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Seth Munson

@smmunson.bsky.social
672 followers 110 following 68 posts

Plant, ecosystem, restoration ecologist in the southwestern US researching global drylands.

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Reposted by Seth Munson
ARC Centre of Excellence for Plant Success @coeplantsuccess.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
📢 New publication 'Linking #drought strategy to climate-of-origin in a widespread #C4 grass: hydraulic traits, #xylem anatomy and stomatal behaviour in Themeda triandra' by @vin-jacob.bsky.social et al. in @newphyt.bsky.social 🧪 doi.org/10.1111/nph....
doi.org
Linking drought strategy to climate‐of‐origin in a widespread <fc>C4</fc> grass: hydraulic traits, xylem anatomy and stomatal behaviour in <fi>Themeda triandra</fi>
Climate-of-origin of Themeda triandra populations used in this study.
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Reposted by Seth Munson
Global Change Biology @globalchangebio.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
RESEARCH ARTICLE A Decade of Rainfall Manipulation Reveals Growing‐Season Aridity as a Key Determinant of Grassland Productivity and Stability 🔗 buff.ly/C1bJos4
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Landscape Stewardship Collective @landscollective.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Hello, Bluesky! 🌱 We’re Landscape Stewardship Collective, a new nonprofit connecting science with practical conservation & restoration. We translate genetic, ecological & climate information into practical decisions for land managers, seed growers & partners. landscollective.org
landscollective.org
Landscape Stewardship Collective | Restoration & Conservation
Landscape Stewardship Collective provides research and practical guidance for native plant restoration, seed sourcing, species conservation, and land stewardship.
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Drew Peltier @peltierdrew.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
And here is the link to apply careers.nau.edu/jobs/postdoc...
careers.nau.edu
Postdoctoral Scholar - Flagstaff, Arizona, United States
Special Information This position is an on-site position which requires the incumbent to complete their work primarily at an NAU site, campus, or facility with or without accommodation. Opportunities...
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Seth Munson @smmunson.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Our new paper led by Tim Ohlert explores how low impact solar energy development shapes plant diversity across spatial scales. doi.org/10.1088/2515...
doi.org
The effect of solar energy development on plant diversity across spatial scales
The effect of solar energy development on plant diversity across spatial scales, Ohlert, Timothy J, Karban, Claire C, Munson, Seth M, Smith, Melinda D
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Reposted by Seth Munson
Bill Smith @wkolby.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Happy to share a new paper from a field campaign with an amazing team: "Experimental evidence of a biological soil crust degradation climate warming amplification feedback," with @ecology-awesome.bsky.social @villarreal-miguel.bsky.social and others www.nature.com/articles/s43...
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Mike Dettinger @mdettinger.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Imposed-heating experiments, along with/two national-scale phenological observation networks, show plants w/thinner leaves & higher nutrient concentrations are more sensitive to warming, in terms of earlier leaf out & later leaf fall —> longer growing szns. 1/2 www.usanpn.org/news/article...
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Science X / Phys.org @sciencex.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
Drylands may expand less than expected when plant responses to rising CO2 are included. Under a high-emissions pathway, projected cover reaches 40.28% by 2100 instead of 42.11%, with regional shifts still substantial. doi.org/hch2m9
phys.org
Plants' response to rising CO₂ could put the brakes on dryland expansion
Drylands are defined as regions where rainfall is low relative to the atmosphere's ability to draw water from soil and plants.
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Reposted by Seth Munson
jessamine finch @seedystudies.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
📣 New York Botanical Garden is seeking a career-track Restoration Ecologist! 🥾 develop ext. funded, field-oriented, collections-informed, & collaborative research program 📨 Optimal consideration: Sep. 25 (open till filled) 📆 Start: Jan. 1, 2027 (negotiable) 🤑 $87.5k jobs.jobvite.com/nybg/job/o8s...
jobs.jobvite.com
New York Botanical Garden is looking for Assistant Curator, Restoration Ecology.
New York Botanical Garden is looking for Assistant Curator, Restoration Ecology. Learn more or Jobvite a friend.
