currentsinbiology: How Burning Plants Signal Future Generations to Grow Previous studies have reported that chemicals known as karrikins are created as trees and shrubs burn during a forest fire and remain in the soil after the fire, ensuring the forest will regenerate. In the April 23 early online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), scientists at the Salk Institute and the University of California, San Diego, sought to uncover exactly how karrikins stimulate new plant growth. The researchers found that a plant protein know as KAI2 binds to karrikin in dormant seeds, changing its shape. This karrikin-induced shape change may send a new signal to other proteins in the seeds causing seed germination when the time is right, after a forest fire. Forest fires are amazing and not evil. Controlling and maintaining them is the hard part. 
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currentsinbiology:

How Burning Plants Signal Future Generations to Grow

Previous studies have reported that chemicals known as karrikins are created as trees and shrubs burn during a forest fire and remain in the soil after the fire, ensuring the forest will regenerate. In the April 23 early online edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), scientists at the Salk Institute and the University of California, San Diego, sought to uncover exactly how karrikins stimulate new plant growth.

The researchers found that a plant protein know as KAI2 binds to karrikin in dormant seeds, changing its shape. This karrikin-induced shape change may send a new signal to other proteins in the seeds causing seed germination when the time is right, after a forest fire.

Forest fires are amazing and not evil. Controlling and maintaining them is the hard part. 

(via scinerds)

Source: currentsinbiology

VEDA 22: happy Earth Day, Earthlings

Tunes by Wikiriffs http://youtube.com/wikiriffs and Hank Green http:/youtube.com/vlogbrothers 

Takin’ care of business. It has been a horridly long time since I’ve really worked with plants. I accidentally broke some of the hosta, but there are a million of them, and as long as the bulbs are fine the rest of the plants will come back fine next year. 

Seriously, if you want a hearty plant, check your climate zone, but hosta are so easy to take care of. They do well in partial light, that year is eastern facing and gets a ton of sun in the morning and is shaded by the tree by the time it gets hot. We’ve even been shit at watering them and they’ve come back every year, even going so far as to sprout root-bulbs that I need to pull up and spread out one of these days. 

I was seriously tired today, and i got really cold (but that might just be me, I’m feeling warmer now) But plants and the earth. Do it up.

Where I am online:

http://Meisterj.tumblr.com - http://meisterjdraws.tumblr.com - http://dumbfaceaday.tumblr.com

http:/twitter.com/meisterj

http://Instagram.com/meisterjazz

main website: www.jasmine-pinales.com

thepeoplesrecord:

Today we honor Vandana Shiva, because as the corporate oligarchy continues to destroy our planet, it is clear that we need more leadership like hers:

All of these available on our Facebook page: (links: Tumblr | Facebook | Twitter)

(via swegener)

Source: thepeoplesrecord

yasboogie:

Cucamelons: They’re grape-sized watermelons that taste like cucumbers with a tinge of lime

They’re native to Mexico and Central America. They also go by the following names: mouse melon, Mexican sour gherkin, Mexican miniature watermelon and Mexican sour cucumber. [homegrown-revolution.co.uk]

You can buy the seeds here: $2.50 for 25-35 seeds. [rareseeds.com] Read more.

[@buzzfeeddiy h/t @HaywoodZhablome]

(via swegener)

Source: yasboogie

redblooper:

dommifox:

A couple people asked me how I vary my leaves and trees and honestly, it’s super easy! I’ve never made a tutorial/guide before so I kept this mega simple but I hope someone out there might find it useful at least!

Also, anyone can download the brushes I use for all my art on my tumblr page (: I only use around 5 so go nuts haha

Wow! Reblogging this for reference. I gotta start drawing more backgrounds.

