In Defense of Plants Podcast

By In Defense of Plants

Natural Sciences Science & Medicine

What's In Defense of Plants Podcast about?

Plants are everything. They are also incredibly interesting. From the smallest duckweed to the tallest redwood, the botanical world is full of wonder. Join my friends and I for a podcast celebrating everything botany.

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Ep. 238 - The Southeastern ...

11.10.2019

Southeastern Grasslands Initiative is building a movement. Frustrated by the lack of protection and attention given to grasslands of southeastern North America, a small group of dedicated botanists and conservationists decided to do something about it. Thus, SGI was born. ...

In Defense of Plants Podcast episodes:

11.10.2019 Ep. 238 - The Southeastern Grasslands Initiative Southeastern Grasslands Initiative is building a movement. Frustrated by the lack of protection and attention given to grasslands of southeastern North America, a small group of dedicated botanists and conservationists decided to do something about it. Thus, SGI was born. ...
11.03.2019 Ep. 237 - The Fall of the Torreya & What is Being Done to Save It "Torreya was so common until it wasn't and then it started crashing like falling giants..." Within the span of a few decades, the torreya pine (Torreya taxifolia) has become one of the most endangered trees in the world. Luckily a ...
10.27.2019 Ep. 236 - Ferns & Lycophytes, Hybrids & Polyploids Ferns and lycophytes are very special plants. Their origins date back hundreds of millions of years. Representatives of these two lineages can be found all over the globe and yet we know much less about them than we do flowering ...
10.20.2019 Ep. 235 - Orchids at the Center of Cloud Forest Conservation in Ecuador When Lou Jost and friends realized how quickly the rainforests of Ecuador were disappearing they decided to do something about it. Thus Fundación EcoMinga was born. Since 2006, Lou and his team have managed to establish seven reserves covering all ...
10.13.2019 Ep. 234 - Mycorrhizal Fungi & Some Plants That Trick Them The relationship between plants and mycorrhizal fungi is often painted as a beautiful, altruistic relationship, the reality is far more complex than that. Though this is one of the most important relationships on the planet, we still have a lot ...
10.06.2019 Ep. 233 - Australia's Carnivorous Bounty Today we are joined by carnivorous plant expert and botanist extraordinaire, Greg Bourke. Greg is the Curator Manager of the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney's Blue Mountains Botanic Garden. He is deeply passionate about finding and understanding Australia's bewildering variety of ...
09.29.2019 Ep. 232 - The Plight of the Butternut The butternut or white walnut (Juglans cinerea) is a tree that is unknown to many. Ravaged by an invasive fungal blight, this wonderful tree is on the decline throughout eastern North America. If nothing is done to save the butternut, ...
09.22.2019 Ep. 231 - The Amber Time Capsule Today we get a look back in deep time with the help of the amber time capsule. Amber will be most familiar both for its use in jewelry but also for its role in the Jurassic Park series. However, amber ...
09.15.2019 Ep. 230 - Cryogenic Conservation Seed banking is an extremely important component of plant conservation but what do you do with seeds that don't store well? A considerable number of plant species produce seeds that die when placed into seed banks. Are these species destined ...
09.08.2019 Ep. 229 - Compositae Cliffhangers This episode is a real cliffhanger because we are delving into the wild world of rock daisies in the tribe Perityleae. These obscure composites live a perilous life clinging to scattered vertical rock cliffs throughout parts of southwestern North America. ...
09.01.2019 Ep. 228 - Plant Conservation in Action No one has a monopoly on conservation. If we want to protect wild spaces and the species they support, we need multifaceted, collaborative approaches. Joining us to talk about plant conservation efforts in the southeast is Dr. Emily Coffey, the ...
08.25.2019 Ep. 227 - A Quest to Find the "Stinking Cedar" Today we go in search of the so-called stinking cedar or torreya pine (Torreya taxifolia) at wonderful site owned and operated by The Nature Conservancy called Apalachicola Bluffs and Ravine Preserve. Of course, this tree is neither a cedar nor ...
08.18.2019 Ep. 226 - Cities Need Trees My guest today may just have the coolest job in the world. Dr. Jessica Turner-Skoff is Morton Arboretum's official Treeologist which means she gets to spend her days both studying trees and telling the world why trees are so important. ...
08.11.2019 Ep. 225 - Resurrecting a Ghost: The Mission to Save the Ozark Chinquapin Pt. 2 In this episode, we dive deeper into what is being done to bring the Ozark Chinquapin back from the brink of extinction. The Ozark Chinquapin (Castanea ozarkensis) is a tree on the brink of extinction. Like its more popular cousin, ...
