Conifers are gymnosperm plants within the division Pinophyta, characterized by woody stems, predominantly evergreen habit, and reproduction via exposed seeds borne on cones rather than enclosed within ovaries. They typically possess needle-like or scale-like leaves with adaptations for reduced water loss, such as thick cuticles and sunken stomata. Conifers exhibit secondary growth via a vascular cambium, producing substantial xylem (softwood). Their life cycle features dominant diploid sporophytes and reduced gametophytes, with wind-mediated pollination. Ecologically, conifers dominate many boreal and montane forests, and biologically they are key models for studying long-lived perennials, wood formation, and gymnosperm reproductive biology.
Researchers have demonstrated a series of biological tests that could serve as "proxies" for measuring how different regenerative agriculture practices could improve soil carbon—years before it would be possible to measure ...
Cell & Microbiology
Sep 3, 2026
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More than 80% of North American forests could face greater threats from pests and diseases by midcentury, a University of British Columbia-led study finds. If global emissions continue unchecked, rising temperatures and shifting ...
Plants & Animals
Sep 3, 2026
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A new study published in the journal Nature reveals that conifers planted outside their native range in the Southern Hemisphere not only grow up to four times faster than those in the Northern Hemisphere but also show greater ...
Plants & Animals
Sep 2, 2026
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Windstorms are among the most important natural disturbances in Northern Europe, where they cause extensive tree mortality, timber losses and long-lasting changes in forest structure. Large-scale windstorm damage has increased ...
Ecology
Sep 2, 2026
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Tall trees are generally associated with high-biomass forests. This is particularly true for forests dominated by Sequoia sempervirens (hereafter redwood), the world's tallest tree species. Extreme decay resistance, the ability ...
If you want to know how rapidly pumping carbon dioxide into the atmosphere will affect future forest ecosystems, you have to look into the distant past. The researchers behind a new study published in Science have done just ...
Ecology
Aug 13, 2026
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For centuries, artisanal and industrial activities have left many soils polluted with excessive levels of heavy metals such as zinc, cadmium, copper and lead, posing a threat to the environment and human health. Cleaning ...
Ecology
Jul 30, 2026
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Kauri dieback is one of the most serious threats facing Aotearoa New Zealand's kauri forests. The disease is caused by a soil-dwelling microbe, Phytophthora agathidicida, which infects kauri roots and eventually kills the ...
Ecology
Jul 30, 2026
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In Europe, trees are increasingly dying prematurely. A new study by the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL) on French forests now shows that it is not only drought but also unusually warm ...
Ecology
Jul 7, 2026
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Is it possible to study the history of viruses that emerged several hundred million years ago? An international team of INRAE and CIRAD researchers answered this question by exploring plant genomes to find the molecular fossils ...
Evolution
Jul 2, 2026
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