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Reposted by Seth Munson
Michael J. Gundale @michael-gundale.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
Really excited to share our new paper out today in Nature, led by Alex Fajardo. We show that exotic conifers grow up to 4x faster than in their native ranges. Despite this, they are also more drought resistant, defying a tradeoff between growth and stress tolerance. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
nature.com
Pines grow faster and are more drought resilient in the Southern Hemisphere - Nature
Non-native conifers from the Northern Hemisphere grow faster and are more drought resistant and resilient&nbsp;in the Southern Hemisphere, where they seem to escape the growth–stress-tolerance&nbsp;tr...
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Journal of Applied Ecology @jappliedecology.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
📖 New research📖 These findings provide an evidence-based framework for selecting AMF inocula according to restoration goals in drylands, highlighting the importance of environmental history when developing microbiome-based interventions 🏜️ 🍄‍🟫 🔎 besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
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Zeke Hausfather @zekehausfather.com · 01/09/2026
The emissions scenarios underlying the next generation of climate model runs that will be featured in the upcoming IPCC 7th Assessment Report are officially out! I have a big new explainer over at Carbon Brief taking an in-depth look at what they mean and whats changed: www.carbonbrief.org/...
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Jonathan Coop @coopecology.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
Our new paper asks the question: is there any precedent for recent, high-severity fires that have removed >100,000 acres of forests from northern New Mexico? Based on the locations of trees that recorded surface fires over the prior 500 years, the answer is, statistically speaking, "not a chance".
Formerly forested landscapes of the Jemez Mountains, NM. Burned in 1996 and 2011. Photo 2022.
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New Phytologist @newphyt.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Call for papers: Extreme Heat – extending the thermal limits of life Abstract submission deadline approaching: 5 September 2026 www.newphytologist.org/news/call-fo... #PlantScience
newphytologist.org
Call for papers: 'Extreme Heat: extending the thermal limits of life'
The New Phytologist Foundation is pleased to announce a call for papers for a joint Special Collection of New Phytologist and Plants, People, Planet on the theme of ‘Extreme Heat: extending the…
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Reposted by Seth Munson
Anonymous Potato @anonymouspotato.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
EcoEvoJobs 2026-27 just opened for business and we've already got 79 faculty / permanent jobs listed. Please repost! ecoevojobs.net
ecoevojobs.net
ecoevojobs.net 2026-27
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New Phytologist @newphyt.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
Underground fungal networks come into 3D view without disturbing plant roots www.tum.de/en/news-and-... Read the paper: nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/... #PlantScience #fungi
tum.de
3D Imaging Reveals Underground Plant–Fungal Networks
A new TUM method reveals how plant roots and mycorrhizal fungi interact in soil, offering insights for climate-resilient and drought-tolerant crops.
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Seth Munson @smmunson.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
Our results show long-term aridity is one of the most important drivers of grassland resistance to drought. Aridity impacted resistance indirectly by shaping functional composition and plant diversity. Terrific new paper led by Diana Bertuol-Garcia besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Long‐term aridity shapes grassland drought resistance and modulates the roles of plant diversity and functional composition
Widely studied stability drivers such as plant diversity and functional composition have only partial explanatory power for short-term drought resistance of above-ground productivity in grasslands at...
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Seth Munson @smmunson.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
Our new paper led by the great @julieelarson.bsky.social explores plant recruitment bottlenecks driven by drought and freezing. We test if early functional traits, phylogeny, and climate niche explain stress tolerances across 49 dryland species. besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Functional traits can explain coordinated seedling responses to drought and freezing stress
Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.
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Jeff Dukes @dukesjeff.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
I'm looking for a postdoctoral researcher to join my group at Carnegie Science, now based at Caltech in Pasadena. If you're interested in land-atmosphere interactions and how they're influenced on small scales by microclimates, please take a look at the ad! apply.interfolio.com/190703
Jeff Dukes, on his hands and knees under a thick canopy of chamise chaparral at Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve, smiles down at a camera on the ground below him after installing a microclimate sensor.
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New Phytologist @newphyt.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
Ecological determinants of stability in dryland plant communities Gresse et al. nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Overview of the study design and environmental context along the aridity gradient.
