In Defense of Plants Podcast

Aspen (Populus tremuloides) are synonymous with many habitats throughout North America. This tree is a species of superlatives, but its grandeur doesn't mean it is immune to threats. In fact, in many areas of its range, aspen is in decline. Join me and Dr. Connor Crouch as we explore what he and his colleagues are learning about aspen health and how that can be used to improve forest health into t...

Protecting and restoring biodiversity in a place as biodiverse as Ecuador is no small task. You have to work hard and collaborate and that is exactly what the folks at Jocotoco Conservation Foundation. From protecting land and engaging communities, to research and restoration, their multifaceted efforts stand as a glorious example that conservation success stories are possible. Join me and Conserv...

One cannot overemphasize the importance of plant/pollinator interactions. The world as we know it would not exist without these complex components of ecology. Getting good data, and more importantly, making those data useful is important in conserving and restoring plants and their pollinators. Join my and Dr. Chris Cosma of Conservation Biology Institute as we explore how he and his colleagues ar...

Counting the rings of a tree can be so much fun. In the temperate zone, each ring marks a year in that tree's life. However, if you know what to look for, tree rings can tell you so much more. Dr. Valerie Trouet has made a career out of counting and measuring tree rings. Tree rings offer a surprisingly detailed window back in time and allows scientists like Dr. Trouet to understand everything from...

Novel approaches are always fun. Nowhere is this more apparent than in today's podcast. We revisit a conversation with Dr. Camille Holmgren from SUNY Buffalo State about her research reconstructing ancient desert climates using pack rat middens. Join us for a fun and interesting discussion that will take you back thousands of years in the past. This episode was produced in part by Maia, Rens, Davi...

The Mazon Creek Fossil Formation is famous the world over for the exquisite preservation of soft tissues in animals. These rocks provide pristine snapshots of everything from extinct worms and jellyfish to sharks and even the mysterious Tully Monster. For all that these fossils have taught us about the animals of this long extinct ecosystem, we know far less about the plants that supported this di...

"Benefitting pollinators" is a phrase that gets used a lot, especially in gardening circles. While most of us will agree with the sentiment, what does it mean in practice? How does one "benefit" pollinators in their community? There are a lot of great ways to do this, especially when it comes to native plants, but finding good, digestible information can be overwhelming. Thankfully organizations l...

Restoring healthy wetlands isn't an easy task. Often times, altered hydrologic cycles means wetlands no long act like they once did. Nevertheless, the many ecological and cultural benefits of functioning wetlands means that wetland restoration is certainly worth the time, money, and effort. Join me and Dr. Gary Sullivan of The Wetlands Initiative as we look at how data, art, and will power combine...

Healthy wetlands are vital to maintaining biodiversity and a healthy way of life for us. Sadly, we haven't always treated wetlands like the essential habitats that they are. While protecting natural wetlands is a must, we also need to understand how to restore them and plants play a major role in such efforts. Join me and Katie Kucera of The Wetlands Initiative as we take a botanical look at what...

Pinesap ( Monotropa hypopitys ) produces no leaves nor any chlorophyl. It “eats” fungi and can be found growing in many areas around the globe. It flowers in spring, fall, and summer and noby really knows if it is a single species or many. Despite its uniqueness, relatively little scientific attention has been paid to this little parasitic plant. Join me and Bill Michalek of The Field Guides Podca...

The Adirondack Mountains are home to a remarkable diversity of plant species. Situated in northern New York, these mountains are harsh enough that they foster a thriving alpine community. Despite their ability to handle some of the worst weather conditions, alpine plants can be quite sensitive to human traffic. With more and more people flocking to these mountains every year, concern was growing t...

Variegation among leaves is a fascinating phenomenon. Though plant breeders have accentuated this trait in a variety of cultivated plants, variegation does occur naturally as well. Its function isn't well understood for most species either. Such is the case for two species of wild ginger in the genus Hexastylis. Join me and Dr. Cierra Sullivan as we explore variegation in Hexastylis heterophylla a...

Fossils offer some of the best evidence of how diverse various branches of the tree of life once were. They help us understand speciation and extinction as well as biogeography. Dr. Steve Manchester has spent much of his career using fossilized seeds to understand the ancient histories of flowering plants such as the walnut family (Juglandaceae). Join us as we explore the ins and outs of a career...

