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Summary: Drought is intensifying globally with climate change, creating an urgency to understand ecosystem response to drought both during and after these events end to limit loss of ecosystem functioning. The literature is replete with studies of how ecosystems respond during drought, yet there are far fewer studies focused on ecosystem dynamics after drought ends. Furthermore, while the terms used to describe drought can be variable and inconsistent, so can those that describe ecosystem responses following drought. With this review, we sought to evaluate and create clear definitions of the terms that ecologists use to describe post‐drought responses. We found that legacy effects, resilience and recovery were used most commonly with respect to post‐drought ecosystem responses, but the definitions used to describe these terms were variable. Based on our review of the literature, we propose a framework for generalizing ecosystem responses after drought ends, which we refer to as 'the post‐drought period'. We suggest that future papers need to clearly describe characteristics of the imposed drought, and we encourage authors to use the term post‐drought period as a general term that encompasses responses after drought ends and use other terms as more specific descriptors of responses during the post‐drought period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In addition to studies on central carbon and whole plant metabolism, with isotopes, investigations into lipid metabolism are also an important focus and greatly intrigue me. Carbon assimilation, carbon partitioning, central carbon metabolism, isotope labeling, lipid metabolism, metabolic flux analysis, spatiotemporal metabolism, emergent properties Therefore, it should not be too surprising that the papers I mention here emphasize dynamic central carbon or lipid metabolism or whole plant metabolism unveiled using isotopes, by some excellent scientists in the field. Keywords: carbon assimilation; carbon partitioning; central carbon metabolism; emergent properties; isotope labeling; lipid metabolism; metabolic flux analysis; spatiotemporal metabolism EN carbon assimilation carbon partitioning central carbon metabolism emergent properties isotope labeling lipid metabolism metabolic flux analysis spatiotemporal metabolism 710 713 4 01/09/23 20230201 NES 230201 What inspired your interest in plant science?. [Extracted from the article]

This document is a corrigendum to an article published in the New Phytologist journal. The authors of the original article have identified errors in their work. Specifically, the equation used for carotenoid quantification in the Materials and Methods section was incorrect, resulting in incorrect graphs. The corrected equation and graphs are provided in the corrigendum. The errors do not change the conclusions of the paper. The authors apologize for the mistakes. [Extracted from the article]

Antony N. Dodd is a plant scientist who is interested in chronobiology and circadian rhythms. He was inspired to study plant biology after attending lectures by Howard Griffiths, which showed how biochemical processes in plants could be studied over 24-hour cycles. Dodd pursued a career in research because he was fascinated by the control of daily cycles of Crassulacean acid metabolism in plants. He is motivated by the social element of science and the interactions with his research group and colleagues. Dodd provides advice for scientists, such as investing time to get things right, not only chasing big papers, and being collegial. He also discusses his favorite New Phytologist papers, which explore the use of chemical biology to study circadian rhythms in plants. Dodd mentions two favorite plant species, Agave americana and Aegagropila linnaei, and their significance in his research. [Extracted from the article]

Summary: Cellulose is an essential component of plant cell walls and an economically important source of food, paper, textiles, and biofuel. Despite its economic and biological significance, the regulation of cellulose biosynthesis is poorly understood. Phosphorylation and dephosphorylation of cellulose synthases (CESAs) were shown to impact the direction and velocity of cellulose synthase complexes (CSCs). However, the protein kinases that phosphorylate CESAs are largely unknown. We conducted research in Arabidopsis thaliana to reveal protein kinases that phosphorylate CESAs.In this study, we used yeast two‐hybrid, protein biochemistry, genetics, and live‐cell imaging to reveal the role of calcium‐dependent protein kinase32 (CPK32) in the regulation of cellulose biosynthesis in A. thaliana.We identified CPK32 using CESA3 as a bait in a yeast two‐hybrid assay. We showed that CPK32 phosphorylates CESA3 while it interacts with both CESA1 and CESA3. Overexpressing functionally defective CPK32 variant and phospho‐dead mutation of CESA3 led to decreased motility of CSCs and reduced crystalline cellulose content in etiolated seedlings. Deregulation of CPKs impacted the stability of CSCs.We uncovered a new function of CPKs that regulates cellulose biosynthesis and a novel mechanism by which phosphorylation regulates the stability of CSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: A surge of papers have reported low leaf vulnerability to xylem embolism during drought. Here, we focus on the less studied, and more sensitive, outside‐xylem leaf hydraulic responses to multiple internal and external conditions. Studies of 34 species have resolved substantial vulnerability to dehydration of the outside‐xylem pathways, and studies of leaf hydraulic responses to light also implicate dynamic outside‐xylem responses. Detailed experiments suggest these dynamic responses arise at least in part from strong control of radial water movement across the vein bundle sheath. While leaf xylem vulnerability may influence leaf and plant survival during extreme drought, outside‐xylem dynamic responses are important for the control and resilience of water transport and leaf water status for gas exchange and growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Seminal scientific papers positing that mycorrhizal fungal networks can distribute carbon (C) among plants have stimulated a popular narrative that overstory trees, or 'mother trees', support the growth of seedlings in this way. This narrative has far‐reaching implications for our understanding of forest ecology and has been controversial in the scientific community. We review the current understanding of ectomycorrhizal C metabolism and observations on forest regeneration that make the mother tree narrative debatable. We then re‐examine data and conclusions from publications that underlie the mother tree hypothesis. Isotopic labeling methods are uniquely suited for studying element fluxes through ecosystems, but the complexity of mycorrhizal symbiosis, low detection limits, and small carbon discrimination in biological processes can cause researchers to make important inferences based on miniscule shifts in isotopic abundance, which can be misleading. We conclude that evidence of a significant net C transfer via common mycorrhizal networks that benefits the recipients is still lacking. Furthermore, a role for fungi as a C pipeline between trees is difficult to reconcile with any adaptive advantages for the fungi. Finally, the hypothesis is neither supported by boreal forest regeneration patterns nor consistent with the understanding of physiological mechanisms controlling mycorrhizal symbiosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