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ESA Southwestern Chapter @esa-sw.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
Looking for the Southwest Chapter at ESA 2026? You can find us at our table in the exhibit hall or at one of our events! We have an organized oral session, a business mixer and a career central event. We are excited to see everyone in Salt Lake City!🌵
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Journal of Ecology @journalofecology.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
🌱This study reveals a dual response in grasslands to repeated drought, where community fine root traits maintain high resistance through species turnover, suggesting that community functional responses to climate extremes cannot be inferred from species trait shifts alone 👉️ buff.ly/gmDusXy
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Trevor Caughlin @trevorcaughlin.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
New job--please share! Looking for a postdoc to deep learning methods for identifying plant species from drone imagery. The two year position offers a salary of $78,000 and the option to be based in Boise, Idaho, or Burns, Oregon. For more info: caughlinlab.com/join-the-lab/ #postdoc #drones #ai
caughlinlab.com
Join the lab! – Caughlin lab
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Andy Murdock @andymurdock.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
Botany friends: cool job alert. We're searching for a new Director for the UC & Jepson Herbaria here at UC Berkeley. Share with nice people. aprecruit.berkeley.edu/JPF05405 🌿🌺🌵
aprecruit.berkeley.edu
Associate/Full Professor- Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics- Integrative Biology, and Director- University of California Berkeley Herbaria
University of California, Berkeley is hiring. Apply now!
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Oikos @oikosjournal.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
☀️🫗Quantitative synthesis of the effects of drought on community composition and species interactions in terrestrial ecosystems vist.ly/584ei #ClimateChange #Decomposition #Diversity #FoodWeb #InteractionStrength #MetaAnalysis
A world map highlighting drought risk levels predicted for 2030, with study sites marked by interaction and community type. Includes a geographic distribution chart.A series of five scatter plots displaying effect size (ROM) and precision for various biological categories and conditions. The graphs include data on plants, nematodes, arthropods, fungi, habitat types, and trophic levels. The color scheme is orange and black, with dots representing individual data points.
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Reposted by Seth Munson
Journal of Ecology @journalofecology.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
🌳 Forest decline isn’t just visible in the canopy - it begins belowground. Thinner roots, fewer mycorrhizas, more decomposers: a whole shift in the hidden life of soils that keeps forests alive 👉️ buff.ly/TVWhiDM
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Seth Munson @smmunson.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
Our new paper examines the patterns and drivers of wind erosion in solar facilities. Traditional blade and grade facilities increase sediment flux 100x compared to undisturbed areas, whereas new methods that limit disturbance result in much less erosion. onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Decreased Wind Erosion at a Solar Energy Facility With Low‐Impact Compared to Conventional Construction
Wind erosion and dust emission can diminish air quality, harm human health, and impact ecosystems and agriculture. Dust can also interfere with operations of solar energy facilities, reducing energy ...
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Tadashi Fukami @fukamit.bsky.social · 08/06/2026
Assistant Professor position available at Stanford University, in any area of Earth System Science. Apply by October 1, 2026. facultypositions.stanford.edu/jobs/assista...
facultypositions.stanford.edu
Assistant Professor, Department of Earth System Science - Stanford University, California, United States
The Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor position in the Department of Earth System Science (https://earthsystemscience.stanford.edu). Ea...
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Plant Science Spotlight @plant-sci.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
🌍🧬 Multiple stressors hit the soil microbiome hard. Up to 60 percent of functional genes shift. Growth genes down. Stress and energy genes up. A global functional restructuring with lasting consequences for soil functionality. #plantscience @natcomms.nature.com www.nature.com/articles/s41...
nature.com
Functional restructuring of the global soil microbiome under multiple stressors - Nature Communications
Soil microbes drive ecosystem functions but are vulnerable to environmental stressors triggered by global change. This study reveals that multiple environmental stressors drive community-level restruc...
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Seth Munson @smmunson.bsky.social · 31/05/2026
This research provides critical information to balance renewable energy expansion and ecological function in warm deserts link.springer.com/article/10.1...
link.springer.com
Ecovoltaic solar energy development creates novel microclimate, temperature, and soil moisture patterns under solar panels in a warm desert - Ecological Processes
Background As solar energy development expands in desert regions, new installation practices and solar technologies seek to balance ecosystem conservation and energy generation (ecovoltaics). The Gemi...
