The tall elephant’s foot — low growing from a center arrangement of leaves, known as a rosette — have greater leverage to push, according to the study. Findings may also apply to other low-hovering plants, such as aloe or agave.
Scientists at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) have recorded the first North American case of a harmful phytoplasma disease known for its threat to fruit, vegetable and ornamental crops in South America and the Middle East. These same crops are economically important to Florida and in parts of the U.S. To make matters worse, scientists confirmed the host for the disease to be one of the most noxious and rapidly spreading weeds commonly found in a wide range of environments throughout the United States and into Canada.
The study found that while a combination of factors contributes to red tide blooms, human activity has played a consistent role in intensifying them during the past decade.
Researchers at the University of Florida have helped developed a COVID-19 testing device that can detect coronavirus infection in as little as 30 seconds as sensitively and accurately as a PCR, or polymerase chain reaction test, the gold standard of testing. They are working with scientists at National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University in Taiwan.
A new study, “Global field observations of tree die-off reveal hotter-drought fingerprint for Earth’s forests,” compiled a global database of the published locations of climate-induced forest die-off events, from 1970-2018, across 675 locations. After analyzing the climate conditions at each location during each event, researchers found a common ‘hotter-drought fingerprint’ for Earth’s forests, a term that describes the combination of higher temperatures and more frequent droughts for a lethal set of climate conditions.
Two of the nation’s most respected research institutions have closed their transaction that adds a Florida powerhouse meant to accelerate the pace of biomedical discoveries that benefit patients.
Teenagers who take part in arts and cultural activities, such as dance, drama, reading and going to concerts, are less likely to engage in antisocial and criminalized behavior up to two years later, according to a new study by University College London and University of Florida researchers.
In its latest step to promote artificial intelligence (AI) and data science and integrate AI across the curriculum, the University of Florida announced it will create an Artificial Intelligence Academic Initiative Center.
As Florida and other states become more urbanized, an increasing number of stormwater ponds are built. Florida already has 76,000 such ponds. The newer ones emit more carbon than they store, a new University of Florida study finds. Researchers hope this finding will inform policy makers and others about when, where and how to install stormwater ponds.
In a newly published study, scientists showed that five of the compounds are part of a biochemical pathway for synthesis of these important flavor compounds. Using a closely related fruit, Solanum pennellii, scientists found a site on a chromosome essential to produce detectable nitrogenous volatiles in tomatoes, said Denise Tieman, a UF/IFAS research assistant professor of horticultural sciences.
The National Academy of Engineering has elected UF professor Michele Manuel, Ph.D., to join the organization’s ranks, among the highest professional honors in engineering for those who have distinguished themselves in academia, private industry or government agencies.
FishSounds.net is the first online, interactive library for the sounds fish make when communicating or interacting with their environment. Fish sounds provide scientists valuable data for studying and conserving underwater ecosystems. An accompanying review study found that just under a 1,000 fish make sounds for communication, though this is likely an underestimate.
Scientists have long hypothesized that climate change, by intensifying stressors like drought or wildfires, would make an ecosystem more vulnerable to invasive plants. Those invasive plants may in turn alter the environment in ways that amplify the impacts of climate change, explained Luke Flory, a professor of ecology in the UF/IFAS agronomy department. A new long-term field study conducted by Flory’s lab offers the first experimental evidence to support this hypothesis.
Scientists seek answers through research, but sometimes, a lack of findings can be good news. A recent University of Florida-led study involving tree diseases uncovered no remarkable threats to common Southeastern United States trees, and the lead researcher says to file it as a cautiously optimistic “win.”
As COVID-19 edges from pandemic to endemic status, there is a growing need for antiviral therapies. A team of UF researchers has identified dozens of therapeutic targets that could feed the drug development pipeline.