I saw the huge amount of work that went into the Arabidopsis genome whilst I was a postdoc, and now my students are assembling genomes as part of their PhDs. Keywords: bioinformatics; plant genomes; plant speciation; Profile; speciation genetics EN bioinformatics plant genomes plant speciation Profile speciation genetics 1505 1507 3 02/06/23 20230301 NES 230301 What inspired your interest in plant science? Plant genomes, bioinformatics, plant speciation, Profile, speciation genetics. [Extracted from the article]

Summary: Greenbeards are selfish genetic elements that make their bearers behave either altruistically towards individuals bearing similar greenbeard copies or harmfully towards individuals bearing different copies. They were first proposed by W. D. Hamilton over 50 yr ago, to illustrate that kin selection may operate at the level of single genes. Examples of greenbeards have now been reported in a wide range of taxa, but they remain undocumented in plants. In this paper, we discuss the theoretical likelihood of greenbeard existence in plants. We then question why the greenbeard concept has never been applied to plants and speculate on how hypothetical greenbeards could affect plant–plant interactions. Finally, we point to different research directions to improve our knowledge of greenbeards in plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of New Phytologist is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Gary Loake, a professor of plant molecular sciences at the University of Edinburgh, shares his journey and passion for plant science. Growing up in a rural area, Loake developed a love for nature and biology, which led him to pursue a career in research. He transitioned from studying microbes to plants and has since focused on understanding and enhancing plant immunity. Loake is motivated by making new discoveries, solving problems, and mentoring students. He has also been involved in industry collaborations and founded a plant biotechnology company. Loake highlights the importance of role models in his career and mentions his favorite papers from the New Phytologist journal. He also shares his favorite plant, the horse chestnut tree, and discusses his work with the model plant Marchantia polymorpha. Unfortunately, the article notes that Loake passed away in March 2024. [Extracted from the article]

Tessa joined New Phytologist as an Advisor in 2022.For more information on Tessa, visit https://www.danforthcenter.org/our-work/principal-investigators/tessa-burch-smith/ ORCID: Tessa Burch-Smith https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5994-4343 Why did you decide to pursue a career in research? One recent I New Phytologist i paper that I enjoyed was 'Structural and functional relationships between plasmodesmata and plant endoplasmic reticulum-plasma membrane contact sites consisting of three synaptotagmins' (Ishikawa I et al i ., 2020) from the Shimada group. Keywords: intercellular trafficking; microscopy; Nicotiana benthamiana; plant viruses; plasmodesmata EN intercellular trafficking microscopy Nicotiana benthamiana plant viruses plasmodesmata 2155 2157 3 08/22/22 20220915 NES 220915 What inspired your interest in plant science?. [Extracted from the article]

