How Plants Worked….A Look Back at 2015 – January

From Climate Change to Plant Facebook

Beginning in January 2013, I’ve started the new year here at the How Plants Work blog by taking a look back at the previous year’s plant-related news from my HPW Twitter feed and sharing a few of the “tastier” tidbits, month-by-month.

Since I still find this kind of fun and interesting (and also because it’s currently cold and frosty outside in the Pacific northwest), let me carry on the tradition….

…I’ve grabbed a hot cup of coffee, so I’m ready to peruse the plant news from January 2015…

  • The effects of climate change on plants was, not surprisingly, a frequent topic of the botany news in 2015, including in January:

    Early Flowering:
    Unusual number of UK flowers bloom – Botanists were stunned by the results of their annual hunt for plants in flower on New Year’s Day 2015.

    Crop Production: When it comes to variations in crop yield, climate has a big say and Global warming may markedly reduce wheat production.

    Forests: Warming climate likely will change the composition of northern forests and Warmer, drier climate altering forests in California.

    Plant Climate Adaptation – Supercomputing the evolution of a model flower.

  • Is Sex Necessary? – Yes, if plants want to avoid harmful mutations: Sex and the single evening primrose.

  • And just for fun:

    Pitcher plants ‘switch off’ traps to capture more ants.

    This crazy living wall with 1,682 plants has a hidden message.

    Is this the Facebook of plant science?

    To be continued….

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