Unchecked hunting and environmental degradation in tropical forests, which previous studies have correlated with the reduction of large animals in this biome, may impede the generational renewal of ...

Fruit exist to invite animals to disperse the swallowed seeds. A Kobe University research team found that plants targeting insects rather than birds or mammals for this service are more common than ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I write about biodiversity and the hidden quirks of the natural world. This rainforest tree solved one of evolution’s hardest ...

Seed dispersal is fundamental to the structure and resilience of tropical forests, underpinning regeneration, gene flow and ecosystem function. In these ecosystems, more than two thirds of woody plant ...

Trees of the species Pouteria bullata, which is endemic to Brazil and whose common name is guapeva-vermelha, are found solely in the Atlantic Rainforest biome and produce sweet succulent fruit. “Seed ...

With the lightest touch, this plant bursts open, flinging its seeds through the air. Here’s how it evolved this biological mechanism — and more importantly, why. If you were to walk past a patch of ...

If you liked this story, share it with other people. Society has recently become enthralled with bees and the amazing service they provide spreading pollen around and helping to sustain plant ...

This book provides a comprehensive treatment of all known bat-dispersed plants in the New World tropics and covers a total of 549 species in 191 genera from 62 plant families. It places a special ...

Restoring degraded forests can be expensive and complicated, but Brazilian researchers may have a simple technique to add to the restoration toolbox: enlisting fruit-eating animals to spread seeds. A ...

The shrub-like plant Rhynchotechum discolor produces fruit that are difficult to see from above but suitable for ground-dwelling insects. However, seed dispersal by insects was previously thought to ...

Fruit exist to invite animals to disperse the swallowed seeds. A research team found that plants targeting insects rather than birds or mammals for this service are more common than previously thought ...