In the last decade, plant ecologists have focussed more on the occurrence of positive plant–plant interactions than ever before. Especially in severe environments, such as the Arctic, species removal experiments tend to find facilitative rather than competitive effects, casting doubt on the importance of competition under extreme growing conditions. Two approaches to measure plant–plant interac...

The morphological species concept is based on morpho-logical traits, which are often subject to subjectivity or artifact. Molecular evidence is needed to test the reliability of morphological classification of taxa that are controversial and to provide appropriate taxonomic de-limitation. In this study, we used 15 single-copy nuclear loci and 2 chloroplast fragments to verify the morphological ...

BACKGROUND Chrysomelid beetles associated with willow (Salix spp.) were surveyed at 41 sites across Europe, from Greece (lat. 38.8 °N) to arctic Norway (lat. 69.7 °N). NEW INFORMATION In all, 34 willow-associated chrysomelid species were encountered, of which eight were very abundant. The abundant species were: Crepidodera aurata Marsham, 1802 at 27 sites, Phratora vitellinae (Linnaeus, 1758)...

In the conversion of woody biomass feedstocks into liquid fuel ethanol, the pretreatment process is the most critical and costly step. Variations in biomass composition based on genetic differences or environmental effects have a significant impact on the degree of accessibility accomplished by pretreatment and subsequent sugar release by enzymatic hydrolysis. To evaluate this, biomass from 10 ...

Removal of nonnative riparian trees is accelerating to conserve water and improve habitat for native species. Widespread control of dominant species, however, can lead to unintended erosion. Helicopter herbicide application in 2003 along a 12-km reach of the Rio Puerco, New Mexico, eliminated the target invasive species saltcedar (Tamarix spp.), which dominated the floodplain, as well as the na...

BACKGROUND The common nettle (Urtica dioica L.) is co-associated with willows (Salix spp.) in riparian habitats across Europe. We sampled the widespread nettle psyllid, Trioza urticae (Linné, 1758), from Urtica in willow habitats on a megatransect of Europe from the Aegean to the Arctic Ocean. The aim of this study was to use an unusually widespread insect to assess the influence of geographic ...

It is a curious fact that we owe a great deal of our insight into pharmacological treatment of pain to the plant world [ 1 ] . Willow bark from Salix spp. led to development of aspirin and eventual elucidation of the analgesic effects of prostaglandins and their role in in fl ammation. The opium poppy ( Papaver somniferum ) provided the prototypic narcotic analgesic morphine, the fi rst alkaloi...

The high prevalence of food insecurity experienced by northern First Nations partially results from dependence on an expensive import-based food system that typically lacks nutritional quality and further displaces traditional food systems. In the present study, the feasibility of import substitution by Agroforestry Community Gardens (AFCGs) as socio-ecologically and culturally sustainable mean...