Tradition in Turmoil: Sugar Maple and Climate Change
With harvests dependent on the spring freeze-thaw cycle, the maple industry is seeking ways to mitigate damage wrought by a changing climate.
He Spoke for the Trees (and Also the Soil)
A champion of agroforestry, J. Russell Smith argued for the restoration of forests as key to sustainable agriculture in his seminal work Tree Crops.
Tiny Splendid Peacock Spiders
They have the fastest known jump among their kind according to a new study.
Wolfsbane: A Poisonous Beauty
With a complex history related to hunting, magic, and madness, wolfsbane offers a glimpse into vernacular plant names and their associations with animals.
Trees With a Secret Message
The culturally modified trees of the Pacific Northwest and Alaska bring essential stories of the past into the present.
The Caterpillars That Can Kill You
Some species make venoms that are deadly. With more research, those toxic compounds could yield useful medicines.
A Most Opportunistic Colonizer
Poa annua is a unique grass species now thriving on every continent—including Antarctica. Wherefore its wanderlust?
The Origins of the “Dinosaur Renaissance”
John Ostrom’s ideas were part of the so-called Dinosaur Renaissance, a paradigm shift that posited dinosaurs as the warm-blooded ancestors of birds.
Why Peat Is a Key Ingredient in Whisky and the Climate Crisis
Approximately 80 percent of Scotch whisky is made using peat as a fuel source for drying barley during the malting process. Is that a problem?