http://botany.org/zbinews.xml Welcome to Botany in the News en-us Wed, 22 May 2013 12:28:00 CDT Biologists have known for a long time that some creatures evolve more quickly than others. Exactly why isn't well understood, particularly for plants. But it may be that height plays a role, says Robert Lanfear of Australian National University and the U. S. National Evolutionary Synthesis Center. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/05/130521121424.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/05/130521121424.htm Tue, 14 May 2013 10:15:00 CDT Plants are the champions of solar power. They can operate at nearly 100 percent quantum efficiency, which means that for every photon of sunlight a plant captures, it produces an equal number of electrons. Converting just a fraction of this energy into electricity would improve solar panels, which usually operate at efficiency levels between 12 and 17 percent. http://www.scienceworldreport.com/articles/6751/20130509/power-plants-solar-energy-harvested-directly-sustainable-electricity.htm Wed, 1 May 2013 9:40:00 CDT Researchers at the University of Arizona's Tumamoc Hill have digitized 106 years of growth data on individual plants, making the information available for study by people all over the world. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/04/130429154218.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/04/130429154218.htm Wed, 1 May 2013 9:40:00 CDT In the spring following a forest fire, trees that survived the blaze explode in new growth and plants sprout in abundance from the scorched earth. For centuries, it was a mystery how seeds, some long dormant in the soil, knew to push through the ashes to regenerate the burned forest. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/04/130429175908.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/04/130429175908.htm