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Seth Munson @smmunson.bsky.social · 31/05/2026
Our results provide a novel approach to conduct wildfire risk assessments that consider values at risk outside the WUI and rely on Tribal knowledge and priorities. 🔥 🔥 🔥 link.springer.com/article/10.1...
link.springer.com
Adapting wildfire risk assessment for a Tribal landscape: Mount Baldy and the Fort Apache Reservation in Arizona - Landscape Ecology
Context The White Mountain Apache Tribe of the Fort Apache Reservation in Arizona manages their natural and cultural resources within a perpetually wildfire-risky environment. The Tribe’s values also ...
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Seth Munson @smmunson.bsky.social · 31/05/2026
Long-term vegetation recovery in the Mojave Desert following different levels of reclamation efforts reclamationsciences.kglmeridian.com/view/journal...
reclamationsciences.kglmeridian.com
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Seth Munson @smmunson.bsky.social · 31/05/2026
Can surface treatments and climate matching enhance restoration success in the Sonoran Desert? - Lyu - Restoration Ecology onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Can surface treatments and climate matching enhance restoration success in the Sonoran Desert?
In arid environments, seeding success and native plant recruitment can be bolstered by surface modifications that increase water and litter capture, such as pits. Mulch also appeared to help seedling...
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Seth Munson @smmunson.bsky.social · 31/05/2026
Alternative approaches to dryland reclamation enhance vegetation cover and soil stability at a former uranium mine - led by Katie Eckhoff - Restoration Ecology - onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Alternative approaches to dryland reclamation enhance vegetation cover and soil stability at a former uranium mine
In arid conditions reclamation is particularly challenging, and innovative techniques may promote revegetation and soil stability. Alternative approaches to reclamation, including ConMods, native-onl...
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Journal of Ecology @journalofecology.bsky.social · 27/05/2026
🌧️Study found that tree populations at the climatic trailing edge contain drought-adapted seedling phenotypes. Recruitment was greatly affected by precipitation seasonal timing, and seedling survival increased with more summer, but not spring, water 👉️ buff.ly/ooIUjJ0
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ESA Southwestern Chapter @esa-sw.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
2026 Southwest Ecologist Travel Award is open! 🌵 We will award $550 each to 4 early-career ecologists presenting research related to ecosystems of the Southwestern US or northern Mexico at the 2026 ESA Annual Meeting in Salt Lake City, UT. Apply by June 14, 2026: forms.gle/TjMaY6T7GQt6...
forms.gle
Southwest Ecologist Awards ($550 travel award)
We are excited to announce the 2026 Southwest Ecologist Travel award ($550)! Funding will be awarded to four early career (students and post-graduates) and/or federal agency ecologists whose work is r...
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Greg Owens @gregowens.bsky.social · 20/05/2026
UVic is hiring a Terrestrial Plant Ecologist Assistant Professor! Come join our department! We're nice and Victoria is awesome. www.uvic.ca/science/biol...
uvic.ca
Faculty Position in Terrestrial Plant Ecology - University of Victoria
Department: Biology&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&am...
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New Phytologist @newphyt.bsky.social · 19/05/2026
Temperate tree species show cross‐tolerance to heat, drought, and late spring‐frost stress Kunert et al. nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Relationships between the temperature (LT50) at which Fv/Fm declines by 50% during a cooling treatment and the turgor loss point (πtlp), the lethal temperature (LT50) during a cooling treatment and the temperature (T50) during a 30-min heat treatment at which Fv/Fm declines by 50% and the temperature at which Fv/Fm declines by 50% during a 30-min heat treatment (T50) and the turgor loss point (πtlp).
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UCDavisPlants @ucdavisplants.bsky.social · 08/05/2026
🔥 From Science: Forest fuel treatments reduced wildfire damages and returned nearly four dollars for every dollar invested, supporting larger-scale prevention efforts. (Frederik Strabo, Matthew N. Reimer) ▶️ www.science.org/doi/10.1126/... #PlantScience #Wildfire
science.org
Wildfire damages and the cost-effective role of forest fuel treatments
Wildfires are among the most pressing environmental challenges of the 21st century, intensified by the accumulation of forest fuels after a century of fire suppression policies. Although fuel-reductio...
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ESA Southwestern Chapter @esa-sw.bsky.social · 04/05/2026
🔊ESA Southwestern Chapter is seeking nominations for 2026-2027 positions! No prior Chapter/Section experience needed - just an interest in Southwest ecosystems, academic service, outreach, and community building. Current officers are eligible for re-election.