Summary: If trees minimize self‐shading, new foliage in shaded parts of the crown should remain minimal. However, many species have abundant foliage on short shoots inside their crown. In this paper, we test the hypothesis that short shoots allow trees to densify their foliage in self‐shaded parts of the crown thanks to reduced costs.Using 30 woody species in Mediterranean and tropical biomes, we estimated the contribution of short shoots to total plant foliage, calculated their costs relative to long shoots including wood cost and used 3D plant simulations calibrated with field measurements to quantify their light interception, self‐shading and yield.In species with short shoots, leaves on short shoots account for the majority of leaf area. The reduced cost of short stems enables the production of leaf area with 36% less biomass. Simulations show that although short shoots are more self‐shaded, they benefit the plant because they cost less. Lastly, the morphological properties of short shoots have major implications for whole plant architecture.Taken together, our results question the validity of only assessing leaf costs to understand leaf economics and call for more integrated observations at the crown scale to understand light capture strategies in woody plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Leaf phosphorus (P) comprises four major fractions: inorganic phosphate (Pi), nucleic acids, phospholipids, P‐containing metabolites and a residual fraction. In this review paper, we investigated whether allocation of P fractions varies among groups of terrestrial vascular plants, and is indicative of a species' strategy to use P efficiently. We found that as leaf total P concentration increases, the Pi fraction increases the most, without a plateau, while other fractions plateau. Variability of the concentrations of leaf P fractions is greatest among families > species(family) > regions > plant life forms. The percentage of total P allocated to nucleic acid‐P (20–35%) and lipid‐P (14–34%) varies less among families/species. High photosynthetic P‐use efficiency is associated with low concentrations of all P fractions, and preferential allocation of P to metabolite‐P and mesophyll cells. Sequential resorption of P from senescing leaves starts with Pi, followed by metabolite‐P, and then other organic P fractions. Allocation of P to leaf P fractions varies with season. Leaf phytate concentrations vary considerably among species, associated with variation in photosynthesis and defence. Plasticity of P allocation to its fractions is important for acclimation to low soil P availability, and species‐specific P allocation is needed for co‐occurrence with other species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Leaf structure plays an important role in photosynthesis. However, the causal relationship and the quantitative importance of any single structural parameter to the overall photosynthetic performance of a leaf remains open to debate. In this paper, we report on a mechanistic model, eLeaf, which successfully captures rice leaf photosynthetic performance under varying environmental conditions of light and CO2.We developed a 3D reaction‐diffusion model for leaf photosynthesis parameterised using a range of imaging data and biochemical measurements from plants grown under ambient and elevated CO2 and then interrogated the model to quantify the importance of these elements.The model successfully captured leaf‐level photosynthetic performance in rice. Photosynthetic metabolism underpinned the majority of the increased carbon assimilation rate observed under elevated CO2 levels, with a range of structural elements making positive and negative contributions. Mesophyll porosity could be varied without any major outcome on photosynthetic performance, providing a theoretical underpinning for experimental data.eLeaf allows quantitative analysis of the influence of morphological and biochemical properties on leaf photosynthesis. The analysis highlights a degree of leaf structural plasticity with respect to photosynthesis of significance in the context of attempts to improve crop photosynthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a comment made by Bourke et al. regarding the method described in Chen et al.'s paper on mapping quantitative trait loci (QTL) in autotetraploids. Chen et al. argue that their comment is correct based on facts and statistical principles. They explain that the method used in Bourke et al.'s paper lacks an essential component, which is genetic linkage analysis between QTLs and surrounding markers for QTL mapping in an outbred autotetraploid segregating population. Chen et al. also address the terminology and methodology used by Bourke et al., pointing out inconsistencies and inaccuracies. They conclude that their own method enables QTL mapping in autotetraploid species under a novel tetrasomic inheritance model and is based on rigorous scientific and statistical principles. [Extracted from the article]

This article is a Commentary on the Virtual Issue 'Methane emissions from tree stems – current knowledge and challenges' that includes the following papers: Barba et al. (2019), Bréchet et al. (2021), Covey & Megonigal (2019), Feng et al. (2022), Flanagan et al. (2021), Jeffrey et al. (2019, 2021, 2023), Kohl et al. (2019), Machacova et al. (2021a,b, 2023), Megonigal et al. (2020), Pangala et al. (2013, 2014), Pitz & Megonigal (2017), Plain et al. (2019), Putkinen et al. (2021), Sjögersten et al. (2020), Takahashi et al. (2022), Tenhovirta et al. (2022), Wang et al. (2016), and Yip et al. (2018). Access the Virtual Issue at www.newphytologist.com/virtualissues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Light intensity and quality influence photosynthesis directly but also have an indirect effect by increasing stomatal apertures and enhancing gas exchange. Consequently, in areas such as the upper canopy, a high water demand for transpiration and temperature regulation is created. This paper explores how light intensity and the natural high Blue‐Light (BL) : Red‐Light (RL) ratio in these areas, is important for controlling leaf hydraulic conductance (Kleaf) by BL signal transduction, increasing water permeability in cells surrounding the vascular tissue, in supporting the enormous water demands. Conversely, shaded inner‐canopy areas receive less radiation, have lower water and cooling demands, and exhibit reduced Kleaf due to diminished intensity and BL induction. Intriguingly, shaded leaves display higher water‐use efficiency (compared with upper‐canopy) due to decreased transpiration and cooling requirements while the presence of RL supports photosynthesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Yoselin Benitez Alfonso, a professor in interdisciplinary plant sciences at the University of Leeds, shares her journey and passion for plant science. Growing up in Cuba, she developed a love for nature and later pursued a degree in chemistry in Spain. Despite not having a biology background, she taught herself plant biology and became interested in plasmodesmata research. She is motivated by her love for research, the success of her students, and the impact of her contributions to teaching and diversity. She considers her father and various mentors as role models and enjoys reading papers on plasmodesmata research and plant symbiosis. Her favorite plant is the olive tree due to its symbolism, climate resilience, and economic significance. Yoselin is also involved in the Black in Plant Science Network and has received recognition for her leadership and academic achievements. [Extracted from the article]

