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Yannick Woudstra @yannickwoudstra.bsky.social · 17/11/2025

Devastating to hear that the University of Nottingham is considering suspending its entire Plant Biology curriculum.. Plants are the foundation of our basic needs: food, clean air and water, environmental protection. We need more botanists to safeguard biodiversity! Please sign: c.org/NL9ypHX7NY

c.org

Sign the Petition

Reconsider the potential suspension of Plant Biology Courses at UoN

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Reposted by Yannick Woudstra

Botanical Society of America @botsocamerica.bsky.social · 02/09/2025

SPECIAL ISSUE CALL FOR PAPERS #AppsPlantSci invites proposals for “Beyond #phylogenomics: Innovative applications of target capture data,” led by @emcassey.bsky.social, @erikarmoore11.bsky.social, Mafe Torres Jimenez & ‪@yannickwoudstra.bsky.social‬ Deadline 30 Nov 2025 botany.org/home/publica...

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Yannick Woudstra @yannickwoudstra.bsky.social · 11/08/2025

This photo was taken by Solofo Rakotoarisoa, at one of the few remaining wild populations of Aloe fragilis. We hope that our updated tool can help track the international traffic of Aloe plants better. In doing so, we can hopefully put an end to succulent poaching and reinforce conservation.

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Yannick Woudstra @yannickwoudstra.bsky.social · 11/08/2025

Finally, we could identify plants intercepted by customs at London Heathrow airport. Among 10 plants that we screened, we already found one critically endangered aloe from Madagascar... This small aloe is aptly called Aloe fragilis and has been threatened by habitat destruction due to mining.

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Yannick Woudstra @yannickwoudstra.bsky.social · 11/08/2025

This database was also used to make a much-needed update to the systematic classification of aloes. Just out in @annbot.bsky.social: academic.oup.com/aob/advance-... This revealed very interesting geographic patterns in the evolution of aloes and made us more confident in identifying these plants.

academic.oup.com

Nuclear phylogenomics reveals strong geographic patterns in the evolutionary history of Aloe and related genera (alooids)

AbstractBackground and Aims. With >700 species, Aloe and its generic kin (alooids) are a morphologically diverse group of succulent plants with a wide r

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Yannick Woudstra @yannickwoudstra.bsky.social · 11/08/2025

We then built a big database with >300 species using living collections from botanical gardens, and herbarium collections from large natural history museums. Many thanks to collections @rbgkew.bsky.social, Herbarium East Africa, @mnhn.fr, @thebotanics.bsky.social and many global collaborators!

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Yannick Woudstra @yannickwoudstra.bsky.social · 11/08/2025

This was not straightforward in aloes, where species are very similar to each other, in terms of their genomes. We had to use 189 nuclear genes, that can now be sequenced with a customised target capture sequencing kit (doi.org/10.1038/s415...), to reveal useable differences between species.

doi.org

A customised target capture sequencing tool for molecular identification of Aloe vera and relatives - Scientific Reports

Scientific Reports - A customised target capture sequencing tool for molecular identification of Aloe vera and relatives

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Yannick Woudstra @yannickwoudstra.bsky.social · 11/08/2025

That is where DNA barcoding comes to the rescue: DNA sequences help us discern patterns that are unique to each species. By comparing DNA sequences from unidentified plants to a verified reference database, we can determine which species the plant belonged to. And whether the trade is illegal.

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Yannick Woudstra @yannickwoudstra.bsky.social · 11/08/2025

Thankfully, aloes are protected under the Convention for International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES). This means that it is illegal to trade plants across borders without a permit. Some traders still try of course, but how do you proof that they are transporting threatened species?

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Yannick Woudstra @yannickwoudstra.bsky.social · 11/08/2025

The conservation status of aloes (and succulents in general) is very worrying. More than a third of all (600+) Aloe species are currently threatened with extinction due to habitat destruction. Illegal international succulent trade is putting further pressure on these plants. It is time to stop this!

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Yannick Woudstra @yannickwoudstra.bsky.social · 11/08/2025

How do you identify plants without flowers, fruits or other diagnostic features? DNA barcoding is your solution! But not all plants are easily barcoded.. I spent several years @rbgkew.bsky.social to develop this for Aloe vera + relatives. Out now in @consletters.bsky.social: doi.org/10.1111/conl...

