaii use more than twice the amount of water to grow as native forests use. Especially for island ecosystems, these findings suggest that land management decisions can place ecosystems -- and the people who depend on them -- at high risk for water shortages. Thu, 17 Sep 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090915140926.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090910184308.htm Estimates say more than 70 million ash trees have been destroyed nationally by the emerald ash borer insect. An Iowa researcher is racing the clock to collect seeds from different ash species including green, white, blue and black ash, and many variations within each species before they are killed by the pest. He thinks he may be about 10 percent there. Wed, 16 Sep 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090910184308.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090909124129.htm A biologist has discovered a new species of giant rat on a filmmaking expedition to a remote rainforest in New Guinea. Wed, 09 Sep 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090909124129.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090908103628.htm Spring and summer often find homeowners out in their yards, busily attempting to control the onslaught of dandelions in a quest for green, weed-free lawns. Responding to criticism that synthetic herbicides can be harmful to the environment, researchers around the world are experimenting with organically derived weed control methods. Researchers recently studied the effectiveness of pesticide-free mulched maple and oak leaves on common dandelions in established Kentucky bluegrass comparable to residential lawns. Wed, 09 Sep 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090908103628.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090908151330.htm For the first time researchers have run an electrical circuit entirely off power in trees. The findings suggest a new power source for wireless sensors -- and a way to monitor tree health. Wed, 09 Sep 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090908151330.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090625152931.htm There are hundreds of choices when picking a crabapple tree from the nursery, but an expert says only a handful are resistant to a widespread fungus or other serious diseases. Tue, 08 Sep 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090625152931.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090831131359.htm The drywood termite, Cryptotermes secundus, eavesdrops on its more aggressive subterranean competitor, Coptotermes acinaciformis, to avoid contact with it, according to scientists in Australia. Mon, 07 Sep 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090831131359.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090903064929.htm Flowering plants are all around us and are phenomenally successful. But how did they get to be so successful and where did they come from? This question bothered Darwin and others, and now a new reveals that their ability to adapt anatomically may be the answer. Sat, 05 Sep 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090903064929.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090904165056.htm Organic apple farming starts from the ground up. Maintaining a healthy orchard floor is the key to preventing weeds and keeping soil healthy. Researchers compared three methods of orchard floor maintenance; alfalfa hay mulch treatment, applied by hand in the spring and fall; a flame burning technique in which a propane burner was used to heat the weeds and the Swiss sandwich system, which leaves a strip of vegetation to grow in the tree row. Fri, 04 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090904165056.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090831130753.htm A new study revises the taxonomy of the Dioptinae, a subfamily of moths that have conquered the day in the tropical Americas. The roughly 500 described dioptines have a wide diversity of wing types -- from blue to yellow-stripes to clear -- and converge with another group of diurnal insects that probably evolved from a nocturnal, brown moth, the butterflies. Thu, 03 Sep 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090831130753.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090821135026.htm A recent paper presents an algorithm that may be used to predict the future dynamics of plant communities, an increasingly interesting area of study as significant environmental changes, such as global climate change and invasive species, are affecting current plant communities. A goal of plant ecology has been to find ways to predict plant behavior in communities based on observed properties of a few representative members. Sat, 29 Aug 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090821135026.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090804081454.htm A classic example of a mutualism, or a mutually beneficial relationship between two species, is that of warm-climate Acacia plants and their ant tenants. The plants provide the ants with shelter within their hollowed-out thorns and food in the form of nectar and protein. The ants, in return, defend the tree viciously, attacking anything that comes near – from other insects to birds and small mammals. Wed, 26 Aug 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090804081454.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090817143554.htm Researchers in China have discovered the first protein-based toxin in an amphibian -- a 60-amino-acid neurotoxin found in the skin of a Chinese tree frog. This finding may help shed more light into both the evolution of amphibians and the evolution of poison. Wed, 26 Aug 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090817143554.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090824182535.htm A type of acacia tree with an unusual growth habit -- unlike virtually all other trees -- holds particular promise for farmers in Africa as a free source of nitrogen for their soils that could last generations. Wed, 26 Aug 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090824182535.