Silke Robatzek, a Heisenberg Professor at Ludwig-Maximilian-University in Munich, Germany, discusses her interest in plant science and her decision to pursue a career in research. She is motivated by her curiosity and a desire to contribute to society through discovering new knowledge. Robatzek also highlights the importance of mentors and role models in her career, and she mentions her favorite papers from the New Phytologist journal. She expresses her fascination with olive trees and their genetic diversity in terms of plant immunity. [Extracted from the article]

Keywords: central metabolism; hypoxia; metabolic architecture; oxygen sensors; seed development and germination; sugar allocation inside seeds EN central metabolism hypoxia metabolic architecture oxygen sensors seed development and germination sugar allocation inside seeds 476 478 3 09/23/21 20211015 NES 211015 What inspired your interest in plant science? There was the strong wish to study biology with a focus on plant biology/physiology, and, at that time, this was best possible at the Humboldt University in Berlin. For example, I remember work with a prototype of oxygen sensor foil, enabling the instant visualization of plant respiration (across tissues and seed sections). [Extracted from the article]

This article is an Editorial to the Virtual issue on 'Remote sensing' that includes the following papers Chavana‐Bryant et al. (2017), Coupel‐Ledru et al. (2022), Cushman & Machado (2020), Disney (2019), D'Odorico et al. (2020), Dong et al. (2022), Fischer et al. (2019), Gamon et al. (2023), Gu et al. (2019), Guillemot et al. (2020), Jucker (2021), Koh et al. (2022), Konings et al. (2019), Kothari et al. (2023), Martini et al. (2022), Richardson (2019), Santini et al. (2021), Schimel et al. (2019), Serbin et al. (2019), Smith et al. (2019, 2020), Still et al. (2021), Stovall et al. (2021), Wang et al. (2020), Wong et al. (2020), Wu et al. (2021), Wu et al. (2017), Wu et al. (2018), Wu et al. (2019), Xu et al. (2021), Yan et al. (2021). Access the Virtual Issue at www.newphytologist.com/virtualissues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Keywords: early career researcher; forest ecology; global change; masting; plant reproduction; plant-animal interactions; seed production; Tansley Medal EN early career researcher forest ecology global change masting plant reproduction plant-animal interactions seed production Tansley Medal 10 11 2 03/06/22 20220401 NES 220401 What inspired your interest in plant science? Forest ecology, global change, masting, plant reproduction, plant-animal interactions, seed production, early career researcher, Tansley Medal For more information on Michal, please visit https://michalbogdziewicz.wordpress.com/ or contact him at michalbogdziewicz@gmail.com Michal Bogdziewicz https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6777-9034 Footnotes 1 Michal Bogdziewicz is the joint winner, with Anna Trugman, of the 2021 I New Phytologist i Tansley Medal for excellence in plant science. [Extracted from the article]

This document is an interview with Debora Gasperini, a researcher in plant science. Gasperini explains that her interest in research began at a young age, inspired by her love for the natural world and engaging science classes. She chose to study molecular biology and became fascinated with plants due to their unique communication and resilience. Gasperini is motivated by the thrill of discovery and problem-solving, and she considers scientists like Rita Levi-Montalcini and Katherine Esau as role models for their passion and perseverance. She also discusses her favorite papers from the journal New Phytologist, which covers a wide range of plant science topics. Gasperini appreciates the adaptability and enduring nature of plants, which continue to inspire her research. [Extracted from the article]

This document is an interview with Ari Sadanandom, a Professor of Plant Molecular Sciences at the University of Durham. Sadanandom discusses his interest in plant science, his decision to pursue a career in research, and his motivations as a scientist. He also mentions his role models and inspirations throughout his career. Additionally, Sadanandom highlights some of his favorite papers from the journal New Phytologist, focusing on topics such as plant immunity, root development, and protein modifications. Finally, he shares his favorite plant, the Mimosa plant, and provides information about his research on protein modifications and its implications for agriculture. [Extracted from the article]

Alison Smith, a Professor of Plant Biochemistry at the University of Cambridge, discusses her interest in plant science and her career in research. She explains that her fascination with the productivity of gardening as a child led her to study Biochemistry in university and eventually specialize in photosynthetic organisms. Smith finds motivation in working with students and postdocs, as well as in the endless fascination of scientific discoveries. She also mentions several mentors and colleagues who have influenced her, including notable women plant scientists. Smith appreciates the variety of topics covered in the journal New Phytologist and highlights some of her favorite papers. Finally, she shares her favorite plant, the rose, for its showiness, and her favorite photosynthetic organisms, microalgae, for their diversity and potential in biotechnology. [Extracted from the article]

