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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

01:04:41

Ep. 312 - The Importance of Seed Banking

In Defense of Plants Podcast ·

2021/04/11

Humans have been seed banking in one form or another for millennia. Whereas historically, seed banking has largely focused on agriculturally important plants, the practice has been expanded to protecting a multitude of species from extinction. Joining us in this episode is Atlanta Botanical Garden's Micropropagation and Seed Bank Coordinator, Jason Ligon to talk to us about everything involved with seed banking and how he and his team are using it to save some of the most imperiled plants in the

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00:57:53

Ep. 311 - How Oaks Get Around

In Defense of Plants Podcast ·

2021/04/04

This episode is all about the fascinating world of oak seed dispersal. Many of us have undoubtedly enjoyed watching frenzied squirrels and jays hurriedly collecting and stashing acorns. But such observations are only the tip of the extremely complex iceberg of oak seed dispersal. Join ecologist Dr. Michael Steele and me as we discuss his new book "Oak Seed Dispersal: A Study in Plant-Animal Interactions," which brilliantly outlines decades of research on this topic. From how oaks pump their acorns

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00:51:24

Ep. 310 - Plants & Cities

In Defense of Plants Podcast ·

2021/03/28

Cities are usually designed with only humans in mind, but that doesn't mean myriad other forms of life aren't adapting to live in these human-dominated landscapes as well. My guest today is Jasmin Green, a PhD candidate at UC Davis who is very curious about the ecological dynamics of plant communities in urban environments. From why some plants can establish in cities while others cannot to how different microclimates and maintenance regimes structure plant communities in vacant lots, there are

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00:55:42

Ep 309 - Plants, Pollinators, Nature, and Society

In Defense of Plants Podcast ·

2021/03/21

Pollination is arguably among the most important ecological processes on our planet. Entire careers have been devoted to trying to understand the countless nuances to plant pollination and yet we have only uncovered the tip of the iceberg. In this episode, we are joined by pollination ecologist, Dr. Jeff Ollerton to talk about his new book "Pollinators & Pollination: Nature & Society," which takes a deep dive into what we currently know about pollination, why it is important for both nature

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01:00:44

Ep. 308 - The Street Life of Trees

In Defense of Plants Podcast ·

2021/03/14

What do street trees and oceanic islands have in common? It turns out a lot, at least from an ecological perspective. I sit down with Dr. Robert Warren to explore questions like do street trees constitute a functioning forest or a beautiful garden? What role do humans play in the ecology of street trees? And, how do we do better for ecology in human-dominated areas? We also discuss how these questions and more have led to the creation of a wonderful "guide" to street trees called "The Street Life of

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01:06:54

Ep. 307 - Sleuthing to Save Plants

In Defense of Plants Podcast ·

2021/03/07

A lot of detective work goes into saving plants from extinction and that is what we are discussing in this episode. Dr. Anne Frances joins us to talk about all of the plant sleuthing she does as NatureServe's lead botanist. Her work has her investigating the status of everything from single sight endemics to crop wild relatives. This episode is proof that we have what it takes to save plants from extinction, we just need to try! This podcast was produced in part by Kali, Margaret, Mary, Connor,

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01:03:53

Ep. 306 - The Art & Science of Rock Gardening

In Defense of Plants Podcast ·

2021/02/28

Rock gardening is so much more than gardening with rocks. No one knows this better than Panayoti Kelaidis. A self-proclaimed acolyte in the cathedral of chlorophyll, Panayoti has spent a lifetime steeped in plants and gardening. As you will learn, rock gardening is truly a magnificent blend of science and art that celebrates plants as organisms and brings people together from all across the world. Join us as we take a deep dive on what it means to be a rock gardener. This podcast was produced in

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01:04:10

Ep. 305 - In Defense of Plants

In Defense of Plants Podcast ·

2021/02/21

In Defense of Plants is now a book! Hitting shelves on February 23rd, "In Defense of Plants: An Exploration into the Wonder of Plants" explores my introduction to the world of botany and the amazing ways plants make a living. Instead of me just talking at you for an hour, I figured I should let someone else take the wheel for a bit so I invited my buddy Bill Michalek from The Field Guides Podcast to sit down and talk about the process of writing this book and our views on science communication in

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01:20:34

Ep. 304 - Proteas: Protecting These Botanical...

In Defense of Plants Podcast ·

2021/02/14

For those with even passing familiarity, the proteas represent something akin to botanical royalty. This family of plants exhibits a bewildering array of forms, lifestyles, and habitat preferences, which is why they were named in honor of the shape-shifting Greek god Proteus. Whereas Proteus was confined to the water, the proteas can be found growing terrestrially throughout the Southern Hemisphere where they face myriad environmental threats. Indeed, the most recent IUCN Red List Assessment has

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00:57:21

Ep. 303 - Lessons in Biogeography from Conifers

In Defense of Plants Podcast ·

2021/02/07

This episode occurs at the intersection of botany and geology, two inseparable components of the natural world. For Dr. David Charlet, what started with curiosity about a seemingly out of place population of conifers has developed into a life-long obsession with species distributions and deep time. Dr. Charlet specializes in the biogeographic history of the Great Basin and Mojave Desert with a special interest in conifers and has greatly advanced our knowledge of how geology and climate have shaped

