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PODCAST

In Defense of Plants Podcast

In Defense of Plants

Plants are everything. They are also incredibly interesting. From the smallest duckweed to the tallest redwood, the botanical world is full of wonder. Tune in for a podcast celebrating everything botany.

science natural sciences

All Episodes

00:45:36

Ep. 411 - Chollas & Biodiversity Revisited

In Defense of Plants Podcast ·

2023/03/05

When Dr. Jon Rebman decided to take on the diversity of cholla cacti, little did he know what he was getting into. Luckily, this work led him down a road stoked by a deep passion for understanding the biodiversity of not only cacti, but the entire flora of southern California and the Baja Peninsula. Dr. Rebman believes in maintaining a classical botanist’s approach to his work and as you will hear in our conversation, this has been quite fruitful. Thanks to Dr. Rebman and his colleagues, we have a

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00:41:18

Ep. 410 - Phenology is Important

In Defense of Plants Podcast ·

2023/02/26

Phenology is defined as "the study of cyclic and seasonal natural phenomena, especially in relation to climate and plant and animal life." Far from being a fun topic to investigate, plant phenology is a very important component of how ecosystems operate. The timing of important events like bud break and reproduction can have massive implications on everything from insect population dynamics to reproduction in birds. Join me and Samantha Brewer as we discuss phenology and how you can contribute to

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00:56:35

Ep. 409 - Butterflies in a Changing World

In Defense of Plants Podcast ·

2023/02/19

Butterflies and plants are inextricably linked. It stands to reason then that if you want healthy butterfly populations, you first need plant diversity on the landscape. Join me and Dr. Katy Prudic as we explore her research into how we can better manage the human environment, especially in suburban and urban areas, to be good habitat for butterflies. Learn how citizen science opportunities are helping her and her colleagues understand everything from the impact of climate change and the presence of

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00:35:58

Ep. 408 - Prairie Up!

In Defense of Plants Podcast ·

2023/02/12

Do you want to bring native plants into your life in ways that will inspire others? Do you want to turn whatever space you have into habitat that fosters biodiversity? Diving into the world of ecological landscaping may seem daunting at first, but books like "Prairie Up" helps turn the learning curve in an exciting on-ramp. Join me and author Benjamin Vogt as we dive into the inspiration and philosophy behind this amazing and beautiful book. This episode was produced in part by Emily, Theo, Nichole,

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00:56:41

Ep. 407 - Orchid Bees: Botanical Perfumers

In Defense of Plants Podcast ·

2023/02/05

Orchid bees are not your average pollinators. Hailing from tropical regions of the Americas, these little gems have complex relationships with a variety of plants focussed on perfume production. Join Dr. Santiago Ramírez and me as we dive into the wildly fragrant world of orchid bee ecology and learn how their quest for scents has shaped myriad tropical plant lineages. This episode was produced in part by Emily, Theo, Nichole, Paul, Karen, Randi, Caelan, Tom, Don, Susan, Corbin, Keena, Robin, Peter,

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00:55:49

Ep. 406 - Reconstructing Ancient Plants

In Defense of Plants Podcast ·

2023/01/29

What does it take to reconstruct a plant that went extinct hundreds of millions of years ago? How do you find the right context to place it in when so much has changed? These are just some of the questions we explore in this episode. Dr. Jeff Benca returns to the podcast to talk to us about how he approaches paleobotanical reconstruction both as a scientist and an artist. This episode was produced in part by Theo, Nichole, Paul, Karen, Randi, Caelan, Tom, Don, Susan, Corbin, Keena, Robin, Peter,

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00:44:37

Ep. 405 - Early Land Plants & Earth's Ancient Climate

In Defense of Plants Podcast ·

2023/01/22

The earliest days of land plant evolution have long thought to have occurred in a hot house environment fueled by high CO2 levels. However, recent investigations suggest this may not have been the case and that small plants, not forests, had a massive role to play. Join me and Dr. Tais W Dahl as we travel back over 400 million years to the Devonian Period and discuss how small relatives of lycopods may have altered Earth's atmosphere to such a degree that the Devonian climate may have been more

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00:53:59

Ep. 404 - The Secrets of Vanilla Dispersal

In Defense of Plants Podcast ·

2023/01/15

Vanilla scent and flavoring is loved the world over, but what is the story behind vanillin, the compound responsible for producing these properties? Many theories as to its ecological function have been put forward over the last century and finally we can put the debate to rest. My guest today is Dr. Adam Karremans who teamed up with a handful of biologists to observe and experiment with Vanilla fruits to understand why these orchids produce one of the world's most delightful compounds. Join us as

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00:45:58

Ep. 403 - Fossil Bryophytes Revisited

In Defense of Plants Podcast ·

2023/01/08

The odds of any living material becoming fossilized are extremely rare, especially if that living thing is a moss, liverwort, or hornwort. It does happen, however, and my guest today is dedicating his career to studying and understanding what bryophyte fossils can tell us. We revisit a conversation with Alex Bippus, who at the time was a PhD student at Oregon State, to learn about his fascinating work studying fossilized bryophytes. From climate change to evolution, there seems to be no end to the

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00:36:22

Ep. 402 - Plant Communities & Trails

In Defense of Plants Podcast ·

2023/01/01

Have you ever wondered about the impact of outdoor recreation on plant communities? Trinie Chisholm certainly has. Together with her colleagues, Trinie sought to investigate how offroad vehicle and other type of trails are impacting plants in Canada'sCastle Provincial Park. Her work is a great example of how multiple stakeholders can come together to collaborate on more sustainable outdoor recreation activities so that we can continue to enjoy nature in a variety of ways for generations to come.This

