In comparison with unvegetated soils, the presence of plants markedly affects the structure of soil microbial communities. Plant roots affect the physical, as well as chemical environment through the ...

Do existing plants represent all theoretically possible combinations of structure and function for growth, survival and reproduction? To answer this question an international team from 14 countries ...

Heterogeneity in the polysaccharide constituents of plant cell walls has been recognized since the earliest chemical analyses of isolated wall preparations. Clear and dramatic differences in average ...

Researchers have uncovered the mechanics of how plant cell walls balance the strength and rigidity provided by cellulose with its ability to stretch and compress. This discovery helps explain how ...

Lignins—the complex molecules that make plants sturdy and allow them to grow tall—are not as random as once thought. A new ...

We sought to determine if elevated CO₂ resulted in long-lasting changes to plant structure and function, particularly disturbance response patterns. Minimal legacy effects were observed 1 yr after the ...

1. Analogous to the spread of non-native species, shifts in native species' ranges resulting from climate and land use change are also creating new combinations of species in many ecosystems. These ...

A cell protein previously believed only to provide a scaffolding for DNA has also been shown to directly influence DNA ...