Leaves of different Aloe species that were intercepted by customs at London Heathrow Airport. Near-impossible to tell which species they are due to lack of diagnostic morphological characters.

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Yannick Woudstra @yannickwoudstra.bsky.social · 02/06/2025

Very grateful for the collaborations with my former PhD supervisors Olwen Grace and @ninaronsted.bsky.social, tropical succulent horticulturalist Paul Rees, and very knowledgeable Aloe taxonomists Gideon Smith, Ronell Klopper and Solofo Rakotoarisoa!

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Yannick Woudstra @yannickwoudstra.bsky.social · 02/06/2025

The production of this immense molecular phylogeny was possible thanks to amazing Aloe collections @rbgkew.bsky.social @thebotanics.bsky.social @nhmdk.bsky.social @mnhn.fr, East Africa Herbarium Nairobi, South African National Biodiversity Institute and many other botanic gardens and herbaria.

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Yannick Woudstra @yannickwoudstra.bsky.social · 02/06/2025

You know Aloe vera, and you may have put some on your sunburn last weekend. But what about the other 594 species of Aloe? Read about one of the most diverse succulent plant groups in the world, and how they evolved in @annbot.bsky.social: doi.org/10.1093/aob/... (Advanced Access)

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Yannick Woudstra @yannickwoudstra.bsky.social · 26/05/2025

Very grateful to Gerard Shouten and Bart Wernaart @fontys.bsky.social for this opportunity. And for @stockholm-uni.bsky.social @bolincentre.bsky.social to support me in continuing my urban plant ecology research.

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Yannick Woudstra @yannickwoudstra.bsky.social · 26/05/2025

@barbaragravendeel.bsky.social and I contributed a chapter on the potential value of AI in studying urban plant diversity. We discuss the current evidence on urban plant evolution and how AI tools can help trace trends in demographics and phenology. @niooknaw.bsky.social @naturalis.bsky.social

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Yannick Woudstra @yannickwoudstra.bsky.social · 26/05/2025

The #Anthropocene is a time of extreme challenges for biodiversity, but also of technological innovations that can help bend the curve. Read all about the hopeful and exciting future in the new book Moral Design & Green Technology. Available now, online and free of access: brill.com/edcollbook-o...

brill.com

Moral Design and Green Technology

"Moral Design and Green Technology" published on 19 May 2025 by Wageningen Academic.

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Yannick Woudstra @yannickwoudstra.bsky.social · 23/05/2025

Very nice to publish this with @botsocamerica.bsky.social where fundamental plant science is right at home. Can't wait to further discuss with the botanical community how to tackle these challenging but fun groups of plants.

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Yannick Woudstra @yannickwoudstra.bsky.social · 12/05/2025

Still flowering abundantly in Sweden and already spreading millions of seeds elsewhere; now's the time to appreciate the importance of dandelions for biodiversity. Learn to love the king of the urban jungle @uk.theconversation.com: theconversation.com/how-dandelio... @stockholm-uni.bsky.social

theconversation.com

How dandelions conquered concrete to bring nature back to cities

Here’s why those little yellow flowers are everywhere you look.

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Yannick Woudstra @yannickwoudstra.bsky.social · 14/04/2025

On International Plant Appreciation Day, I joined Garden Loops – artists and architects from Sweden tackling plant blindness – for a "Ruderal Walk" in Gothenburg. We explored the beautiful and fascinating plants one can find right on their doorstep: www.instagram.com/p/DIZNF7Us5b... #LetsGoPlants

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Yannick Woudstra @yannickwoudstra.bsky.social · 13/04/2025

The king of the urban jungle - The Dandelion (Taraxacum agg.). It’s virtually indestructible but oh so valuable for pollinating insects (80% of the insect food production through its pollen). This plant is my passion for International Plant Appreciation Day! #iamabotanist #LetsGoPlants

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Yannick Woudstra @yannickwoudstra.bsky.social · 26/02/2025

Very grateful for the support of Tanja Slotte, Stockholm University and collaborators in getting this project granted. Another three years of research on pollen in asexual systems, very exciting! Can't wait to present this at conferences such as @botsocamerica.bsky.social Botany2025 this summer.

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