(via the-full-grohac)

Source: dommifox

smartercities: Vertical Farming Is Key to the Smart Cities of the Future | STATETECH Smart cities could look very different from today’s urban centers. Streetlights could be communicating with bus stops, and subway trains could be solar powered. Population growth will force local government leaders to rethink more than just transportation and housing. As the population increases, the real estate needed to grow the food we eat will become increasingly scarce. Some experts have suggested that a new agricultural approach called vertical farming, also known as urban farming, could solve this problem. In a model that is already being tested in Singapore, crops are grown indoors in tall buildings. The benefits are extensive, the technology is powerful and the results are delicious.
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smartercities:

Vertical Farming Is Key to the Smart Cities of the Future | STATETECH

Smart cities could look very different from today’s urban centers. Streetlights could be communicating with bus stops, and subway trains could be solar powered. Population growth will force local government leaders to rethink more than just transportation and housing. As the population increases, the real estate needed to grow the food we eat will become increasingly scarce. Some experts have suggested that a new agricultural approach called vertical farming, also known as urban farming, could solve this problem. In a model that is already being tested in Singapore, crops are grown indoors in tall buildings. The benefits are extensive, the technology is powerful and the results are delicious.

(via scinerds)

Source: statetechmagazine.com

hotguysreadingbooks: Whether he’s dropped off to sleep or still chugging away at his book, this guy knows how to find a good location to read.   Squishy chair? Check. Plants? Check. Sunlight? Check. This is what summer should be. (thanks, singyourmind! ) —Posted by Lindsay
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hotguysreadingbooks:

Whether he’s dropped off to sleep or still chugging away at his book, this guy knows how to find a good location to read.  

Squishy chair? Check.

Plants? Check.

Sunlight? Check.

This is what summer should be.

(thanks, singyourmind! )

—
Posted by Lindsay

positive-press-daily: Toronto becomes first city to mandate green roofs Toronto is the first city in North America with a bylaw that requires roofs to be green. And we’re not talking about paint. A green roof, also known as a living roof, uses various hardy plants to create a barrier between the sun’s rays and the tiles or shingles of the roof. The plants love the sun, and the building (and its inhabitants) enjoy more comfortable indoor temperatures as a result. Toronto’s new legislation will require all residential, commercial and institutional buildings over 2,000 square meters to have between 20 and 60 percent living roofs. Although it’s been in place since early 2010, the bylaw will apply to new industrial development as of April 30, 2012. While this is the first city-wide mandate involving green roofs, Toronto’s decision follow’s in the footsteps of other cities, like Chicago and New York. Under the direction of Mayor Richard Daley the city of Chicago put a 38,800 square foot green roof on a 12 story skyscraper in 2000. Twelve years later, that building now saves $5000 annually on utility bills, and Chicago boasts 7 million square feet of green roof space. New York has followed suit, and since planting a green roof on the Con Edison Learning Centre in Queens, the buildings managers have seen a 34 percent reduction of heat loss in winter, and reduced summer heat gain by 84 percent. But lower utility bills aren’t the only benefit of planting a living roof. In addition to cooling down the city, green roofs create cleaner air, cleaner water, and provide a peaceful oasis for people, birds and insects in an otherwise polluted, concrete and asphalt-covered environment.
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positive-press-daily:

Toronto becomes first city to mandate green roofs

Toronto is the first city in North America with a bylaw that requires roofs to be green. And we’re not talking about paint. A green roof, also known as a living roof, uses various hardy plants to create a barrier between the sun’s rays and the tiles or shingles of the roof. The plants love the sun, and the building (and its inhabitants) enjoy more comfortable indoor temperatures as a result.

Toronto’s new legislation will require all residential, commercial and institutional buildings over 2,000 square meters to have between 20 and 60 percent living roofs. Although it’s been in place since early 2010, the bylaw will apply to new industrial development as of April 30, 2012. While this is the first city-wide mandate involving green roofs, Toronto’s decision follow’s in the footsteps of other cities, like Chicago and New York.

Under the direction of Mayor Richard Daley the city of Chicago put a 38,800 square foot green roof on a 12 story skyscraper in 2000. Twelve years later, that building now saves $5000 annually on utility bills, and Chicago boasts 7 million square feet of green roof space. New York has followed suit, and since planting a green roof on the Con Edison Learning Centre in Queens, the buildings managers have seen a 34 percent reduction of heat loss in winter, and reduced summer heat gain by 84 percent.

