Two teosintes made modern maize 

Yang et al., 2023 

Extensive population and quantitative genetic analysis of domesticated maize and its wild relatives uncovered a substantial role for two different wild taxa in making modern maize. It is propose a new model for the origin of maize that can explain both genetic and archaeological data, and it is show how variation in Zea mays ssp. mexicana is a key component of maize diversity, both at individual loci and for genetic variation underlying agronomic traits.

The model raises a number of questions about how and why a secondary spread of maize may have occurred, but it is speculate that the timing of admixture suggests a possible direct role for hybridization between maize and Zea mays ssp. mexicana in improving early domesticated forms of maize, helping to transform it into the staple crop we know today.

Admixture analysis reveals widespread contributions of two teosintes to modern maize. (A) Proportion of highland teosinte admixture for traditional maize varieties across the Americas. (B) Admixture graph representing our model of maize evolution. (C) Cartoon depiction of proposed maize domestication and dispersal. (D) Characterization of admixture tracts along maize genomes. (E) Admixture for cob weight reveals a peak on chromosome 1.

https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adg8940

Assessing critical thresholds in terrestrial microbiomes  

Egidi et al., 2023.

Critical thresholds are abrupt changes in ecosystems triggered by environmental disturbances, which can be used to assess resilience and vulnerability. It is propose how a trait-based approach could be used to harness the predictive power of microbial dynamics to manage ecosystem response to environmental changes.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41564-023-01536-2

  Active Inference - Karl Friston

We often talk about conservation in the context of species. But it’s the interactions which are the glue that holds the entire system together.

Todd Palmer

(https://n9.cl/fo6rx)

Science Before Statistics: Causal Inference  

Richard McElreath

GRAND SABOTAGE CLIMATIQUE: 

RÉVÉLATIONS SUR UN SYSTÈME CORROMPU

Three-strip management: introducing a novel mowing method in perennial flower strips and grass margins to increase habitat complexity and attractiveness for pollinators 

Laurian Parmentier 

Flower margins are widely adopted as agri-environment measure (AEM) to enhance farmland biodiversity. However, perennial flower margins need appropriate mowing schemes to manage succession, especially in regions with high nitrogen depositions, and current schemes inadequately address the needs of arthropods, including pollinators. Effective management should provide floral diversity with staggered flowering times, creating varied sward structures for diverse habitats that support shelter, nesting, and mating sites.

To address these challenges, a novel mowing method, called 'Three-strip management,' is proposed. This method involves dividing the margin into three strips using curved instead of straight mowing lines. During each cycle, one third remains unmown for shelter, while clippings are removed to lower soil nutrient status and reduce succession. The use of overlapping curved mowing lines aims to maximize variety in patterns, fostering spatio-temporal variation in the (re)growth of perennials and swards. Unlike Regular rotational management, multiple uneven parts are kept unmown over winter, increasing the number of subzones in different mown states over successive years.

In this study, field trials comparing Three-strip management with Regular rotational management reveal positive effects especially during the second year, including higher bee abundance and diversity. Plant-pollinator networks also demonstrate increased interactions. While the study focuses on bees, the potential of the Three-strip management to support other beneficial insects is discussed. Given declining insect populations in agricultural landscapes, this paper offers insights into enhancing perennial flower margins as AEM to support pollinator populations. The novel Three-strip management presents a promising strategy for balancing management needs with diverse insect requirements, contributing to sustainable biodiversity conservation in agricultural settings.

https://pollinationecology.org/index.php/jpe/article/view/747

Could an Orca Give a TED Talk?

Karen Bakker

Landscape structure and farming management interacts to modulate pollination supply and crop production in blueberries 

Ramírez-Mejía et al., 2023.

Deployment of beehives in blueberry fields can buffer, but not compensate for the negative effects on honeybee abundance produced by surrounding large scale none-flowering crops. Such compensation would require high-quality beehives by monitoring their health and strength. The contribution of honeybees to crop production is not equal across production metrics. That is, higher abundance of honeybees increases the number of berries produced but at the cost of smaller and more acidic fruits, potentially reducing their market value. Growers must consider this trade-off between fruit quantity and quality when actively managing honeybee abundance.

https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1365-2664.14553

Inside Big Botany 

Timothy Morton