Leaf size is an important trait shaping species distributions globally. We looked at how climate and evolutionary history influence leaf size in conifers! Spoiler: lots of evolutionary conservatism! Check out our paper in @globalchangebio.bsky.social out now: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Leaf Size in Conifers: Global Associations With Climate and Evolutionary History

Global patterns in leaf size are linked to climatic trade-offs, so we explore these relationships in a major group of plants, the conifers. Using contemporary phylogenetic methods, we show that conif....

onlinelibrary.wiley.com

The cover of @jxbotany.bsky.social is my painting of Tulip Poplar, a North-American native & global street tree that was the focus of our paper visualising freezing spread & freeze-thaw embolism in leaves! A lovely way to finish this multi-year mutli-country project 🔗below @brodersenlab.bsky.social

Showing off our figure of global conifer leaf-widths & leaf silhouettes highlighting that conifers can be broad-leaved & angiosperms can be narrow/ needle-leaved! 🍃 Our paper: tinyurl.com/mss2me7v @newphyt.bsky.social @vallicrosah.bsky.social @botanykat.bsky.social & Matilda Brown

Do you define trees as either needle- or broad-leaved? Are you doing this correctly? Read our OA paper: Cones & Consequences @newphyt.bsky.social tinyurl.com/mss2me7v @vallicrosah.bsky.social @botanykat.bsky.social @creaf.cat @wslresearch.bsky.social @rbgkew.bsky.social @coeplantsuccess.bsky.social

Happy 2025 from That's What I Call Science! We kicked off this year with a deep dive into all things TWICS—reflecting on our experiences and brainstorming ideas for 2025. We can’t wait to bring you more incredible episodes this year! #TWICS #Tasmania #twics #scicomm #science #STEMM

Check out our new article just out in The Conversation highlighting the effects of warming leaves +4°C in tropical trees. 🌿🌡️ theconversation.com/study-shows-...

Study shows hot leaves can’t catch carbon from the air. It’s bad news for rainforests – and Earth

An experiment in the Daintree rainforest found the rate of photosynthesis in leaves warmed by 4°C dropped by an average of 35% compared to non-warmed controls.

theconversation.com

check out these bioluminescent ghost fungi (Omphalotus nidiformis)

Time to introduce myself! Recently, I defended my thesis titled "Patterns and Drivers of Leaf Thermoregulation in Rainforest Trees of the Australian Wet Tropics" where I focused on the role of within-species acclimation and adaptation on leaf temperature. Here’s a little summary of what went on…

i always stop and admire sphagnum on a walk 💚

Dr. Merritt Rae Turetsky@queenofpeat.bsky.social · 2y ago

Individual Sphagnum mosses lack structure and are prone to stress and desiccation. As an intertwined community, they fight off massive wildfires and protect the world’s largest soil carbon stock. They also nonchalantly preserve bog bodies. Learn from Sphagnum. Be the Sphagnum.

misty evenings 🩵

Are you in Lausanne, Switzerland next week? Come and hear me (a scientist) and Maja Renn (a performance artist) discuss Maja’s current piece '[Pheno]plasticity' from scientific & artistic perspectives!! Wednesday, 4 December 24, 2.45pm – 3.45pm Salle MED 2 2423 EPFL, Lausanne Free admission (1/4)

this has to be the prettiest cladogram i've ever seen! #botany #plantscience #phylogeny #sciart #twitterrepost

Our new study out in @ScienceAdvances shows human presence in Tasmania at least 41,600 years ago, nearly 2000 years earlier than previously thought, and Aboriginal people burned and used wet forests. Link: www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

Landscape burning facilitated Aboriginal migration into Lutruwita/Tasmania 41,600 years ago

Paleoecological records show that Aboriginal people burned wet forest to first settle in Tasmania 41,600 years ago.

science.org

Hello bsky! My name is Katya, and i am a botany PhD student, wilderness enthusiast, science communicator with @thatssciencetas.bsky.social and an all around plant nerd. Happy to be here 🦋