Woolly Weed Whackers

Category(-ies): Plants, Food and Medicine

How does one suppress weeds, improve the soil and save money in a vineyard? The answer might be sheep.

Vintners' Solution to Weeds: an Attack by Mild Animals from the Los Angeles Times

Thanks to “Junglekeeper” on the UBC Botanical Garden Forums for pointing out this story.

Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 4:14 PM

National Tropical Botanical Garden

Category(-ies): Invasive Plants , Other Botanical Gardens , Plant Conservation

Though the article describes a tour of the National Tropical Botanical Garden in Hawaii, its emphasis is on the conservation of native Hawaiian plants and the efforts against invasives and plant extinction.

A Tour of Hawaii's Rare Paradise from The Christian Science Monitor

Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 3:03 PM

Climate Change and Plant Extinctions

Category(-ies): Climate Change , Plant Conservation

Plants in some areas of the world are at extreme risk of extinction due to climate change. Those confined to small areas, such as islands or the South African fynbos, have no hope of colonizing new areas, since environmental conditions in nearby areas (where the plants could theoretically find a refuge) are either unsuitable or are too distant.

Climate Change Seen Pushing Plants to the Brink

Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 2:41 PM

GM Plants Gone Wild

Category(-ies): Plant Legal News and Issues

Three incidents in the US involving genetically modified plants have caused concern about lack of regulations (or lack of enforcement). The incidents include an experimental rice being mixed in other rice for human consumption, an experimental bent-grass “escaping” and a failure to research the environmental impact of growing plants to produce pharmaceuticals in Hawaii.

When Genetically Modified Plants Go Wild from The Christian Science Monitor

Posted by Daniel Mosquin at 2:57 PM