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Brandon Bestelmeyer @bbestelm.bsky.social · 25/04/2026
A long-term, operational-scale, true experiment on woody plant removal treatment effects revealed limits to grassland restoration that direct future investments esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Large‐scale experimental evaluation of woody plant removal in desert grassland: Restoration, novelty, or degradation?
Woody plant encroachment into grassy ecosystems is a worldwide phenomenon that radically transforms ecosystem services. Billions of dollars have been spent to remove woody plants, but there is great ....
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Long Term Ecological Research Network (United States) @uslter.bsky.social · 07/04/2026
Combining LTER sites (as this group of grads and postdocs did) -> even more powerful insights. Multiple Community Properties Drive Ecosystem Resistance and Resilience to Extreme Climate Events Across Mesic Grasslands - Ajowele - 2026 - Ecology Letters onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
Multiple Community Properties Drive Ecosystem Resistance and Resilience to Extreme Climate Events Across Mesic Grasslands
Using nearly 40 years of data from naturally-assembled plant communities, we found that while richness is important for resistance to extreme dry events, dominance is important for resistance to extr....
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Journal of Ecology @journalofecology.bsky.social · 07/04/2026
🌱 Subordinate grassland species enhance drought resistance by increasing belowground C allocation and N uptake, influencing microbial activity and soil functions 👉️ buff.ly/aXPsAfj
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Seth Munson @smmunson.bsky.social · 06/04/2026
Our new synthesis compares how 7 dominant #invasive grass species influence #wildfire and which treatments are effective to mitigate risk across the Intermountain West USA 🌾🌾🌾 🔥🔥🔥🔥 doi.org/10.1017/inp....
cambridge.org
Invasive grass influences on the fire cycle and treatment effectiveness to control their abundance in the Intermountain West, USA | Invasive Plant Science and Management | Cambridge Core
Invasive grass influences on the fire cycle and treatment effectiveness to control their abundance in the Intermountain West, USA - Volume 19
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Joyce White Vance @joycewhitevance.bsky.social · 03/04/2026
“Critics raised alarm over the proposal to consolidate research stations while much of the Western United States is suffering from record temperatures and prolonged drought that increase the risk of wildfires this summer.” www.nytimes.com/2026/04/03/c...
nytimes.com
Forest Service Will Close Research Stations That Study Wildfire Risk
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Monica G. Turner @monicagturner.bsky.social · 01/04/2026
Check out the new issue of ECOSYSTEMS, great studies in ecosystem ecology across a wide range of systems and scales. We welcome your manuscripts! Top-notch editorial board, quality reviews, timely publication. @steve-carpenter.bsky.social @springernature.com link.springer.com/journal/1002...
link.springer.com
Ecosystems
Ecosystems is an international journal that bridges fundamental ecology, environmental ecology, and environmental problem-solving across diverse temporal and ...
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Theresa Crimmins @theresacrimmins.bsky.social · 02/04/2026
Really nice article and visuals in @washingtonpost.com this morning showing how spring has arrived early - very early - in much of the lower 48 states www.washingtonpost.com/weather/inte... @usa-npn.bsky.social #phenology @bennollweather.bsky.social
washingtonpost.com
See where flowers and leaves are emerging early after record-warm March
About 190 million people across the U.S. are experiencing an early start to spring, based on the behavior of lilac and honeysuckle, data shows.
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NPR @npr.org · 03/04/2026
For more than 15 years, botanist Naomi Fraga has been trying to collect seeds from the rare Death Valley sage, for safekeeping in a vault of native California seeds. n.pr/4ttOsq4
n.pr
A botanist searches for the seeds of the rare Death Valley Sage
For more than 15 years, botanist Naomi Fraga has been trying to collect seeds from the rare Death Valley sage, for safekeeping in a vault of native California seeds.
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Journal of Ecology @journalofecology.bsky.social · 27/02/2026
☀️This dryland study unveils diverse drought resistance strategies in annuals and shows that in open areas, more drought-resistant populations are more stable over time. Under extreme aridity, delayed germination emerges as a key driver of stability 🔍Article: buff.ly/PvhqEXD 📰 Blog: buff.ly/gh2nJNq
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