His research chiefly focuses on identifying and characterising new factors involved in the regulation of anthocyanin biosynthesis during high light acclimation. Keywords: acclimation; anthocyanin; early career researcher; flavonoid biosynthesis; high light; Profile; retrograde signalling; stress response EN acclimation anthocyanin early career researcher flavonoid biosynthesis high light Profile retrograde signalling stress response 2016 2018 3 11/21/22 20221215 NES 221215 Galileo Estopare Araguirang's poster 'When plants paint their leaves purple: analyses of new factors involved in the regulation of anthocyanin biosynthesis in Arabidopsis during high light' won first prize at the Next Generations Scientists meeting 2022 in Tartu, Estonia. Under the supervision of Professor Dr Alfred Batschauer, he carried out his MSc thesis on the photobiochemistry of a cryptochrome 2 mutant at Philipps-Universität Marburg, Germany (2017). Anthocyanin, early career researcher, acclimation, Profile, stress response, flavonoid biosynthesis, high light, retrograde signalling. [Extracted from the article]

Biodiversity, community ecology, global change, plant traits, plant-microbe interactions (b) Campanula scheuchzeri in the forefield of the Ödenwinkel glacier in Austria; this is one of the few plant species that occurs along the whole successional gradient, and thus became a model species in our laboratory to test successional processes. gl References 1 E-Vojtkó A, Junker RR, de Bello F, Götzenberger L. 2022. Keywords: biodiversity; community ecology; global change; plant traits; plant-microbe interactions EN biodiversity community ecology global change plant traits plant-microbe interactions 1634 1636 3 11/07/22 20221201 NES 221201 What inspired your interest in plant science?. [Extracted from the article]

People often forget that Dan's PhD work on plant-ants and ant-plants was really very botanical, especially in the modern sense of working on plant-animal interactions. Keywords: adaptive accuracy; comparative biology; Dalechampia; euglossine bees; floral evolution; natural selection; pollination EN adaptive accuracy comparative biology Dalechampia euglossine bees floral evolution natural selection pollination 21 23 3 09/12/22 20221001 NES 221001 What inspired your interest in plant science? I took a few plant courses at UC Santa Barbara towards the end of my undergraduate career just to "learn insect food plants" and quickly came to appreciate plants in their own right. [Extracted from the article]

This document is an interview with Gwyneth Ingram, a plant scientist, published in the New Phytologist journal. Ingram discusses her interest in plant science, her decision to pursue a career in research, her motivation on a day-to-day basis, and her role models. She also mentions her favorite papers from the journal, which focus on topics such as cuticle architecture, metabolic imaging, and guard cells in fern stomata. Additionally, Ingram shares her favorite plant, the medlar, and provides a brief overview of her educational and professional background. [Extracted from the article]

This document is a profile of Rob Roelfsema, a plant scientist and University Professor at the Department of Molecular Plant Biology and Biophysics at the University of Würzburg in Germany. Roelfsema's interest in plant science was sparked by his primary school teacher's fascination with nature. He decided to pursue a career in research after enjoying his experience as a master's student. His research focuses on ion transport systems in plants, particularly the ion fluxes in guard cells that drive stomatal movements. Roelfsema is motivated by the freedom to conduct research projects and the opportunity to stay connected with the research results of others as an Associate Editor of New Phytologist. He considers his primary school teacher and former supervisors as role models who have influenced his career. Roelfsema appreciates the broad range of high-quality papers published in New Phytologist, particularly those related to genetically encoded Ca2+ sensors and long-distance signals in nonseed plants. His favorite plant is the common spider plant, which he deeply respects for its ability to survive in various conditions. [Extracted from the article]

Dr. Steven H. Strauss, a University Distinguished Professor of Forest Biotechnology at Oregon State University, discusses his interest in plant science and his motivation to pursue a career in research. He credits his mentors during his PhD at the University of California at Berkeley for being his role models. Dr. Strauss highlights some of his favorite papers from the New Phytologist journal, including one on the genetic variation in amenability to genetic transformation and regeneration, another on the determination of crown phenology in quaking aspen, and a third on lignin modification in poplar. He also expresses his fondness for poplars, especially aspens and cottonwoods, due to their beauty and amenability to biotech methods. [Extracted from the article]

Keywords: chlorophyll fluorescence; coordination; development; function; photosynthesis; plant water-use-efficiency; stomata EN chlorophyll fluorescence coordination development function photosynthesis plant water-use-efficiency stomata 350 352 3 03/22/22 20220415 NES 220415 What inspired your interest in plant science? I have a number of favourite plants, the top spot being shared between I Gingko i and I Dicksonia i tree ferns, possibly for similar reasons, i.e. the fact that they are "ancient plants", having first evolved many millions of years ago, and therefore provide us with a glimpse of the past. Chlorophyll fluorescence, coordination, development, function, photosynthesis, plant water-use-efficiency, stomata. [Extracted from the article]

