Drought resistance in two populations of invasive Tamarix compared using multiple methods.

An on-going question in plant hydraulic research is whether there is intra-specific variability and/or plasticity in xylem traits. Plasticity could be important in taxa that colonize diverse habitats. We used Tamarix, a non-native woody plant, to investigate population differences in hydraulic conductivity (Ks), vulnerability-to-embolism curves and vessel anatomy.

Juniperus virginiana sourced from colder climates maintain higher ratios of soluble sugars to starch during cold acclimation.

Non-structural carbohydrates (NSCs) are carbon compounds that serve a large variety of purposes, which makes it hard to disentangle how their concentrations change in response to environmental stress. Soluble sugars can accumulate in plants as metabolic demand decreases, e.g.

The osmotic balancing act: When sugars matter for more than metabolism in woody plants.

Sugars and other non-structural carbohydrates are known to serve as currency in plants, to either fuel metabolic activities or as storage for later use. They can also serve non-metabolic purposes of osmoregulation and cryoprotection, especially in perennial woody plants.

Episodic defoliation rapidly reduces starch but not soluble sugars in an invasive shrub, Tamarix spp.

Premise: Plants rely on pools of internal nonstructural carbohydrates (NSCs: soluble sugars plus starch) to support metabolism, growth, and regrowth of tissues damaged from disturbance such as foliage herbivory. However, impacts of foliage herbivory on the quantity and composition of NSC pools in long-lived woody plants are currently unclear. We implemented a controlled defoliation experiment on mature Tamarix spp.

Unraveling Metabolic and Proteomic Features in Soybean Plants in Response to Copper Hydroxide Nanowires Compared to a Commercial Fertilizer.

Mechanistic understanding of the interaction of copper-based nanomaterials with crops is crucial for exploring their application in precision agriculture and their implications on plant health. We investigated the biological response of soybean () plants to the foliar application of copper hydroxide nanowires (CNWs) at realistic exposure concentrations. A commercial copper based-fungicide (Kocide), dissolved copper ions, and untreated controls were used for comparison to identify unique features at physiological, cellular, and molecular levels.

Can local adaptation explain varying patterns of herbivory tolerance in a recently introduced woody plant in North America?

Patterns of woody-plant mortality have been linked to global-scale environmental changes, such as extreme drought, heat stress, more frequent and intense fires, and episodic outbreaks of insects and pathogens. Although many studies have focussed on survival and mortality in response to specific physiological stresses, little attention has been paid to the role of genetic heritability of traits and local adaptation in influencing patterns of plant mortality, especially in non-native species. spp.