Sedges are a complex group of plants in the family Cyperaceae. Within this family lies the genus Carex, which boasts ~2000 species found in all kinds of habitats. From specialists to generalists, there seems to be no lifestyle the sedges have not experimented with. But how did all this sedge diversity come to be? That is the question Dr. Andrew Hipp and his colleagues are trying to answer. Join us...

The grape family (Vitaceae) is known and appreciated the world over, largely for their culinary value. Ecologically speaking, they are very important plants as well. However, we know very little about their origin, evolution, and rates of extinction. Thanks to some lucky paleobotanical finds, that story has become a bit clearer in recent times. Join me and Paleobotanist Dr. Fabiany Herrera as we e...

Plant conservation isn't easy work, but it is vital to maintaining ecosystem health. Nowhere is this more apparent than in extreme environments like beach dunes and deserts. Join me and plant conservationist Emily Guinan as we explore some of her adventures in plant conservation. This episode was produced in part by David, Robert, Thomas, Valerie, Joan, Mohsin Kazmi Photography, Cathy, Simon, Nick...

Join Dr. Sarah Allen and me as we journey back in time to the Eocene. Earth was a very different planet some 49 million years ago. Though we may recognize some Eocene flora, the combination of various plant lineages would be enough to make your head spin. Earth was experiencing a warming period and the plants had responded accordingly. Tropical species like palms were thriving in places like Wyomi...

The High Arctic is not a place you go looking for forests today. It is extremely harsh, cold, and nearly void of most forms of plant life. However, that has not always been the case. The Eocene Epoch was a period where Earth was much hotter than it is today and forests flourished at the poles. This is also when much of the flora we know and love today was just getting its start. Join me and Dr. Ji...

Deserts are difficult places for any organism to survive, let alone plants. Despite the challenges, rich a unique floras have evolved in deserts all over the world which support myriad other forms of life. Restoring these communities in human-disturbed areas is critical in solving so many ecological and cultural issues and that is exactly what we are discussing in this episode. Join me and Perin M...

Bark beetles may be small, but they can have major impacts on forests around the globe. It may be easy to think of these insects as always a bad thing, but what if they aren't? Simple stories rarely apply in ecology and nowhere is that more apparent than in the work of scientists like Dr. Seth Davis. Join is as we take dive into the complex relationships between bark beetles, trees, and forest eco...

Plants cannot run away from the herbivores that eat them, therefore plants have evolved numerous strategies to defend themselves from being consumed. Plant defenses are as varied as the plant kingdom and the ways in which they operate will blow your mind. We are joined by Dr. Rupesh Kariyat who studies plant defenses in a variety of nightshade relatives including the tomato. Tune in as we discuss...

Plant defense compounds are great for the plants that produce them as they can ward off herbivore attacks. But what happens when a group of specialists evolves a way to utilize said compounds? Such is the case for milkweeds (Apocynaceae) and milkweed butterflies (Danaina). A long evolutionary history together kicked off an evolutionary arms race driven by chemical ecology that is turning into a ca...

Join Chief Botanist for NatureServe Wes Knapp and me as we take a deep dive into an all-too-often overlooked group of plants - the rushes (genus Juncus). Rushes are fascinating and beautiful plants when you get to know them, and the genus has a lot of secrets waiting to be revealed. From their unique morphological characters to what it takes to describe a new species, who better to talk to than on...

Conservation Biologist Sara Johnson returns to the podcast to talk about some of the botanical rabbit holes we have been exploring in recent weeks. We discuss ash (Fraxinus spp.) and rose (Rosa spp.) diversity and wax poetic about our time experiencing the majesty of the Great Southern Brood of periodical cicadas. This episode was produced in part by Valerie, Joan, Mohsin Kazmi Photography, Cathy,...

Islands are hotbeds for unique biodiversity. Strange and unique island plants form the foundation of strange and unique ecosystems. Sadly, the human hand has not been kind to Earth's island ecosystems, especially in recent times. The introduction of invasive species like rats, cats, and goats have brought many islands to the brink of collapse and that is why organizations like Island Conservation...