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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

00:51:11

Ep. 120 - Understanding Rapid 'Ohi'a Death

In Defense of Plants Podcast ·

2017/08/06

The 'Ohi'a (Metrosideros polymorpha) is the dominant tree on the Hawai'ian Archipelago and it is under attack by two different species of invasive fungi. Trying to understand and combat the spread of these pathogens is one of the main focuses of our guest, Dr. James B. Friday. Together with multiple different stakeholders, they are trying to understand how these fungi got to the island and what can be done to protect Hawai'i's most famous tree. Allan, Shane, Amy, Caitlin, Rosanna, Mary

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00:40:28

Ep. 119 - Plant Architecture

In Defense of Plants Podcast ·

2017/07/30

Our guest today is Dr. Karl Niklas. His work utilizes mathematics to explain plant growth and form in relation to four basic physical constraints: 1) Plants have to capture sunlight and avoid shading their own leaves, 2) Plants have to support themselves structurally, 3) Plants have to conduct water to their various tissues, and 4) Plants must be able to reproduce effectively. Using these basic constraints, Dr. Niklas builds mathematical simulations of plant evolution. Join us for a

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01:12:14

Ep. 118 - Reflections On Summer Botanizing

In Defense of Plants Podcast ·

2017/07/24

I am back in Illinois and I met up with my good friend Steve (co-host of The Field Guides Podcast) to wax poetic about summer botanizing. Steve has spent most of his summer exploring Illinois while I have been busying myself in the southern Appalachian Mountains. We bring a lot of interesting species to the table in this episode, each with its own memorable experience. This episode was produced in part by Allan, Amy, Caitlin, Rosanna, Daniel, Mary Jane, Manuel, Jennifer, Sara, Christopher,

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01:17:07

Ep. 117 - Alfred Russel Wallace and Evolution

In Defense of Plants Podcast ·

2017/07/16

Today we are continuing our conversation with Dr. James Costa. This week, we take a deeper look at the life of Alfred Russel Wallace, a man who independently began developing a theory of evolution. You will find out why we hardly remember Wallace for his contributions to this fascinating world of science and inquiry. This is a different kind of discussion than we normally have here at In Defense of Plants but I think it is important to humanize the sciences every now and then. This episode

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00:46:00

Ep. 116 - Social Caterpillars, Their Host Trees, and...

In Defense of Plants Podcast ·

2017/07/09

For Dr. James Costa, a love of biology started early. It eventually evolved into a career studying social insects and their interactions with plants. It also evolved into a passion for the history of science, specifically that of evolutionary theory. Dr. Costa wears many hats and you will hear about some of them in part one of this two part episode! This episode was produced in part by Allan, Amy, Caitlin, Rosanna, Daniel, Mary Jane, Manuel, Jennifer, Sara, Christopher, Sienna and Garth,

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00:45:08

Ep. 115 - On Old Growth Forests and Disturbance

In Defense of Plants Podcast ·

2017/07/02

Today we are talking about one of my favorite subjects - old growth forests. Joining us is Dr. Beverly Collins, an associate professor at Western Carolina University. Her work looks at the dynamics of old growth forests, especially as it relates to disturbances. She is especially curious about the role disturbance plays in the survival of understory herbs. This episode was produced in part by Mark, Allen, Desiree, Sienna & Garth, Laura, Margie, Troy, Sara, Jennifer, Christopher, Manuel,

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01:09:58

Ep. 114 - A Tour of the Tilden Park Botanical Garden...

In Defense of Plants Podcast ·

2017/06/25

In this episode, In Defense of Plants is going back in time a bit to my visit to San Francisco. What you are about to hear is a tour of Tilden Park's wonderful botanical garden whose purpose is the collection, growth, display, and preservation of the native plants of California. This was easily one of the most impressive living collections I have ever seen. The tour was led by none other than Bart O'Brien, who has been placed in charge of this amazing place. If you head on over to

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00:57:33

Ep. 113 - Restoring Ecosystems Across the Globe

In Defense of Plants Podcast ·

2017/06/18

Restoration ecology is a topic near and dear to my heart. The idea of nursing the land back to health is something we all must rally behind. Plants are at the center of this practice and our guest today has devoted his career to understanding both plant diversity and how to restore their populations following human disturbance. Joining us from western Australia is Dr. Kingsley Dixon. Restoration is quite challenging in this harsh landscape but the lessons Dr. Dixon has learned over the

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00:41:20

Ep. 112 - The Wild World of Moss Sex

In Defense of Plants Podcast ·

2017/06/11

Plants have interesting sex lives. In this episode we take a closer look at reproduction in the mosses, in particular, a species known as fire moss. Joining us to talk about a particularly interesting version of this is Leslie Kollar, a PhD student at the University of Florida. Her work is fascinating and this is one episode you don't want to miss! This episode was produced in part by Mark, Allen, Desiree, Sienna & Garth, Laura, Margie, Troy, Sara, Jennifer, Christopher, Manuel, Daniel,

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00:45:20

Ep. 111 - Leaf Miners

In Defense of Plants Podcast ·

2017/06/04

You have all probably seen them, however, many probably don't realize what they are. Leaf miners are any sort of arthropod that lives part or all of its life nestled in the tissues of a leaf. This is an amazing world that desperately need more attention. That's where people like Charley Eiseman come in. Charley has devoted much of his free time to trying to better understand the leaf miners of North America. Along the way he has made some exciting discoveries, describing new species in his

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00:52:26

Ep. 110 - Resolving Ice Age Ecosysems: Using the Past...