08.04.2019 Ep. 224 - Resurrecting a Ghost: The Mission to Save the Ozark Chinquapin Pt. 1 The Ozark Chinquapin (Castanea ozarkensis) is a tree on the brink of extinction. Like its more popular cousin, the American chestnut, the Ozark Chinquapin is a victim of an introduce blight brought to this continent over a century ago. The ...
07.28.2019 Ep. 223 - The Magnificence of Milkweeds In this episode, we take a deep dive into the world of milkweeds. The genus Asclepias has been made famous due to the plight of the monarch butterfly, whose larvae feed on nothing else. Though we tend to focus our ...
07.21.2019 Ep. 222 - Celebrating Botanical Nerdom My guest today is head over heels for plants and wants to do everything she can to get more people on board the botany train. Sandy Masuo is an author, editor, and all around plant nut. She hosts many workshops ...
07.14.2019 Ep. 221 - Galls Gone Wild! Galls are everywhere once you start to look for them. These often elaborate plant growths are induced by a variety of organisms from insects to fungi and they are absolutely fascinating to study. Joining us to talk about the wild ...
07.07.2019 Ep. 220 - The Sex Lives of Yuccas Yuccas are cool plants just based on appearances but their pollination ecology is downright fascinating. All members of the genus Yucca rely on moths for pollination and the moths themselves could not exist if it wasn't for Yucca flowers. What ...
06.30.2019 Ep. 219 - Conifer Country Today we celebrate conifers with educator, author, and ecologist, Michael Kauffmann. Michael fell in love with conifers early on and has been doing everything he can to share this passion with the rest of the world, from writing conifer books ...
06.23.2019 Ep. 218 - The Cactoblastis Conundrum Today we are talking about an invasive species issue that may spell disaster for some cacti in North America. The cactus moth (Cactoblastis cactorum) originated in South America but has been moved all around the world as a form of ...
06.16.2019 Ep. 217 - The Plight of Peyote Peyote or Lophophora williamsii is a small, spineless cactus native to southern North America. Thanks to some very potent alkaloids in its tissues, peyote has managed to capture the minds of humans for millennia. Today its numbers are declining at ...
06.09.2019 Ep. 216 - Dying Bees, Wasp Venom, and other Strange Floral Scents Today we focus on a group of plants whose floral morphology and chemistry are sure to blow your mind. Join Dr. Anne Heiduk and me as we discuss the bizarre chemical ecology of Ceropegia. Members of this genus have gained ...
06.02.2019 Ep. 215 - Public Gardens & Native Plants Today is all about a very special garden at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. This garden was designed with many uses in mind and it is a wonderful success. Joining us to talk about what goes in ...
05.26.2019 Ep. 214 - Unraveling the Mysteries of Baja's Botanical Bounty: A Conservation Story The Baja Peninsula is home to a bewildering diversity of plant species, many of which are found nowhere else in the world. Despite all of its botanical treasures, we are only just beginning to understand the biogeographical nuances of this ...
05.19.2019 Ep. 213 - Buzzing Bees and the Floral Microbiome We tend to view pollination as an altruistic blending of plant and animal behavior but altruistic it is not. Both plants and their pollinators are trying to get as much as they can out of the relationship while giving as ...
05.12.2019 Ep. 212 - Monkeyflower Extravaganza! When Dr. Naomi Fraga started volunteering at the Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden herbarium, little did she know it would evolve into a total love affair with botanical diversity. Since that time, she has carved out an incredible niche with ...
05.05.2019 Ep. 211 - The Botanical Treasures of Steppes For Mike Bone, propagating and growing plants is not just a hobby or a job, it's a way of life. Mike is the curator of the steppe collections at the Denver Botanic Gardens and his love affair with these plants ...
04.28.2019 Ep. 210 - Pitcher Plants: A World Unto Themselves In this episode we are taking a deep dive into the world of pitcher plant ecology, evolution, and conservation. Joining us from the Atlanta Botanical Garden is conservation scientist Dr. Jess Stephens to talk to us about her work on ...
04.21.2019 Ep. 209 - Invasion of the Cattails What wetland scene would be complete without a few cattails? The genus Typha is synonymous with wetlands yet as you will hear in this episode, we know so little about them. Joining us is Dr. Pam Geddes from Northeastern Illinois ...
04.14.2019 Ep. 208 - Saving Florida's Native Plants "Protecting species takes a village" says Juliet Rynear, executive director of the Florida Native Plant Society. This wonderful organization not only celebrates Florida's bewildering diversity of native flora, they also work extremely hard to protect and conserve these plants. As ...
04.07.2019 Ep. 207 - Into the Rooting Zone: Why Soil Carbon Matters Grab your shovels because today we are heading underground to talk about soils. Joining us on this adventure is my friend and labmate Ron Salemme. Ron studies soil carbon cycling in the context of invasive plants and prescribed fire. In ...
