They trap sediments, absorb excess nutrients and turn pollutants into less harmful substances. Now, the list of pollutants wetland plants can remove includes per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) ...

Mycorrhizal fungi form one of the most widespread and ancient symbiotic associations with land plants, underpinning critical ecosystem functions. Through intricate mutualistic relationships, these ...

Tropical oceans are typically nutrient-poor, yet they host vast biologically diverse reef ecosystems built by symbiotic cnidarians (including corals and anemones). This apparent contradiction, known ...

Teamwork makes the dream work, even in nature. When different species work together for their mutual benefit, it is called symbiosis (or mutualism) — a process that is essential for the health of ...

For decades, scientists and conservationists have been using aboveground plant biodiversity as a metric for conserving ecosystems. Now, a new study finds that there is a major mismatch between ...

Amândio L. Gomes, Rasmus Revermann, Paulina Meller, Francisco M. P. Gonçalves, Marcos P.M. Aidar, Fernanda Lages and Manfred Finckh • The miombo region in Africa is covered by a mosaic of woodlands ...

It’s been estimated that some 20,000 species of lichens cover 6 to 8% of the planet’s land surfaces, even though referring to the existence of even one species of lichen is just plain crazy talk. In ...

“As humans, our everyday lives are sustained by the behaviors and interactions of forest organisms,” photographer David Herasimtschuk writes of old growth forests. “Yet, because these processes and ...

A recent study in Ficus hispida genomics has unlocked the genetic mechanisms driving this fig tree's unique reproductive system. The fully sequenced genome, a first of its kind for Ficus, reveals ...