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090820161142.htm Impoverished fishermen along the coast of tropical African countries like Mozambique and Madagascar may have only a few more years to eke out a profit from one of their nations' biggest agricultural exports. Within a few decades, they may no longer have a livelihood at all. That's because swampy mangrove forests – essential breeding grounds for fish and shellfish in these countries – are being destroyed by worsening pollution, encroaching real estate development, and deforestation necessary to sustain large-scale commercial shrimp farming. Tue, 25 Aug 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090820161142.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090813142150.htm Walking outdoors in the fall, the splendidly colorful leaves adorning the trees are a delight to the eye. In Europe these autumn leaves are mostly yellow, while the United States and East Asia boast lustrous red foliage. But why is it that there are such differences in autumnal hues around the world? A new theory proposes taking a step 35 million years back to solve the color mystery. Mon, 17 Aug 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090813142150.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090806112603.htm With summer in full swing, many plants are at their peak bloom and climbing plants, like clematis, morning glories, and sweet peas, are especially remarkable. Not only are these plants beautiful, but their ability to climb walls and trellises is an impressive feat of biological engineering that has taken millions of years to accomplish. New research explores the logistics of this incredible ability. Wed, 12 Aug 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090806112603.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090806141510.htm An analysis of 200 million years of history for marine clams found that vulnerability to extinction runs in evolutionary families, even when the losses result form ongoing, background rates of extinction. Mon, 10 Aug 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090806141510.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090730103746.htm Scientists are comparing annual growth rings of the Pacific Northwest's largest bivalve and its most iconic tree for clues to how living organisms may have responded to changes in climate. Sat, 08 Aug 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090730103746.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090804174729.htm Citrus researchers have developed a new mandarin (or tangerine) for commercial production. Named "DaisySL" for Daisy seedless, the new fruit is finely textured and juicy, with a rich, sweet and distinctive flavor when mature. Its rind is smooth and thin, and bears a deep orange color. In September 2009 "DaisySL" will be released for propagation by California citrus nurseries that have purchased licenses to propagate and sell the variety in the state. Fri, 07 Aug 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090804174729.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090803173246.htm Pine trees grown for 12 years in air one-and-a-half times richer in carbon dioxide than today's levels produced twice as many seeds of at least as good a quality as those growing under normal conditions. Tue, 04 Aug 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090803173246.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090729132117.htm Large trees have declined in Yosemite National Park during the 20th century, and warmer climate conditions may play a role. The number of large-diameter trees in the park declined 24 percent between the 1930s and 1990s. Scientists compared the earliest records of large-diameter trees densities from 1932--1936 to the most recent records from 1988--1999. Mon, 03 Aug 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090729132117.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090618175333.htm For the first time, researchers have reported the sighting of the emerald ash borer -- an ash-destroying beetle -- in New York state. Mon, 03 Aug 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090618175333.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090728201732.htm In the Late Paleozoic (260 million years ago), long before dinosaurs dominated the Earth, ancient precursors to mammals took to the trees to feed on leaves and live high above predators that prowled the land, a paleontologist has concluded. Elongated fingers, an opposable "thumb," and a grasping tail of Suminia getmanovi demonstrate that this small plant-eating synapsid is the earliest known tree-climbing vertebrate. Wed, 29 Jul 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090728201732.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090719193026.htm Throughout much of Florida's famed Everglades, an invasive, light-green vine called Old World climbing fern now cloaks the forest floor. Besides smothering shrubs and even small trees with its dense, spongy mats, the intrusive fern, known to scientists as Lygodium microphyllum, also forms soft, twining stems that climb tree trunks. Underneath this layer of living fern, dry, dead lygodium stems accumulate, boosting the wildfire hazard. Tue, 28 Jul 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090719193026.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090722083723.htm Many animal species such as snakes, insects and fish have evolved camouflage defenses to deter attack from their predators. Biologists have now discovered that trees in New Zealand have evolved a similar defense to protect themselves from extinct giant birds, providing the first evidence of this strategy in plant life. Thu, 23 Jul 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090722083723.htm