In Defense of Plants Podcast ·

2017/05/28

Trying to piece together an accurate picture of past ecosystems requires a lot of patience and attention to detail. That is why I am so amazed by the work of today's guest. Joining us is paleoecologist Dr. Jacquelyn Gill to talk about her work on ice age ecology. The clues she uses to tell the story of these systems are surprisingly small but incredibly useful. What's more, her work can help us better understand how ecosystems are going to change as man-made climate change rages on. This is

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00:52:47

Ep. 109 - Phylogenetics and the Largest Flower in the...

In Defense of Plants Podcast ·

2017/05/21

Joining us today from Harvard University is Dr. Charles Davis. His lab focuses on elucidating the phylogenetic relationships among the plants of the world. One of his most exciting projects revolves around a genus of plants known as Rafflesia, which is famous the world over for producing the largest single flower on this planet. Join us for a wonderfully enlightening conversation about taxonomy. This episode was produced in part by Mark, Allen, Desiree, Sienna & Garth, Laura, Margie, Troy,

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00:44:27

Ep. 108 - Being a Botanist in Laos

In Defense of Plants Podcast ·

2017/05/14

Our guest today is Bryony Smart who is a botanist at the Pha Tad Ke Botanical Garden in Laos. This is the first botanical garden in the country and because of that, Bryony and her colleagues are working diligently on categorizing and preserving the flora of this amazing country. Their work extends far beyond botany as well. Pha Tad Key Botanical Garden exists as a conduit between the local communities and the myriad plant species they rely on for survival. Join us for a fascinating

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00:55:24

Ep. 107 - Chestnut Blight: Causes and Solutions

In Defense of Plants Podcast ·

2017/05/07

This week we take a deep dive into the world of chestnut blight. This fungal pathogen was introduced to North America in the early 1900's and has all but eliminated one of the dominant tree species of eastern US forests. Our guest today is Kristin Wickert, a PhD student at West Virginia University specializing in plant fungal pathogens. Join us as we discuss the in's and out's of this conservation issue. This episode was produced in part by Mark, Allen, Desiree, Sienna & Garth, Laura,

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00:42:20

Ep. 106 - Are Vines Parasites?

In Defense of Plants Podcast ·

2017/04/30

Vines are iconic the world around. Some are maligned whereas others are celebrated. Regardless of these viewpoints, their ecological importance cannot be understated. Joining us today to talk about the relationships between vines and trees is Tara Stewart, a PhD student at the University of Illinois. Tara and her colleague have taken a step back to ask some bigger theoretical questions about the relationships that vines have with trees. Join us for a fascinating discussion about this

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00:42:01

Ep. 105 - Talking Soil With Author Paul Bogard

In Defense of Plants Podcast ·

2017/04/23

The soils beneath our feet comprise a complex ecosystem in and of themselves. Soils support literally every major ecosystem on this planet. Despite all of this, they are largely ignored. Even worse, we continually degrade them without a care in the world. The degradation is what inspired author Paul Bogard (The End of Night) to write his latest contribution to the world of science communication. Join us for a fascinating discussion about his new book The Ground Beneath Us. Mark, Allen,

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01:08:55

Ep. 104 - Rock gardens, alpines, and aquatics, oh my!

In Defense of Plants Podcast ·

2017/04/16

I don't think I have to say that my favorite people are plant people. Joining us today is Tom Freeth, the man in charge of the rock, alpine, and aquatic gardens at the Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew. Tom has devoted his life to growing and understanding plants and has had an amazing journey to get to where he is at today. He passion and interests come through in every word. It was a real pleasure talking with Tom and I know you are going to enjoy this conversation. This episode was produced

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00:25:19

Ep. 103 - The Trout Lily Project

In Defense of Plants Podcast ·

2017/04/09

Calling all citizen scientists! The Trout Lilt Project needs your help! Joining us today is Dr. Emily Austen, a post doc at the University of Ottawa. You may remember Dr. Austen from episode 52 where we discussed her work on the evolution of flowering plants. Shes back today to give us updates on the results of 2016's citizen science reporting as well as to call for more citizen scientists to help with the project. This episode was produced in part by Mark, Allen, Desiree, Sienna & Garth,

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00:21:29

Ep. 102 - Building a Flora of Syria

In Defense of Plants Podcast ·

2017/04/02

Did you know that there are many regions around the world that incomplete floras? Syria is one such place and my guest today is working very hard on adding to our understanding of this biodiverse region. With her focus on geophytes, Angham Daiyoub is scouring the mountainous regions of western Syria to characterize the seasonal plant diversity. There are many challenges associated with this task so join us for a fascinating discussion of what its like to be a botanist in Syria. This episode

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00:42:10

Ep. 101 - Life at an Ornamental Plant Germplasm Center

In Defense of Plants Podcast ·

2017/03/26

Today we get a sneak peak of what its like to work at a germplasm lab. Joining us is Andy Schenkel, a research assistant at The Ohio State University Ornamental Plant Germplasm Center. From collecting and storing seeds to conservation of unique cultivars, Andy has his colleagues have their work cut out for them. Join us for an interesting conversation about life in a germplasm lab. This episode was produced in part by Mark, Allen, Maz, Beccah, Desiree, Sienna & Garth, Laura, Margie, Troy,

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600 results

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