Seeds transfer their microbes to the next generation

Scientists have been pondering if the microbiome of plants is due to nature or nurture. Research at Stockholm University, published in Environmental Microbiology, showed that oak acorns contain a large diversity of microbes, ...

Addressing climate change in forests, container crops

Climate change poses a two-pronged threat to the timber industry in the southeastern United States. Droughts are expected to increase, and tree diseases could become more severe and more common.

Do urban 'heat islands' hint at trees of future?

City streets can be mean, but somewhere near Brooklyn, a tree grows far better than its country cousins, due to chronically elevated city heat levels, says a new study. The study, just published in the journal Tree Physiology, ...

Study explores effects of herbicide drift on white oak

Herbicide drift, which occurs when pesticides "drift" from the targeted application area to a nearby non-targeted area, is a particular concern in Midwestern regions of the United States. In the Midwest, where the topography ...

Danger lurks underground for oak seedlings

Scientists trying to understand why oaks are starting to disappear from North American forests may need to look just below the surface to find some answers.