In Defense of Plants Podcast

This week I take some time to catch up with an old friend. Melissa and I met while training for a seed collection job out west and since then she has been quite busy working on an advanced degree in ecology. We talk about her work in the so-called "Miracle Mile," which is a hotspot for conifer diversity and just how lucky we are to be pursuing a career investigating the natural world. It's always...

Plants interact with fungi in incredible ways. From pathogens to important symbionts, it would seem that plants cannot escape the mycological community. There are plants out there that have reversed their role with fungi. These are the parasitic mycoheterotrophs. Join me for a discussion with Dr. Tom Horton from the SUNY college of Environmental Science and Forestry about these incredible marvels...

Do you think your state's flower is boring and uninspiring? American poet Robbie Q. Telfer does and he is calling for a change. He would like to see the state flower of Illinois represent something truly Illinoian. Robbie stops by the podcast for a conversation regarding his call to action and so much more. It is people like Robbie that remind us of the Ed Abbey quote - "The idea of wilderness nee...

Steve stops by for a fun discussion about some of our favorite nature-themed books. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ecosystems around the world have been getting progressively drier. With changes in annual precipitation and desertification on the rise, understanding how plants and ecosystems in general respond to drought is of growing importance in ecology. Join me for a conversation with Dr. Dan Potts of SUNY Buffalo State about his research into plant responses to changing precipitation. See Privacy Policy at...

Chara represent the earliest stages of true plant evolution. They are also model organisms for a wide variety of research questions. Join me for an intriguing discussion with Dr. Mary Bisson from the University at Buffalo. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Steve Fleck returns for a fun and interesting discussion on yerba mate. This tea-like beverage is made from the leaves of a holly and is consumed as a coffee substitute all around the world. As such, it has some interesting ecological implications. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Join Matt for a discussion about Castilleja. Known commonly as the Indian paintbrush, these lovely parasites are a joy to encounter. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sara from SylvaticaShop.com stops by to talk about terrariums. Their popularity has risen considerably in the last couple of years but all too often terrariums are done wrong. Join us for a discussion about what terrariums are and learn some ways of doing them right. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Community ecologist Dr. Robert Warren joins us for an interesting discussion about invasive species. We touch on research limitations, rapid evolution, and Eltonian noise. This episode is a refreshing departure from the normal. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Whereas plants communities define much of what we think of as "habitat," individuals themselves can be habitat too. Join Steve and I for a fun discussion about a very interesting way in which plants support a whole community of life. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Matt's friend Steve stops by for a discussion about monarchs on the endangered species list followed by a look into the subnivean zone. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A brief intro to the In Defense of Plants blog and a discussion of the plant that started t all, Ludisia discolor. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.