Summary: Climate change has advanced plant phenology globally 4–6 d °C−1 on average. Such shifts are some of the most reported and predictable biological impacts of rising temperatures. Yet as climate change has marched on, phenological shifts have appeared muted over recent decades – failing to match simple predictions of an advancing spring with continued warming. The main hypothesis for these changing trends is that interactions between spring phenological cues – long‐documented in laboratory environments – are playing a greater role in natural environments due to climate change. Here, we argue that accurately linking shifts observed in long‐term data to underlying phenological cues is slowed by biases in observational studies and limited integration of insights from laboratory studies. We synthesize seven decades of laboratory experiments to quantify how phenological cue‐space has been studied and how treatments compare with shifts caused by climate change. Most studies focus on one cue, limiting our ability to make accurate predictions, but some well‐studied forest species offer opportunities to advance forecasting. We outline how greater integration of controlled‐environment studies with long‐term data could drive a new generation of laboratory experiments, built on physiological insights, that would transform our fundamental understanding of phenology and improve predictions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is an interview with Peter J. Franks, a plant scientist who specializes in plant physiology and plant-climate interactions. Franks discusses his interest in plant science, which was sparked by his experiences in rainforests and his fascination with the diverse uses of plants by indigenous tribes. He also explains his decision to pursue a career in research, driven by his curiosity and the desire to contribute to scientific knowledge. Franks mentions his role models in the field and highlights some recent papers in the journal New Phytologist that have made significant advancements in understanding stomatal control and signaling in plants. He also shares his favorite plant species, including the extinct Cooksonia and the living fossil Austrobaileya scandens. Overall, Franks' research aims to integrate geological, molecular, and physiological information to understand the co-evolution of Earth's climate and vegetation. [Extracted from the article]

Keywords: arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM); community ecology; plant invasion; resource exchange; restoration EN arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM) community ecology plant invasion resource exchange restoration 813 814 2 10/13/22 20221101 NES 221101 What inspired your interest in plant science? Ylva is also an Adjunct Professor at the University of Montana.Ylva joined New Phytologist as an advisor in 2021.For more information on Ylva, visit www.mpgranch.com or email her at ylekberg@mpgranch.comORCID: Ylva Lekberg https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1033-8032 Why did you decide to pursue a career in research? Arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM), community ecology, plant invasion, restoration, resource exchange. [Extracted from the article]

This document is a profile of Martina Legris, a postdoctoral researcher at the Center for Integrative Genomics at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland. Martina's interest in plant science was inspired by her upbringing in a family of veterinarians and farmers, as well as her experiences playing with plants and animals in nature. She decided to pursue a career in research after participating in scientific meetings and outreach activities, where she met inspiring scientists and learned about their research. Martina is motivated by her love for her work and the sense of duty to contribute to society. She considers her mentors and female colleagues with children to be role models, and she appreciates the opportunity to choose her research topics and the variety of tasks in her everyday life. Martina's research focuses on plant development in response to light and temperature signals from the environment. She has published papers on the convergence of light and temperature signaling pathways in plants and the regulation of meristem activity. Martina's favorite plant is Ceiba speciosa, a large tree native to South America, and she also has a fondness for Arabidopsis thaliana, a tiny plant that has allowed her to uncover exciting aspects of plant biology. [Extracted from the article]

Although we promote combined structural, functional and taxonomic definitions of mycorrhiza types in I new i diagnostic studies of mycorrhiza (Brundrett & Tedersoo, 2018; Soudzilovskaia I et al i ., 2020), it is often impossible to apply these criteria to pre-existing data. Keywords: arbuscular mycorrhiza; database; ecological terminology; ectomycorrhiza; mycorrhizal fungi EN arbuscular mycorrhiza database ecological terminology ectomycorrhiza mycorrhizal fungi 1689 1691 3 08/04/22 20220901 NES 220901 Acknowledgements NAS acknowledges the Netherlands Organization for Scientific research, which supported this work through a VIDI (grant no. 016.161.318). FungalRoot v.2.0 - an empirical database of plant mycorrhizal traits: A response to Bueno et al. (2021) 'Towards a consistent benchmark for plant mycorrhizal association databases' Conclusions Taken together, FungalRoot is the largest empirical database of plant mycorrhizal traits, including mycorrhiza type and level of colonization. [Extracted from the article]

Keywords: belowground strategy; belowground terrestrial ecology; mycorrhizal fungi; resource acquisition; root traits; roots; trait function; Virtual Issue EN belowground strategy belowground terrestrial ecology mycorrhizal fungi resource acquisition root traits roots trait function Virtual Issue 2097 2103 7 08/19/21 20210915 NES 210915 The belowground world is one of the final frontiers in terrestrial ecology. Linking root traits with fungal traits Belowground plant strategies encompass more than just root traits, and complex plant interactions with the surrounding rhizosphere microbial community - especially mycorrhizal fungi - are important for plant root survival and resource acquisition (Strullu-Derrien I et al i ., 2018). Even after roots die, the decomposition of roots by soil microbial communities is often mediated by root traits and root associations with mycorrhizal fungi, in addition to the surrounding environment (Lin I et al i ., 2020; Jiang I et al i ., 2021). Linking root form with function While assessments of fine-root trait variation are critically important, our ultimate goal is to link root traits with root function and whole-plant strategies. [Extracted from the article]

