I found my experience becoming a Wikipedian to be very daunting but ultimately rewarding. The prospect of editing something so public and collaborative was intimidating at first. The thought of having other editors get mad at you or your work not being “good enough” was enough to keep me from ever attempting it in my … Continue reading My experience becoming a Wikipedian! →

Massimo Pigliucci is the author of my chosen birth-year article on phenotypic plasticity in plants. He has a plethora of degrees including a Ph. D in Biology and a Ph. D in Philosophy of science. He was formerly a Professor of ecology and evolution at Stony Brook University. Pigliucci has had a long and multifaceted … Continue reading Massimo Pigliucci – A man of many interests →

Phosphorus is considered a limiting factor in the growth of algae and aquatic plants. This means that phosphorus controls the rate at which algae and aquatic plants grow and reproduce in the wild. A problem that occurs with phosphorus is that excess phosphorus from places such as sewage treatment plants and urban lawns, can cause … Continue reading Phosphorus Levels →

The International Journal of Plant Sciences is a journal published by the University of Chicago press. It publishes original, peer reviewed research from topics such as genetics, cell biology, biochemistry, ecology, evolution and more. I found my chosen birth-year article  “Touchy and Bushy: Phenotypic Plasticity and Integration in Response to Wind Stimulation in Arabidopsis thaliana” … Continue reading International Journal of Plant Sciences →

The book, Competition by Paul Keddy, is what I would recommend to my non-biologist friends and family. Most of the content of the article I have chosen is about competition between different aquatic plant species based on the number of species in the environment, species richness. This book talks about the different types of competition … Continue reading Competition Among Plants →

Invasive kudzu vines (Scott Ehardt, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons) Biological control is the practice of introducing natural predators, parasites, or pathogens to control invasive species that can harm agriculture or ecosystems. While it can be an effective way to manage invasive species, it can also have unintended negative consequences on native species and ecosystems. … Continue reading Introducing control: Risk and reward →

Upon choosing my birth year article: “Touchy and Bushy: Phenotypic Plasticity and Integration in Response to Wind Stimulation in Arabidopsis thaliana” by Massimo Pigliucci, I was led to learn about the fascinating plant phenomenon known as tropisms. A tropism in plants is a movement response to environmental stimuli. External stimuli cause either a positive (towards … Continue reading Tropism responses in plants  →

One of the keywords in my article is “weed suppression” and at first, I thought this was an odd term as I’d always heard the word “weed” (along with “pesky”, or “those darn”) growing up. I’d never ask or considered the meaning behind this word so in light of finding my birth year article that … Continue reading WEED (not that one but the other one :] ) →

The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben is a great ecology book for non-biologists. It focuses on the complex social network of trees and forests. The book avoids science jargon and explains scientific concepts simply. Wohlleben uses his expert storytelling to make complex research digestible and relatable. This undemanding presentation of scientific information makes … Continue reading “The Hidden Life of Trees” by Peter Wohlleben as an introduction to Ecology →