It's here! The long awaited question show has arrived. Over the last few weeks listeners have been submitting their botanical questions for me to answer. I got some great questions and it was really fun doing the research in hope of providing satisfactory answers. I cover a lot of cool topics from leaf color to carnivorous plants and even some phylogenetics. This was a really fun episode to record. I learned a lot in the process and I hope you will too! This episode was produced in part by Gregory, Mark, Bryan, and Laura.
Ep. 50 - Restoration Ecology with Author Paddy Woodworth
Restoration ecology represents a juxtaposition between science, the public, and human values. It is often a hot button topic full of strong and sometimes contentious opinions. The practice itself offers humanity a chance to regain what has been lost, to right at least some of our environmental wrongs. Whereas the science of restoration is in its infancy, the effort has been ongoing, sometimes for decades. Author Paddy Woodworth has written a wonderful book on the subject called "Our Once and Future Planet." He joins us for a thoughtful discussion regarding what he has learned about the subject after a decade of investigating it. As you will hear, he demonstrates just how complex the very idea of restoration can be, especially in a century of rapidly changing climate. This episode was produced in part by Allan of Kenosha, WI.
Click here to pick up your own copy of "Our Once and Future Planet."
Click here to learn more about Paddy Woodworth
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Ep. 48 - Coffee Ecology
Worldwide, we humans drink roughly 2.25 billion cups of coffee per day. Our consumption of coffee comes at a great cost to the environment. Around 11 million hectares of land have been turned into coffee plantations, much of which consists of large scale, chemically laden, industrial monocultures. Because of its massive ecological impact, people like Dr. Ivette Perfecto from the University of Michigan have dedicated their research careers to helping make coffee farming more ecologically friendly. It all starts with small scale farmers in Latin America. By introducing ecological principals back into the farming practices of this region, Dr. Perfecto and her collaborators are helping to make coffee farming more sustainable, and at the same time, helping to educate local farmers about the importance of nature and all of its players. Join me for a fascinating conversation about coffee ecology. This episode was produced in part by Alan from Wisconsin.
Click here to learn more about Dr. Perfecto's research.
Click here to support this podcast.
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Ep. 44 - Litter Trappers
These plants don't worry about soil, they make their own! Because so many species in the tropics grow either epiphytically or in nutrient poor soil, some of them have turned to alternative solutions. Their anatomy is such that they collect everything from dead leaves to bird droppings. A diverse community of soil microbes and invertebrates can then go to work to create nutrient rich humus. What's more, litter trapping abilities can be found in plants as distantly related as ferns and orchids! Join me for an interesting discussion with Dr. Scott Zona, the curator of Florida International University's Werthheim Conservatory to talk about his work finding and describing litter trapping plants. This is one discussion you don't want to miss.
Click here to learn more about Dr. Zona's work.
Click here to learn more about the Wertheim Conservatory
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Ep. 43 - Orchid Conservation
Many people are surprised to learn that North America is home to over 200 species of orchid. What's more, an embarrassing amount of North America's orchids are threatened with extinction. The plight of this intriguing plant family is an indication of how we are doing as a species. Orchids act as the proverbial canary in a coal mine. That is why Dr. Dennis Whigham, senior botanist for the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, created the North America Orchid Conservation Center. Join me for a discussion with Dr. Whigham in which we cover everything from the mutualisms that orchids need to survive to what it is going to take to ensure their survival on this continent.
Click here to learn more about the NAOCC
Click here to visit their Go Orchids website
Click here to learn more about Dr. Whigham
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