How Plant Science is Advancing Sustainability in Agriculture

Sustainability in Agriculture covers economic profits, environmental health, and social equity. Sustainable agriculture involves safeguarding humans, conserving natural resources, and improving the quality and quantity of profitable production throughout the food supply chain. Plant science aims to increase productivity with less inputs, chemicals, and water and more reliance on natural processes and onsite resources. Plant… Continue reading…

What is Senescence in Trees and Why Is It Important?

Senescence occurs at the cell, tissue, organs, and individual levels. Organ senescence is consequential in trees as it helps “recycle materials” within an individual tree to maintain function and productivity. Organ and whole tree senescence are also crucial for nutrient cycling, wildlife diversity, and forest productivity. Senescence is an integral part of all living organisms,… Continue reading…

The Impact of Invasive Species: Managing Threats to Forest Ecosystems

The Impact of Invasive Species in forests with closed canopy is more resistant to invasion by alien plant species due to limited light in the understory. Invasives’ success depends on species-specific and site-specific factors. Competition for space, water, and nutrients also keeps invasives away. Natural forests are more resistant to invasives than planted or managed… Continue reading…

Understanding Drought Impact on Crop Yield: Stages, Mechanisms, and Adaptations.

Drought’s impact on crop yield affects plant stages differently, moderated by genotype and external environmental factors. Very early drought can inhibit germination and seedling establishment, reducing stand density and yield. Drought during reproductive and grain filling can reduce yield quantity and quality more than during the growth phases. Drought is the primary environmental stress crop… Continue reading…

Drought Effects on Forest Productivity

The effects of increasingly frequent and severe droughts are reported globally. Forest productivity decreases due to reduced growth, canopy dieback, and tree mortality. Drought effects are not even and are influenced by internal and external factors. Some adaptation measures to drought-proof forests are suggested based on available information. Drought intensity, frequency, duration, and extent are… Continue reading…

How Wildfire Affects Tree Physiology

Wildfire effects on trees depend on fireline intensity and residence time and can occur from heat transfer or smoke. To understand how this process unfolds, we dive deep into the study of how wildfire affects tree physiology. Wildfire effects can be first-order or second-order and are evaluated based on carbon and water transport and are… Continue reading…

Advancing Agricultural Monitoring: A Look at UAV LiDAR and Multispectral Data Integration

Welcome to another exciting blog post where we explore the cutting-edge research that’s shaping the future of agriculture. Today, we’re diving into a fascinating study titled “Multiscale Inversion of Leaf Area Index in Citrus Tree by Merging UAV LiDAR with Multispectral Remote Sensing Data.” Conducted by a team of researchers led by Weicheng Xu and… Continue reading…

Shedding Light on Forest-Savanna Transitions: A Deep Look into Canopy Closure, Light Gradients, and Ecological Dynamics

Hello, ecology enthusiasts and curious minds! Today, we’re diving deep into a pivotal study reshaping our understanding of forest-savanna transitions titled “Steal the light: shade vs fire-adapted vegetation in forest–savanna mosaics” By Tristan Charles-Dominique, Guy F. Midgley, Kyle W. Tomlinson, and William J. Bond. Armed with a Plant Canopy Imager for Leaf Area Index (LAI)… Continue reading…

How Does Crop Canopy Structure Affect Yield? 5 Key Factors Explained

Crop canopy attributes influencing yield are leaf area, inclination angle, ground cover fraction, and chlorophyll content. The attribute that could increase yield by optimizing photosynthetic efficiency, light interception, water use efficiency, or reducing weeds, stress, and disease can vary on the relevant crop physiology. Increasing emphasis on crop canopy attributes can maintain and increase yield… Continue reading…

How Does Climate Change Affect Forest Canopy?

Drought, carbon dioxide levels, and warm temperatures are the factors that impact forest canopy the most. Climate change weakens trees, reduces leaf area, and leads to tree mortality. Increasing wildfires and insect attacks due to drought will alter the canopy completely. Tree canopy degradation can occur due to climate change effects on various levels of… Continue reading…