This article is a Commentary on Patil et al. (2022), 234: 122–136. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Keywords: common symbiotic signalling pathway; genomics; interkingdom cross-talk; obligate biotrophy; plant-fungus interactions; powdery mildews EN common symbiotic signalling pathway genomics interkingdom cross-talk obligate biotrophy plant-fungus interactions powdery mildews 2337 2339 3 02/21/22 20220315 NES 220315 What inspired your interest in plant science? Common symbiotic signalling pathway, genomics, interkingdom cross-talk, powdery mildews, obligate biotrophy, plant-fungus interactions This, and research elsewhere, demonstrated that these effectors are not only important for the fungi causing powdery mildews, but are also key targets of cereal immunity - so they are important for the plants too. [Extracted from the article]

Keywords: Carl Sprengel; fertiliser; Jöns Jakob Berzelius; Justus von Liebig; P2O5; phosphorus; Sprengel-Liebig's law of the minimum; superphosphate EN Carl Sprengel fertiliser Jöns Jakob Berzelius Justus von Liebig P2O5 phosphorus Sprengel-Liebig's law of the minimum superphosphate 1901 1903 3 11/05/21 20211201 NES 211201 I Phosphorus i (P) is very likely the most frequently misspelled nutrient in scientific literature (Lambers & Plaxton, 2015). He was shocked by the vast amount of P, until his Chinese friend and translator pointed to the fertiliser bag, and he realised the amount had to be divided by 2.29 to know how much P that really was. Other forms of P fertiliser include potassium phosphate, monoammonium phosphate and diammonium phosphate (Syers I et al i ., 2008; Johnston & Poulton, 2019). [Extracted from the article]

Biogeography, climate change, early career researcher, ecophysiology, functional traits, intraspecific variation, trees, Tansley Medal Keywords: biogeography; climate change; early career researcher; ecophysiology; functional traits; intraspecific variation; Tansley Medal; trees EN biogeography climate change early career researcher ecophysiology functional traits intraspecific variation Tansley Medal trees 1962 1963 2 02/21/23 20230315 NES 230315 What inspired your interest in plant science? The answer - that hot droughts are especially hard on trees, and that climate change was super-charging the frequency and severity of hot droughts - drove home to me that climate change is happening now. [Extracted from the article]