But lower utility bills aren’t the only benefit of planting a living roof. In addition to cooling down the city, green roofs create cleaner air, cleaner water, and provide a peaceful oasis for people, birds and insects in an otherwise polluted, concrete and asphalt-covered environment.

(via bookworm-chic)

Source: crispgreen.com

slavin: 8bitfuture: 30,000 year old flower revived. Scientists have resurrected a flower from plant tissues found frozen in Siberian permafrost, thought to be 30,000-32,000 years old. The new Silene stenophylla is healthy and fertile, and producing viable seeds. The experiment has excited many because it proves that material trapped in the permafrost is recoverable and usable - scientists have been working to recover other species of plant and animal life from the same area, such as the woolly mammoth. #whatcouldgowrong?
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slavin:

8bitfuture:

30,000 year old flower revived.

Scientists have resurrected a flower from plant tissues found frozen in Siberian permafrost, thought to be 30,000-32,000 years old. The new Silene stenophylla is healthy and fertile, and producing viable seeds.

The experiment has excited many because it proves that material trapped in the permafrost is recoverable and usable - scientists have been working to recover other species of plant and animal life from the same area, such as the woolly mammoth.

#whatcouldgowrong?

(via warrenellis)

Source: USA Today

vondell-swain: frenchymcfry: vondell-swain: dannerzz: vondell-swain: vernalized: emmessjee: New species of plant buries its own seeds A botanist has discovered a new species of plant in eastern Brazil whose branches bend down upon bearing fruit and deposit seeds on the ground, often burying them in a covering of soft soil or moss. This trick is an example ofgeocarpy, a rare adaptation to survival in harsh or short-lived environments with small favorable patches. The adaptation ensures seedlings germinate near their parents, helping them stay within the choice spots or microclimates in which they thrive. One well-known practitioner of geocarpy is the peanut, which also buries its fruit in the soil. […] The team dubbed it Spigelia genuflexa, named after the act of genuflection, or kneeling to the ground. whoa anyone who thinks plants aren’t cool look at this actually if you do think they’re cool, still look at it because god it’s so cool !!! I love plants! also can I just spigelia genuflexa what a fantastic name I like how they call it a new plant. I like it has never existed before it was discovered. Or it just suddenly evolved into this bending plant thing. Really it was newly discovered. I mean I don’t think they’re intending for people to assume it’s literally a new plant that use of the word “new” is pretty common and easily understood like “i’m going to try a new food today” or “i think i’m going to need a new roommate” All of my love! The joy I had from reading about this is easily compared to the joy of finishing drawing something, buying new comics or getting things in the mail. All of my love and joy! Botany is the shit!
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vondell-swain:

frenchymcfry:

vondell-swain:

dannerzz:

vondell-swain:

vernalized:

emmessjee:

New species of plant buries its own seeds

A botanist has discovered a new species of plant in eastern Brazil whose branches bend down upon bearing fruit and deposit seeds on the ground, often burying them in a covering of soft soil or moss. This trick is an example ofgeocarpy, a rare adaptation to survival in harsh or short-lived environments with small favorable patches. The adaptation ensures seedlings germinate near their parents, helping them stay within the choice spots or microclimates in which they thrive. One well-known practitioner of geocarpy is the peanut, which also buries its fruit in the soil. […]

The team dubbed it Spigelia genuflexa, named after the act of genuflection, or kneeling to the ground.

whoa

anyone who thinks plants aren’t cool

look at this

actually if you do think they’re cool, still look at it because god it’s so cool

!!!

I love plants!

also can I just

spigelia genuflexa

what a fantastic name

I like how they call it a new plant. I like it has never existed before it was discovered. Or it just suddenly evolved into this bending plant thing.

Really it was newly discovered.

I mean

I don’t think they’re intending for people to assume it’s literally a new plant

that use of the word “new” is pretty common and easily understood

like “i’m going to try a new food today”

or “i think i’m going to need a new roommate”

All of my love! The joy I had from reading about this is easily compared to the joy of finishing drawing something, buying new comics or getting things in the mail. All of my love and joy! Botany is the shit!

(via itsvondell)

Source: blogs.discovermagazine.com