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01:15:01

Ep. 302 - Community-Based Oak Conservation

In Defense of Plants Podcast ·

2021/01/31

We expand further on the topic of oak conservation in this episode by looking at two examples of in situ oak conservation projects. Joining us from the Morton Arboretum is Tree Conservation Ecologist, Dr. Silvia Alvarez-Clare to discuss her amazing community-based projects aimed at saving Quercus brandegeei and Quercus insignis. These efforts are all based on conserving these species where they grow all the while bolstering the communities that depend on them in the process. This podcast was

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01:05:34

Ep. 301 - Oaks in Trouble

In Defense of Plants Podcast ·

2021/01/24

Oaks (genus Quercus) are among the most culturally and ecologically important trees wherever they are native, which is what makes the next sentence so alarmingly depressing. The IUCN currently estimates that nearly 41% of all oak species are of conservation concern. From all out habitat destruction to invasive pests and diseases, there seems to be no end to the threats oaks face. But that doesn't mean people aren't trying to do something about it. In this episode, I sit down with Director of Global

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01:12:51

Ep. 300 - Reconstructing a Cretaceous Flora

In Defense of Plants Podcast ·

2021/01/17

Imagine being able to travel back 120 million years to the Early Cretaceous and scoop up handfuls of the forest floor. The amount you would discover in that material would be mind blowing and, amazingly, this is essentially what my guest gets to do. Dr. Fabiany Herrera is a paleobotanist based at the Chicago Botanic Garden who is currently helping reconstruct the flora of an ancient Mongolian swamp. Mongolia is well known for its dinosaur fossils, but what Dr. Herrera and his colleagues are

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00:56:03

Ep. 299 - Aquatic Plants & Phytoremediation

In Defense of Plants Podcast ·

2021/01/10

Grab your snorkel and goggles because this episode takes us underwater. I sit down for a conversation with Assistant Professor Dr. La Toya Kissoon-Charles about the ways in which aquatic plants both impact and are impacted by their watery environment. From insights into water chemistry and the impacts of land-use change to the potential to clean up polluted waters, Dr. Kissoon-Charles unveils an exciting world of scientific discovery. This podcast was produced in part by Melody, Azomonas, Ellie,

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00:51:09

Ep. 298 - Living the Gypsum Life: How Geology Can...

In Defense of Plants Podcast ·

2021/01/03

You may have heard of the mineral gypsum through its use in making plasters, chalks, and drywall, but are you aware of its influence on plant speciation? Indeed, soils heavy in gypsum present unique challenges to plant growth but that doesn't mean plants haven't been able to conquer such substrates. In this episode, I sit down to talk with Dr. Mike Moore about his research on how gypsum-based soils have resulted in remarkable evolutionary radiations on a global scale. Along the way we gain important

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00:51:32

Ep. 297 - A Deep Dive on the Cashew Family

In Defense of Plants Podcast ·

2020/12/27

What do cashews (Anacardium spp.), mangoes (Mangifera spp.), pistachios (Pistacia spp.), and poison ivy (Toxicodendron spp.) have in common? They are all members of the family Anacardiaceae! In this episode, I sit down with Deputy Executive Director at the United States Botanic Garden, Dr. Susan Pell, who has devoted her career to understanding this incredible and surprisingly diverse family. Join us as we discuss everything from their evolutionary relationships to the remarkable ways in which some

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01:02:31

Ep. 296 - Expanding Your Barberry Horizon

In Defense of Plants Podcast ·

2020/12/20

In this episode, we do a deep dive into the barberry family, Berberidaceae, with environmentalist, author, and garden designer Lyndon Penner. Many of us will be familiar with the Mahonias or the prickly barberry shrubs, but they overshadow some of the more interesting members of this clade. Join us as we talk about the wonderful diversity of woodland herbs and wax poetic about all the inspiration they can bring you both in the wild and in the garden. Lyndon's intoxicating passion for plants will

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00:45:13

Ep. 295 - Sniffing Out Solutions: How Dogs Can Help...

In Defense of Plants Podcast ·

2020/12/13

Dogs are among our oldest companions. Our propensity for cohabitation and collaboration leads to unique bonds that are rare in the animal kingdom. In this episode we sit down with members of Rogue Detection Teams to talk about how some dogs are even helping save plants. From finding invasive species to sniffing out plant diseases, dogs are proving to be excellent conservation assistants. Moreover, this work is giving many dogs a second chance at life. Join me as I sit down with Heath Smith and

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01:03:11

Ep. 294 - Herbaria: Past, Present, and Future

In Defense of Plants Podcast ·

2020/12/06

This episode takes a deep dive into the past, present, and future of herbaria. I sit down with Director of the William and Lynda Steere Herbarium, Dr. Barbara M. Thiers about her new book "Herbarium: The Quest to Preserve and Classify the World's Plants." Dr. Thiers has spent a lifetime thinking about and working in herbaria and she recognized the importance of telling their stories. Listen in as we discuss humanity’s impulse to save things. This podcast was produced in part by Peter, Cathrine,

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00:54:54

Ep. 293 - How Plants Fight Disease

In Defense of Plants Podcast ·

2020/11/29

From plant conservation to food security, we desperately need to understand how plants fight disease. As you can probably imagine, the world of plant-microbe interactions is vast and complicated but that's where people like Dr. Kevin Cox Jr come in. Currently a post-doc at the Danforth Plant Science Center, his work has him looking at disease-causing fungi at high resolutions. By understanding the genes involved in plant responses to fungal infection, Dr. Cox is helping paint a clearer picture of

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