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00:33:22

Ep. 401 - Seeing the Forest for its Bats

In Defense of Plants Podcast ·

2022/12/25

Many bats need forests and, as it turns out, those forests need bats. We are well aware that the majority of North America's bats eat insects, but what is the impact of their insectivorous diet on forest health? Join me and Dr. Lizz Beilke as we uncover the answers to this question and more. This episode was produced in part by Randi, Caelan, Tom, Don, Susan, Corbin, Keena, Robin, Peter, Whitney, Kenned, Margaret, Daniel, Karen, David, Earl, Jocelyn, Gary, Krysta, Elizabeth, Southern California

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00:43:11

Ep. 400 - The Root of an Ancient Mass Extinction

In Defense of Plants Podcast ·

2022/12/18

We take plant roots for granted, but there was a time in Earth's history when roots had yet to evolve. As you are going to hear from Professor of Earth Sciences, Dr. Gabe Filippelli, when roots did evolve, they may have set in motion a mass extinction of oceanic proportions. Learn what he and his colleagues have discovered and what it can teach us about Earth's biosphere moving forward. This episode was produced in part by Randi, Caelan, Tom, Don, Susan, Corbin, Keena, Robin, Peter, Whitney, Kenned,

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00:33:27

Ep. 399 - Remembering a Cycad Defender

In Defense of Plants Podcast ·

2022/12/11

This episode is dedicated to the memory of world-renowned cycad expert Dr. Nathalie Nagalingum who sadly passed away. I first spoke with Dr. Nagalingum back in 2017 where she opened my eyes to the plight of cycads. Did you know that cycads are the most endangered group of organisms on the planet? We are officially facing a cycad crisis but luckily there are people like Dr. Nathalie Nagalingum from the California Academy of Sciences who have devoted their life to understanding and protecting these

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01:06:06

Ep. 398 - Tall Trees & the Habitats They Create

In Defense of Plants Podcast ·

2022/12/04

Tall trees are true marvels of nature in and of themselves, but the habitats they create can take our fascination and appreciation to whole new levels. Dr. Steve Sillett has spent his career climbing giant trees and uncovering remarkable insights into their ecologies. Join us for a celebration of tall trees and learn how we can better manage the forests they comprise. This episode was produced in part by Randi, Caelan, Tom, Don, Susan, Corbin, Keena, Robin, Peter, Whitney, Kenned, Margaret, Daniel,

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00:53:17

Ep. 397 - Grappling with the Hawthorns

In Defense of Plants Podcast ·

2022/11/27

The hawthorns (Crataegus spp.) are in intriguing group of small trees. They are members of a genus that has sparked plenty of controversy and debate among taxonomists for decades and it doesn't appear to be slowing down any time soon. Regardless of the confusion they cause, there is no denying that hawthorns are as beautiful as they are ecologically important. Join me and botanist Ron Lance as we take a deep dive into the world of hawthorns and learn how he has been contributing to our understanding

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00:37:55

Ep. 396 - The Secrets of Seagrass Pollination

In Defense of Plants Podcast ·

2022/11/20

For seagrasses, living life underwater comes with a lot of unique challenges, not the least of which is pollination. This is especially true when you consider the fact that their flowers are both ephemeral and borne submerged. Figuring out the means by which seagrasses reproduce is important to their conversation and restoration, but was largely unknown until about a decade ago. Join me and Dr. Vivian Solis-Weiss as we discuss how her work on benthic marine organisms such as polychaete worms

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00:45:30

Ep. 395 - Botany in the Garden

In Defense of Plants Podcast ·

2022/11/13

I am a big fan of the "grow it to know it" philosophy. Growing plants provides so many important insights into the botanical world. However, for so many of us, figuring out where to start can be daunting. Botany, after all, is a massive subject. That is where books like "A Gardener's Guide to Botany" factor in. Dr. Scott Zona returns to the podcast to talk about his new book and why melding botany and gardening is so powerful. This episode was produced in part by Caelan, Tom, Don, Susan, Corbin,

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01:25:50

Ep. 394 - Insect Herbivory Past & Present

In Defense of Plants Podcast ·

2022/11/06

Insect herbivory is a major driver of ecosystem processes across ecosystems, but how has it changed through time? Wouldn't it be amazing to travel back through time to see how much plant-insect interactions have changed? Essentially, that is what Dr. Lauren Azevedo-Schmidt is able to do using both modern and fossilized leaves. Join us as we explore how much insect herbivory rates have changed through time and learn some of the surprising results that have come from investigating this topic and how

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00:52:46

Ep. 393 - Threats to U.S. Trees

In Defense of Plants Podcast ·

2022/10/30

What are the threats to all the trees in the U.S.? To answer this question, you first have to figure out how many species there are and comb through data gathered by hundreds of dedicated biologists, ecologists, and more. Join me and Dr. Murphy Westwood as we discuss the first comprehensive threat assessment for US trees that could not have been done without partners such as BGCI-US, NatureServe, US Botanic Garden, and the US Forest Service. This episode was produced in part by Caelan, Tom, Don,

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00:44:04

Ep. 392 - Botanizing Down Under

In Defense of Plants Podcast ·

2022/10/23

Plant ecologist Sara Johnson and I look back at a recent botanical adventure in southern Australia with fondness. Never before have we been exposed to such distinct biodiversity compared to what we are used to. Listen in as we talk about some of the amazing plants and animals we met along the way. This episode was produced in part by Caelan, Tom, Don, Susan, Corbin, Keena, Robin, Peter, Whitney, Kenned, Margaret, Daniel, Karen, David, Earl, Jocelyn, Gary, Krysta, Elizabeth, Southern California

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