03.31.2019 Ep. 206 - Lovely Louisiana Botany Join the wonderful Sara Johnson and me as we reminisce about our recent botanical adventures in Louisiana. Inspired by the possibility of meeting one of North America's rarest iris species, we headed down to the Gulf Coast to take in ...
03.24.2019 Ep. 205 - Mad About Manzanitas Today we are taking a deeper look at the most diverse woody plant lineage in western North America. I am of course talking about the manzanitas (Arctostaphylos spp.). Joining us is San Francisco State Professor Dr. Tom Parker who has ...
03.17.2019 Ep. 204 - Asteraceae Addiction The Aster family has nearly conquered the planet. It is one of the most diverse plant lineages on Earth and yet so many of us just pass them by without much of a thought. At least part of the reason ...
03.10.2019 Ep. 203 - Oaks: Insights into Evolution & Ecology Oaks are some of the most charismatic trees on the planet. They are also major players in the biosphere when it comes to their ecological impact. They also have a lot to teach us from a scientific perspective. Joining us ...
03.03.2019 Ep. 202 - Getting to the Root of Roots There is no denying that roots are one of the most important organs on a plant. However, unless its an epiphyte, root activity takes place underground, largely out of site and out of mind. This has not stopped my guest ...
02.24.2019 Ep. 201 - Plants of the Caribbean When we think about the Caribbean, our minds often drift to sandy beaches, clear water, and corals. But what about plants? The Caribbean is home to an amazing diversity of plant life and my guest today is working hard to ...
02.17.2019 Ep. 200 - Books, Books, and More Books! This week In Defense of Plants is celebrating its 200th episode with a bunch of book recommendations. I get a lot of emails from listeners each week and unfortunately I simply do not have the time to respond to all ...
02.10.2019 Ep. 199 - Understanding Rainforests Through Evolution Today we take a look at how understanding the evolution of various plant families provides us with insights into the history and diversity of some of the world's great rainforests. Joining us to discuss his work on palms and soursops ...
02.03.2019 Ep. 198 - The State of the World's Trees Assessing the status of all known tree species may seem like a monumental task and in many ways it is. However, that is exactly what a team of conservation scientists from Botanical Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) and the IUCN are ...
01.27.2019 Ep. 197 - Below the Surface of Aquascaping The world of aquatic plants is incredibly diverse, yet our ties to land make it difficult to fully appreciate these organisms. Their glory and splendor is best observed in their underwater realm. This is why aquascaping is such an incredible ...
01.20.2019 Ep. 196 - Agave are Awesome! My guest today was bitten by the Agave bug at an early age. Since then, Dr. Jeff Lake has amassed an impressive collection representing over 100 different species and varieties of this wonderful genus of New World succulents. Despite their ...
01.13.2019 Ep. 195 - Chollas, Prickly Pears, and Biodiversity When Dr. Jon Rebman decided to take on the diversity of cholla cacti, little did he know what he was getting into. Luckily, this work led him down a road stoked by a deep passion for understanding the biodiversity of ...
01.06.2019 Ep. 194 - Preserving the Prairie One Seed at a Time Bill Handel grew up in Illinois and has seen a lot change since his childhood days. Ever since he was a boy, Bill delighted in gardening with native plants. This led him to become the botanist that he is today. ...
12.30.2018 Ep. 193 - Begonias! What most of the world knows about the genus Begonia is only the tip of this botanical iceberg. The genus Begonia is currently the fastest growing genus of plants in the world and with new discoveries pouring in year after ...
12.23.2018 Ep. 192 - Australia's Alpine Flora Today we are talking about Australia's alpine flora. My guest is PhD student Casey Gibson who is studying the many ways in which climate change is influencing this system. As you can imagine, Australia's alpine ecosystems are wonderfully complex and ...
12.16.2018 Ep. 191 - The Changing Forests of the Andes When it comes to our understanding of plants and climate change, the tropics are still a great unknown. However, the data we do have is telling us that our actions are already changing forests. Today we are joined by Dr. ...
12.09.2018 Ep. 190 - A Love Affair With Palms Mike Knell is completely enthralled by palms. What started with a small collection of plams growing in his office has morphed into a full blown obsession with everything Arecaceae. Mike really hasn't looked back since. He now lives in Hawai'i ...
12.02.2018 Ep. 189 - When Palms Grew in Wyoming Join Dr. Sarah Allen and me as we journey back in time to the Eocene. Earth was a very different planet some 49 million years ago. Though we may recognize some Eocene flora, the combination of various plant lineages would ...

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