In Defense of Plants Podcast

Orchids are the botanical poster children for plant-fungi interactions. Every orchid has a close relationship with at least one species of orchid. Understanding how these relationships play out from orchid roots and across ecosystems is key to orchid understanding and conservation. Joining us to talk about the complexity of understanding these relationships is Dr. Melissa McC...

The genus Prunus gives us apricots, plums, cherries, and almonds, but also a ton of under appreciated plant diversity. Prunus around the world have managed to adapt to a surprising variety of environmental conditions and have a lot to teach us about plant evolution as a result. That is why they are the focus of Dr. Richie Hodel's lab. Join us for a wonderful...

Habitats face pressures from all sorts of threats. Illegal logging, mining, and poaching are driving extinctions, excellerating climate change, and hurting communities everywhere. How can we use laws to change this? That is what Senior Lecturer at Lancaster University and Executive Director of Conservation Litigation Dr. Jason Phelps is here to talk about. Conservation Litiga...

Puerto Rico may not be a very large island but its forests certainly are complex. Historically, Puerto Rico lost nearly 95% of its forest cover due to human activities but humans are also playing an important role in how they grow back. Understanding how historical land use and human management have influenced the regrowth of Puerto Rico's forests has been a major part of Dr....