Plants

A plant pathologist diagnoses diseases in soybean plants and identifies the observable characteristics in the leaves, stem, roots, etc. that can indicate a healthy or diseased plant. Billions of people and animals depend on soybeans for food, fuel, and other products. So when the fields aren’t producing well it makes sense to try to figure out why. One field can have a different problem than the field next to it. The same field can have one infection one year and something completely different the next. And to make things even more complicated plants can suffer from more than one infection or disease problem at any given time.

In this video segment from NatureScene, take a tour of the Congaree Swamp National Park to learn about where the high-ground and floodplain environments meet. The boundary between dry and semi-saturated ground supports a diversity of plants, including loblolly pines and beech trees on higher ground, as well as understory plants such as doghobble and cinnamon fern. Decomposers like mushrooms, which are also understory plants, help to break down and cycle nutrients back into the soil. Plant habitat and adaptation here are predominantly influenced by soil type and saturation.

This video is available in both English and Spanish audio, along with corresponding closed captions.

This video segment adapted from NOVA explains how flowers play a central role in the reproductive cycle of plants. Their striking array of colors, patterns, fragrances, and nectar all require lots of energy to produce. But it is these features that attract insects and other animals, which, in turn, carry genetic material from flower to flower. The video and illustration describe various parts of the reproductive system, including the stamens and pistil, which generate seeds and ensure the survival of an enormous variety of plant species.

For the last 50 years we've wondered whether plants can think... Haven't we?