The mechanisms driving the timing and duration of alpine meadow plant leaf senescence under climate warming and precipitation changes

Miaojun Ma. Lanzhou University, discusses his article: Warming advanced leaf senescence in alpine plants through advancing leaf emergence and increasing soil drought Background Plant autumn leaf senescence, which marks the end of photosynthesis and the growing season, as well as the onset of dormancy, is particularly critical in the plant annual cycle. Early or late…

Looking up and down: How forest layers work together to keep ecosystems functioning

Jie Li, Beijing Forestry University in China, discusses their article: Cross-scale effects of multi-strata plant diversity on ecosystem multifunctionality in temperate forests What makes a forest thrive? While we often admire towering trees in a forest, what happens under their shade—the herbs, ferns, and small plants carpeting the forest floor—can be just as important. In…

How rhizomes shape whole-plant ontogeny and growth

Jana Martínková (ExFuMo1), Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, discusses her article: The hidden half of ontogeny and seasonal dynamics in perennial herbs While flowers and leaves capture our attention, the unseen world beneath the soil is just as vital to plant survival and ecological balance. This truth applies not only to…

Editor’s Choice: Volume 109 Issue 7

The Editor’s Choice for our July issue is “Plant diversity effects on plant longevity and their relationships to population stability in experimental grasslands” by Roeder et al. The findings of this article show that the diversity of a grassland community can directly affect the longevity of the forbs, and thereby the temporal stability of populations…