Summary: Improving photosynthetic efficiency has recently emerged as a promising way to increase crop production in a sustainable manner. While chloroplast size may affect photosynthetic efficiency in several ways, we aimed to explore whether chloroplast size manipulation can be a viable approach to improving photosynthetic performance.Several tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) lines with contrasting chloroplast sizes were generated via manipulation of chloroplast division genes to assess photosynthetic performance under steady‐state and fluctuating light. A selection of lines was included in a field trial to explore productivity.Lines with enlarged chloroplasts underperformed in most of the measured traits. Lines with smaller and more numerous chloroplasts showed a similar efficiency compared with wild‐type (WT) tobacco. Chloroplast size only weakly affected light absorptance and light profiles within the leaf. Increasing chloroplast size decreased mesophyll conductance (gm) but decreased chloroplast size did not increase gm. Increasing chloroplast size reduced chloroplast movements and enhanced non‐photochemical quenching. The chloroplast smaller than WT appeared to be no better than WT for photosynthetic efficiency and productivity under field conditions.The results indicate that chloroplast size manipulations are therefore unlikely to lead to higher photosynthetic efficiency or growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Karyological characteristics are among the traits underpinning the invasion success of vascular plants.Using 11 049 species, we tested the effects of genome size and ploidy levels on plant naturalization (species forming self‐sustaining populations where they are not native) and invasion (naturalized species spreading rapidly and having environmental impact).The probability that a species naturalized anywhere in the world decreased with increasing monoploid genome size (DNA content of a single chromosome set). Naturalized or invasive species with intermediate monoploid genomes were reported from many regions, but those with either small or large genomes occurred in fewer regions. By contrast, large holoploid genome sizes (DNA content of the unreplicated gametic nucleus) constrained naturalization but favoured invasion.We suggest that a small genome is an advantage during naturalization, being linked to traits favouring adaptation to local conditions, but for invasive spread, traits associated with a large holoploid genome, where the impact of polyploidy may act, facilitate long‐distance dispersal and competition with other species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Frequent observations of higher mortality in larger trees than in smaller ones during droughts have sparked an increasing interest in size‐dependent drought‐induced mortality. However, the underlying physiological mechanisms are not well understood, with height‐associated hydraulic constraints often being implied as the potential mechanism driving increased drought vulnerability. We performed a quantitative synthesis on how key traits that drive plant water and carbon economy change with tree height within species and assessed the implications that the different constraints and compensations may have on the interacting mechanisms (hydraulic failure, carbon starvation and/or biotic‐agent attacks) affecting tree vulnerability to drought. While xylem tension increases with tree height, taller trees present a range of structural and functional adjustments, including more efficient water use and transport and greater water uptake and storage capacity, that mitigate the path‐length‐associated drop in water potential. These adaptations allow taller trees to withstand episodic water stress. Conclusive evidence for height‐dependent increased vulnerability to hydraulic failure and carbon starvation, and their coupling to defence mechanisms and pest and pathogen dynamics, is still lacking. Further research is needed, particularly at the intraspecific level, to ascertain the specific conditions and thresholds above which height hinders tree survival under drought. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Terrestrial CAM plants typically occur in hot semiarid regions, yet can show high crop productivity under favorable conditions.To achieve a more mechanistic understanding of CAM plant productivity, a biochemical model of diel metabolism was developed and integrated with 3‐D shoot morphology to predict the energetics of light interception and photosynthetic carbon assimilation.Using Agave tequilana as an example, this biochemical model faithfully simulated the four diel phases of CO2 and metabolite dynamics during the CAM rhythm. After capturing the 3‐D form over an 8‐yr production cycle, a ray‐tracing method allowed the prediction of the light microclimate across all photosynthetic surfaces. Integration with the biochemical model thereby enabled the simulation of plant and stand carbon uptake over daily and annual courses.The theoretical maximum energy conversion efficiency of Agave spp. is calculated at 0.045–0.049, up to 7% higher than for C3 photosynthesis. Actual light interception, and biochemical and anatomical limitations, reduced this to 0.0069, or 15.6 Mg ha−1 yr−1 dry mass annualized over an 8‐yr cropping cycle, consistent with observation. This is comparable to the productivity of many C3 crops, demonstrating the potential of CAM plants in climates where little else may be grown while indicating strategies that could raise their productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The mechanisms underlying trait conservation over long evolutionary time scales are poorly known. These mechanisms fall into the two broad and nonmutually exclusive categories of constraint and selection. A variety of factors have been hypothesized to constrain trait evolution. Alternatively, selection can maintain similar trait values across many species if the causes of selection are also relatively conserved, while many sources of constraint may be overcome over longer periods of evolutionary divergence. An example of deep trait conservation is tetradynamy in the large family Brassicaceae, where the four medial stamens are longer than the two lateral stamens. Previous work has found selection to maintain this difference in lengths, which we call anther separation, in wild radish, Raphanus raphanistrum.Here, we test the constraint hypothesis using five generations of artificial selection to reduce anther separation in wild radish.We found a rapid linear response to this selection, with no evidence for depletion of genetic variation and correlated responses to this selection in only four of 15 other traits, suggesting a lack of strong constraint.Taken together, available evidence suggests that tetradynamy is likely to be conserved due to selection, but the function of this trait remains unclear. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Jasmonate (JA) re‐programs metabolism to confer resistance to diverse environmental threats. Jasmonate stimulates the degradation of JASMONATE ZIM‐DOMAIN (JAZ) proteins that repress the activity of MYC transcription factors. In Arabidopsis thaliana, MYC and JAZ are encoded by 4 and 13 genes, respectively. The extent to which expansion of the MYC and JAZ families has contributed to functional diversification of JA responses is not well understood.Here, we investigated the role of MYC and JAZ paralogs in controlling the production of defense compounds derived from aromatic amino acids (AAAs).Analysis of loss‐of‐function and dominant myc mutations identified MYC3 and MYC4 as the major regulators of JA‐induced tryptophan metabolism. We developed a JAZ family‐based, forward genetics approach to screen randomized jaz polymutants for allelic combinations that enhance tryptophan biosynthetic capacity. We found that mutants defective in all members (JAZ1/2/5/6) of JAZ group I over‐accumulate AAA‐derived defense compounds, constitutively express marker genes for the JA–ethylene branch of immunity and are more resistant to necrotrophic pathogens but not insect herbivores.In defining JAZ and MYC paralogs that regulate the production of amino‐acid‐derived defense compounds, our results provide insight into the specificity of JA signaling in immunity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Telomerase, telomeric DNA and associated proteins together represent a complex, finely tuned and functionally conserved mechanism that ensures genome integrity by protecting and maintaining chromosome ends. Changes in its components can threaten an organism's viability. Nevertheless, molecular innovation in telomere maintenance has occurred multiple times during eukaryote evolution, giving rise to species/taxa with unusual telomeric DNA sequences, telomerase components or telomerase‐independent telomere maintenance. The central component of telomere maintenance machinery is telomerase RNA (TR) as it templates telomere DNA synthesis, its mutation can change telomere DNA and disrupt its recognition by telomere proteins, thereby leading to collapse of their end‐protective and telomerase recruitment functions.Using a combination of bioinformatic and experimental approaches, we examine a plausible scenario of evolutionary changes in TR underlying telomere transitions.We identified plants harbouring multiple TR paralogs whose template regions could support the synthesis of diverse telomeres. In our hypothesis, formation of unusual telomeres is associated with the occurrence of TR paralogs that can accumulate mutations, and through their functional redundancy, allow for the adaptive evolution of the other telomere components.Experimental analyses of telomeres in the examined plants demonstrate evolutionary telomere transitions corresponding to TR paralogs with diverse template regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]